Everyone else had plans.
Malachi got to go to a birthday party. Asa and Justus got to go to yet a different birthday party. Matt was working.
That left just Elias and Mama. When does that ever happen? Mama with just one boy for an entire evening?
And so, I told Elias that he should use this opportunity to take me on a date. You should have seen his cute little eight year old eyes! And eye brows. And grin. You would have thought I had offered to buy him a toy store.
He didn’t say a word. He just wore that cute little joyful face and he just nodded. I could see the wheels turning inside his head, “Where should I take Mama? What should we do?” (And yes, he really does call me Mama. The older boys, and even Malachi have started calling me just “Mom” now…but Elias still says Mama. Yum, I love it.)
He decided to take me out to the China Buffet. We ate. We went back for seconds. We picked out desserts. We talked about silly stuff and serious stuff. We talked about what he might like to be when he grows up. We got tickled because we had the EXACT same fortune inside our fortune cookies.
Daddy had slipped him a little cash to pay for our date, so Elias covered the bill. It was SO precious!!
I am going to work hard to make this happen with each boy as often as I can. Alone time with the kids is hard to come by. We’ll have to be intentional. But now that Elias has had his turn, the other boys are asking constantly about when it will be their turn to take me out. Since they’re so motivated, I think it will be easier to make it happen.
And hopefully, Matt will occasionally still be able to wrestle down the competition and take a turn himself. :)
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That is great, we try to make sure that the girls get daddy date nights but I had never gone so far as to think that some day my little buddy will get to have date nights with his mama, I am excited already and grateful for my kiddos and wonderful hubby!
I just love this! My 5 year old says mama, still, and I’m so okay with that. It’s sweet. I love the idea of having dates with my boys. I definitely enjoy one on one time with my oldest, because I get it more with my 2 year old, now that the oldest is in school, so I appreciate those alone moments so much more now.
Thanks for sharing! So grateful for my boys.
So sweet! My little man is four now and still calls me momma. I just love it. It makes me smile all the time. I just love my little boy. So excited to be having our second son come Oct.
Little boys are the best! This made me get tears in my eyes. Makes me want to hold tight forever. Mamas and their boys. Yum, indeed.
How great you had a date with your son! I understand completely. It is so hard to find time to be with each child one on one, but definitely worth it. Great memories, for sure :)
that is awesome. i was grinning the entire time I read it.
What a beautiful story! This week, I am grateful that we are starting to have consistent veggies from the garden. And that I can look out my window or sit on my deck and be surrounded by lovely growing things. A friend had asked me to take pictures of our garden when it started to really grow and I realized just how pretty everything is looking at it through the lens of a camera.
That is so great! My oldest son took me on a date for Mother’s Day. We had a great time.
Oh Laura, I am sure this is a night he will never forget, and not only that, something he will be able to pass onto his only family, God willing.
Julie in Australia
Little boys are so precious! I love it when I am able to spend some one on one time with my guys, but yes, it is hard to do sometimes. Hope you are able to continue this with all your wonderful boys Laura!
~Jolene
I have four sons and we take turns with a monthly mom and son date. We all look forward to it.
My hubby recently took our 4 y/o on a date-to the movies. She was so excited. She wanted to wear a dress and necklace and she had me fix her hair-so precious! She was beaming when they left and when they got home!
This story is so sweet! It’s obvious to me that Matt takes his duty to love his wife first, then his children, seriously! I could “read” it in the description of Eli’s face! He knows what a date is because he’s seen Matt & you date! So adorable! A family plan set up under God’s design always maintains :)
How precious is right! My girls almost 7 now, still call me Mama as well…Love it! Yesterday my little man Matthew turned 3, and last night after his party, each of our twin girls slept over at different houses. It was so nice to wake up to only little voice saying my name! Although I am starting to miss my ladies :)
I agree, spending quality time with each child individually does something extrememly special for our soul! I love the raw honesty they reveal when they have no competition, no guards to hold, and can be themselves undivided! It creates memories that only you can share together. I think we as moms and dads and kiddos alike need time like this!
Made me cry. Love that your boys love you. Way to parent, Laura. Now if only we could ensure that his future wife…well, never mind!
What a precious date! When our daughter turned sixteen her dad took her out on her very first date. She’s 25 now, married and a teacher but her very first date was with her dad. They are very close and have a special relationship. Keep up the good parenting Laura. You are an awesome mom and one day, you will be an awesome Nana!
My sweet, sweet husband has declared Tuesday my night off. We meet him halfway home from work and he takes the van full of kids home and feeds them dinner and lets them watch a DVD and I take his pickup and go off by myself. Sometimes I go to the library and then to dinner to read my new book while I eat. Sometimes I go to a movie by myself. About once every 4-6 weeks I take one of my kids with me. My 3 year-old hasn’t gone yet but she will one of these days. The others have helped me shop for birthday gifts, eaten dinner out and my 7 year-old and I saw How to Train Your Dragon in 3D right after his birthday. I’ll be starting up again soon and taking my newest blessing with me for the next 1.5-2 years but I want to make sure I continue to take a “big” kid with me now and then.
I had date night last night with my 4 year old son. It is such a blessing. My husband and I believe strongly in those moments alone, so we decided we have to be intentional about it too. We kept wanting to do it, but it never got done. We have now determined that every 1st Monday of the month I get date night or girl’s night out with one of my children, and every 3rd Monday of the month he gets Adventure night or date night with a child. We rotate who gets to go each month. The kids love it! And we are starting at such young ages (4,2 and 10 months) we hope this grows into special time to talk, learn and share with each child. I am definitely grateful for these times!
mmmm Chinese!!!!! Did you have to mention Chinese? I’ve been wanting Chinese for a week, and I can’t get it until tomorrow. lol
(hey, thanks for sharing that you don’t ALWAYS eat healthy, and you do eat out!–besides Matt’s restaurant)
I’m thankful for my hubby’s parents. Thanks to them, my hubby and I are enjoying our first consistent date nights in over seven years. We’ve only had two, but that’s two more than we’ve had the past year. I’m excited to see how having some consistent quiet time together now to talk, share, and dream together again will strengthen our marriage.
I, too, have 4 boys. The oldest three are less than 4 years apart so competition for time is fierce! (Add in that the youngest is only 2 and that makes it even worse.) I really try to give each one a little time by themselves, even if that means taking only one with me when I run to the store or a bike ride. It makes each of them feel so special, and if they get a treat while we’re out, that makes it even better!
I’m finding out how special little boys are. My grandson is 9 months and he is a sweetie pie. I love your idea of going on a date with your son.
Shalom
My husband takes one of the boys out every tuesday for a daddy day. They go out to eat or fishing or something else fun. My boys love it. We have had some mommy days but i tend to go on mommy days by myself. Your boys will talk about it forever. I took my 5 year old to the store with me 5 or 6 months ago and bought him gum, Today he said can i get the gum you bought me on my mommy day.
Julie
I am grateful that I am a mom and that God is teaching me so much through this “job”. I can’t wait to have a little boy to take me out on a date. How sweet!
We have tried to do this with our kids as well but not with the same success.
I love this too. I have 2 sons. Every year I would meet one on the last day of school. We’d go to a local favored store and pick up a little picnic. It is so very important to take time with boys who will one day be men. God bless.