Reconnecting

If only we could've strolled along Daytona Beach!
When you're a parent it is so easy to forget about your partner. Whether it be a husband, wife, fiancee or boy/girlfriend we often concentrate on the children and think that the other adult in the family doesn't really need attention. The constant slog of keeping a home functional and making sure the kids are ready for their after-school clubs or activities mean that we tend to ignore other things. 

Being a parent we often find ourselves making time for the children. We find crafts for them to enjoy while at home, we invite their friends over for dinner and we spend time reading books or listening to them tell us their made up stories. Having children is a 24/7 job and even when they're at school you're thinking about what they'll get up to at the end of the day. This job has almost no days off even, as I've said previously, when you're ill.

So when my sister called me at the end of last week and invited my boys to go and stay with her this weekend I was over the moon. It was such a surprise and at that moment I don't think anything else could've made me happier. Don't get me wrong, I love my boys, but sometimes... well, if you're a parent you know the feeling!

When I told the hubby he was just as excited, it meant we would have a whole night for just the two of us. This kind of thing is very rare and our minds were boggled with possibilities. Do we go out for a meal? Do we go out to a club? The casino or a bar? Oh boy!

I dropped the boys off on Saturday afternoon and they happily ran off without even saying goodbye. They love visiting their cousins and I think the opportunity to be without parents was exciting for them. I got back in my car, headed for the motorway and marvelled at the silence. I drove for 30 minutes and it was the most pleasant drive I've had in ages, no bickering in the back, no fighting and no spilled drinks. Heaven.

By the time I got home the hubby had drinks waiting and an afternoon watching movies and laughing together was afoot. For the whole day we drank, talked, laughed and had fun. We didn't have a plan for the evening and in the end we didn't even fancy going out for a meal. Enjoying our time together alone seemed more important. Being able to spend the day talking to each other without being interrupted or pop out to the shops without telling little ones to go to the toilet first, was amazing. We were able to be with each other as partners, not just parents.

On Sunday we were due to pick the boys up but again we were surprised. My brilliant sister said they could stay over again. Another whole day for the two of us!

We headed into Nottingham, something we hadn't done in a while. Wandering through the centre, hand in hand, looking in shop windows and not really having a plan was great. We had lunch and I didn't have to think about what LP would or wouldn't eat. We didn't have to eat at McDonalds or Burger King and opted for some lovely sandwiches from Pret. The sun shone, there were smiles on our faces and we strolled through the city.

Now the weekend is over, the boys are back at school and my stress levels are steadily climbing. I keep thinking about all those little jobs I need to get done and wonder how much longer I can put them off. However this past weekend has made me realise that me and the hubby need to make time for each other, even when the kids are at home.

I think it's really important not to forget about our partners, after all they're the ones who support us when things get tough. Make time to be a couple. Laugh and talk together and remember what it is that made you fall in love. It may be an hour alone or a whole weekend but make sure you get that time as a couple, lovers, friends. Reconnect, remember and most of all, laugh.

Mama and More