Monday, June 06, 2016

date night

Daniel and I celebrated ten years together last week. An entire decade since we first sat at a little cafe one afternoon nervously chatting between sips of tea. And look at what we've created! Cause to celebrate - so we did!

Date night is not something we participate in regularly. To paint an accurate picture, aside from the wedding we attended when I was seven months pregnant with Percy, it had been two whole years since we'd dressed up and gone out to dinner together. Two years! It's a bit sad, I know, but I think it's a pretty true reflection of parenthood with young children and a breastfed baby.

We don't usually make a palaver about anniversaries. There's often quiet, heartfelt recognition but we don't do big gifts. But ten years deserved dinner at a beautiful restaurant so we booked the grandparents and a table.

Saturday night was wet and cold; the perfect opportunity to stay in and get takeaway. And because we are homebodies, that option did cross our mind. But no, it just wouldn't do. The kids had been out of the house since 3pm so we had a "nap" (ahem), got all dressed up and drove to a new-to-us restaurant that was just as sublime as its reviews.

We sat near the fire and we chatted, sipped decadent drinks, and spent far too long perusing the menu. It felt indulgent and nourishing and it was and always will be one of my very favourite nights; the best company and a celebration of us and everything we've made together.

We gleefully made our way through three courses (the camembert and fresh sourdough! the lamb! the date and pistachio couscous! the crisp green beans swimming in olive oil and parsley and garlic! the chocolate and caramel tart! the coffee gelato!) and wondered why on earth we'd left it so long to do something so simple but so good.

It was only a few hours but we felt much more human afterward. It was refreshing, to say the least, so we've promised that we'll do it every few months. On our way home we picked up Percy (because he still feeds during the night) and settled in with tea and books and a profound sense of gratitude and contentment.

It's marvellous to love someone for ten years and to still be very much in love.

Do you do regular date nights?

Thinking that you should book a restaurant but haven't got around to it? If that's the case - ring, ring now!

If you're local I highly recommend Bombini


23 COMMENTS

  1. I'm so glad to read that you did this. :) It really is important. We decided early on that we would make time for only each other. We don't do date-nights, per se, but every couple of months book in the grand-parents and head out for dinner or a movie, or lunch. And while we are low-key about anniversaries, we always set time aside on the day to be together. This year, like yourselves, we celebrated our 10-years anniversary and we left the kidliwinks for two nights and had the quietest time away together in the Blue Mountains.

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    1. It is really important but we only realised once we were there! It really is so easy to dismiss "our" time. Your time in the Blue Mountains sounds perfect x

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  2. Oh "naps" - so wonderful for parents! Happy anniversary xox

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  3. Wonderful! Congratulations on 10 years together, what a blessed 10 years it has been! We were average at it, but in the last couple of months we have been more intentional and gone to the movies and dinner, and it was so good! You are right a couple of hours just us, chatting and reconnecting is good!

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  4. Happy Anniversary Jodi! I must say I have a little tear in my eye reading this now. Marriage and parenting can be tough but I can totally relate to the love just getting stronger after all these years. It always amazes me too! And yes, definitely booking that restaurant tomorrow! Thank you for your always beautiful words x

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  5. We celebrated paying off our mortgage at Bombini a few weeks back. It's a fabulous restaurant, isn't it? Congratulations on your 10 years together. Here's to many adventures with your fella and your family.

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    1. Oh Katie, congratulations! What a marvellous achievement...and heartwarming to know that you have raised your four beautiful children within those walls that are all YOURS. And yes, a fabulous restaurant x

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  6. I was just talking about this...it is something we don't do enough but has gotten easier as the kids get older. I had imagined something glorious for our 10 year, but it ended up I was pregnant with number 4 and we were renovating our house, money was tight....took the kids to breakfast to celebrate! I remember squeezing my big belly in the booth. Maybe we'll be glorious at 20. Congratulations to you on your beautiful family!

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    1. You can be glorious at any time. Maybe next week?! x

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  7. Hello Jodi, wonderful post. This sounds like a special afternoon and evening. Bombini sounds incredible too, loved their website. Thank you. I wonder if one day you might write more about parents "naps" and maintaining ongoing intimacy after children/mortgages/routines/school lunches/responsibilities etc. I understand that it is a very personal issue (obviously!) but you have such a wise approach to your relationships I am sure you would have something to share on this subject. It is just a thought! x

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    1. I have thought about it in the past but...well, I've always doubted whether people would want to read it. I'll work on something ;) x

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  8. We celebrated 10 years together in May ourselves, how fast the time flies and what adventures have we had across that time. So lovely to be able to create a life together. Happy anniversary!

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  9. First time to your blog Jodi...a beautiful post...your marriage sounds like it's in wonderful hands...congratulations on your anniversary.

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  10. Congratulations lovers! 10 years is such a milestone, I'm glad you took the time to celebrate. Sounds like it was delicious! (HELLO chocolate and caramel tart!)

    PS: A post about "naps" sounds super fun!

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  11. I'm so glad you managed to make it out and enjoy that delicious feast together. The "nap" made me laugh because that's really the only way it happens when you have kids. We don't have date nights because we don't live near grandparents so we end up doing things like Mother's Day lunch at a nice cafe restaurant with the kids. But next time the grandparents visit you've inspired me to organise a date night. A little tip; I love looking at the menu before I go to a restaurant because they never let you look long enough. Also I love holding on to the menu throughout dinner too but often I am prompted to give it back. My little quirks!

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  12. Lovely stuff! We do a date night every month (as we are also blessed with parents/grandparents who like to babysit). We only have 1 at the moment, so of course that's more manageable than 3... but we intend to keep at it. It is so important. Even just an hour or two to walk the beach and get a coffee together. Two years in and we've started managing 2 a month... not from trying or overly organising it... but because things become more natural the more we practice. It's my one and only peice of parenting advice that I wish to scream from the rooftops - don't make the time for one another, TAKE it :-) I so love your blog and it's community, Jody. In every way xoxoxox

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  13. Two years without a date! I couldn't deal with that. We do whatever it takes to have regular dates, including taking turns swapping kids with friends, (we watch theirs plus ours while they go out and then vice versa), hiring a sitter, and using relatives. We also sometimes to 'date nights in' after the kids go to bed where we make some special food or drink and sit on the front porch or by the fire pit or watch a movie together. Congratulations on ten years and keep at your resolution to go out more often; it's really worth it. ;)

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  14. Our daughter will be 4 in October & we have had one date night-a concert about 2 years ago. My parents live a couple of hours away & my sister is an hour away and they are our only trusted babysitters so it just doesn't happen. No wonder i feel us drifting apart. We've been together for over 10 years-it is definitely something to celebrate.

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  15. We only have 2 kids (including one 1 year old still breastfeeding/cosleeping) but we try to go out every month. Before our 2nd, we tried every 2 weeks. And a week end/ a week away once or twice a year.
    I know a family with 4 kids and the parents go out every Tuesday night, no matter what. When I asked why they were so adamant about it (their last was only a couple of weeks old when they started going out again) she said that the couple, the man + woman, are the main and most important thing in the family. It has to be the foundation, the centre, the pillar. If not, then the kids will (happily and quickly) take this place. Or work.
    Kids can get sick, work can be tough, and you'll go through it, but if the marriage is neglected (and how easy it is to neglect!) things will fall apart.

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