Creating Dates

I love dating my husband.  We love going out just the two of us and enjoying dinner and some other activity (bowling, mini golf, window shopping).  However, dates - at least the way we knew them before marriage and before kids - are very few and far between (I'm talking months between).  So few dates are not good for a marriage - we still need to get to know each other and communicate with one another.

Here comes the fun part. We have become creative with our dating.  With five young kids, hiring two teenagers can get expensive, and swapping babysitting with another family is difficult because I would have to find two or three families to swap with who would all be available on the same night (a five to one or two ratio is not fair to the other family on a regular basis).

We have started meeting once a week for a financial date.  After the kids go to bed, we sit down together with the computer and determine where we are financially for the month.  This may soon become a biweekly date as we have greatly reduced our spending.  Usually after we have finished our financial discussion, we then will cuddle together and watch a movie on the computer.

Another thing we have started is turning church activities without the kids into a date.  A couple weeks ago, we attended a community pastor's appreciation banquet.  Even though we carpooled with another couple, I adjusted my thinking so it wasn't just a community function, but it was a "date" with my hubby.  It met my requirements of no children, and time spent with my husband.  No, we didn't talk as much with each other as we did with those around us, but we did get to dress up a little bit and enjoy simply being together at an adult function.

My favorite date recently was at the hospital when our baby was born.  We allowed him to be taken care of in the nursery while we enjoyed a quiet dinner together on our anniversary. Sitting at a table with a steak dinner in hospital garb a few hours after giving birth will go down as a memorable anniversary date!

What are some ways you have sneaked in a date with your husband lately?