The "X" Date

The dictionary defines a date as “a particular month, day, and year at which some event happened or will happen.”   But my favorite definition of a date is “spending time with my best friend.”  Sappy, I know.  But it’s true. 

Dad and I have tried to consistently go on weekly dates together.  When you kids were younger, many times it simply consisted of making dinner and watching a movie after putting all of you in bed.  But lately, thanks to an idea from Ty and Michelle, we have been alphabet dating.  We take turns being in charge and plan a date around a letter of the alphabet.  It has been REALLY fun!  It has helped us break away from the typical stuff and do things we might not have normally done.  We are all the way up to the letter X.  This time, Dad was in charge.

We started out by having having dinner at Extreme Pizza.

Notice the "X" in the middle of their logo.  :)

Dad had not included ice cream in his plan.  But there was a Cold Stone right by Extreme Pizza.  I said, "Ice cream sounds really good."  So to justify our purchase, we said we were going to buy an "extremely" cold dessert.  So we did--and brought it home to enjoy while we did the next part of our date--watch the movie, "The X Files."  I'm not a big fan of creepy alien movies and had to cover my eyes a few times, but it was pretty good.  And how could we not watch it when it fit so perfectly into our X date?! 

 

We have enjoyed alphabet dating so much that we have decided that after we finish our Z date, we will start all over again and switch which letters we plan.

I would encourage my married kids to make a weekly date a priority and pattern throughout their lives.  It pays great dividends—and who doesn’t love ice cream on a Friday night?