Sunday, August 16, 2009

big dates: then and now


its my turn to get up with the toddler, and so i am sitting here watching "the land before time" at 5:30 am. this movie actually has really good memories associated with it. when i was young, my dad would sometimes take me out on a "date." it was such a big deal that, to this day, i remember most of the details of each one. i remember my dad opening my car door for me before he got in and driving aaallll the way to vancouver to have dinner at the cheshire cheese inn which, if i remember correctly, served british fare because i'm pretty sure i had a shepherd's pie. i was a painfully shy child, and so i cannot imagine what the two of us talked about during the drive and over dinner. i'm sure my dad did most of the talking, which he is very good at and i'm sure i did most of the listening, which i am very good at.

the part of our date that sticks out most in my memory is the drive to the movie theater. "the land before time" was showing. (and, just for kicks, i am now going to look up the year it came out in theaters to see how old i was...aha! 1988, which would make me 8 years old) of course, my dad probably wasn't completely thrilled about watching animated dinosaurs for an hour and a half, so he very gently suggested another movie, something about sherlock holmes, that he and my mom had already seen and he thought i'd also enjoy. (which i also just looked up and found that it was called "without a clue") even as he was telling me a bit about the plot and a funny part or two, i knew in my head that i wanted to see "the land before time". he told me that i could choose which movie we would see and because i was (and still am to some degree) somewhat indecisive and very much a people pleaser, i knew that even though i so badly wanted to see "the land before time", that i would cave and would tell my dad that i wanted to see the sherlock holmes movie just because i knew that he wanted to.

the drive to the theater seemed to take years as i tried out different phrases in my mind, going over and over how i would tell him that i wanted to see the dinosaur movie. i actually had a knot in my stomach, i remember it clearly, having to make a choice and as we parked in the theater parking lot and walked up to the ticket counter, i had a sinking feeling in my chest because i just couldn't muster up the courage to tell my dad what i really wanted. i will never forget what happened next. my dear, intuitive and loving father walked up to the ticket booth and, without asking me for my choice, just said "two for the dinosaur movie" and purchased the tickets. i was dumbstruck....i wondered if i had actually told him my choice aloud without realizing it. i wondered if he had the ability to read my mind. i was shocked and yet absolutely thrilled to be sitting in a movie theater next to my dad, sharing a bag of popcorn and watching little foot and his friends find their way to the great valley. it was one of the best dates i've ever been on all because my dad knew me enough to make the right choice for me.

thankfully, i've come a long way in the last twenty-something years and can actually make my own decisions and dinner time conversation now! josh surprised me on friday evening by taking both boys to his parents house and taking me out for dinner....our first real date since samuel's birth. we had such an awesome time together, just talking and relaxing and eating great food. i had a lovely glass of wine and we boxed up dessert to take back to his parent's house to share. samuel took his first bottle without a problem, hooray! it was a much needed break for me from being a mommy, just long enough to make me miss my boys a little bit.

samuel is 10 weeks old now and has officially graduated into wearing size 2 diapers. he continues to be a delightful baby, cooing, gurgling and smiling while awake and sleeping for large chunks of the day and many times right through the night. tristan makes us laugh every single day and says the cutest things. i'm realizing that if i don't write these things down right away, i forget them so quickly, so i'm going to begin keeping a book of cute things my kids say and do.

well, it is now 6:30 am....i've been getting bowls of cereal and sippy cups of milk, fixing toys and struggling to keep my eyes open throughout this entire post. and now i hear my baby in the monitor who's regular grunting sounds are turning into more of an urgent "i'm hungry" tone. good morning, everyone...hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing sunday.

8 comments:

Shannon said...

This is why I encourage Donnie to take Ellie out. Daddy daughter dates are really important. How sweet. (she goes on more dates than I do though)

Have a wonderful Sunday Heidi.

Lovella ♥ said...

You have the luckiest Dad in the world. . .I'm sure of it. . .and I bet he knows it too.

Heather said...

my dad took us on daddy/daughter dates when we were younger and I LOVED them too! It makes you feel on top of the world, like you are the only thing they care about. It is so great to feel loved and acknowledged. I am going to encourage Nick to do the same with our kids one day. Thanks for sharing your story.

~heather

Anonymous said...

Thanks Sweetheart, Wish there'd been so many more. Sure do appreciate you and all you do.

Love Dad.

kelly ens said...

such a sweet post. i love all the details you remember about your date with your Dad :)

glad you had a nice night out with Josh too - so important to maintain :)

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Yes yes yes...write down all the cute things Tristan says in his baby book, and later the same with Sam. You will still be chucking about those things when the boys are in their 30's...trust me, I know!

L&D said...

Ah, tis the life of a mommy. What great memories you shared. Thank you for that.

Anneliese said...

Heidi, for some reason your story of your date with your dad made me cry. How good it is to be so well know by someone who loves you!