Parent Dates

The last couple of months, Trav and I took Garrett, Ty and Julia on their own little dates by themselves with just the 2 of us.

We had so much fun that I am hoping to do this again throughout 2014.

We have yet to take Austy, but maybe that is because we have our own little date with him

every night in his room.......

He is a little stinker to get to sleep any more!

We started off with Sis.

She takes ballet at Clytie Adams School of Ballet in Kaysville.

Each year, the school puts on the Nutcracker at Weber State University.

I told Sis a few days before that we had something special planned for her, 

and that she was the only one coming with Mom and Dad.

She was so excited and kept begging me to tell her.

The night finally came.

We dressed up in our finest, and headed out in the freezing cold!

She loved the ballet!

Afterwards, she chose Applebee's for dinner.

Such a fun night with Julia.

I can't believe how grown up she is getting, or that she will turn 8 and be baptized this New Year.

Where has the time gone?

 

 Next was Ty.

And dang it.......we were so busy eating that we forgot to take pictures.

Ty was playing in a basketball game, so after his game we took him to 

Longhorn Steak House.

He ordered Chicken.  Of course.

We had fun just talking to Ty and listening to all of his going-ons.

He cracks us up.

We practiced a few manners while at a nice restaurant while we were at it!

Love being with Ty.

He is such a good, kind hearted kid.

Garrett took Guitar this semester in School.  He also took Theater.

We were able to borrow a guitar from Uncle Spencer, which we have been so grateful for.

I wondered how either of these classes would go for Bub.

He got put into theater because of a schedule change, and he wasn't super thrilled about it.

Turns out a couple of his really good friends also got put in that class, and they have had a blast.

90% goof off time, I'm sure, but are loving it none-the-less.

Guitar has been awesome.

I remember the first night he sat down in the front room with me his first night of practicing.

He was timid with it, a little frustrated and apprehensive about even being able to do it.

Now, 4-5 months later, he is actually quite good at it.

I'm wishing so bad there was a second semester of it so he could keep going.

We just might be looking in to private lessons.

I have been so proud of his dedication and hard work to get better at the guitar.

I keep telling him the Ladies will flock to him with that thing!

We found out just before the Christmas Break that he had to attend a play for theater, and a guitar concert, and both were due as soon as he came back to School the first week in Jan.

LOVE when the kids pull that out of the top of their heads, 

when they've known all term they'd be due!

Being the week of Christmas, I scrambled to find a play and a guitar concert to take him to.

I called the music store in Riverdale, and the guy just happened to be a guitar teacher, 

my Christmas Miracle?........he was holding his class recital that night in West Valley.

Nothing but guitar students!

PERFECT!

I immediately got online and looked for plays taking place that night too.

I was going to get that finished that night, or die!

Desert Star Playhouse on State Street just happened to have a play that night at 8:30.

We went to the guitar recital and headed straight for the playhouse.

Talk about one of the best nights ever!

Garrett LOVED the play.

It was Miracle on 42nd Street.

Desert Star takes a regular play, and makes a joke out of it.

This play was absolutely hilarious.

We ordered dinner there and ate while we watched.

Garrett was dying laughing, and by the end of the night......he was singing Christmas Carols

with the rest of the crowd.

Never before has homework been so much fun.

I will never forget that night with Bub.  I loved watching him have fun.

I loved these date nights.

So fun to "Rekindle" your love for your kids.

It becomes so easy to get frustrated with teenage attitudes,

asking kids to do things and being ignored, messy rooms, drama, etc.

But, having these one on ones quickly made me realize what fun, good kids we really do have.

Hopefully they realized how much their parents love them and really are fun to be around too!

I read a quote once that stated, 

"Don't let yourself become so concerned with raising a good kid,

 that you forget you already have one." - Glennon Melton

I love that. 

I need to stop more often and realize how good my kids really are.

I love them so much and am grateful to be their mom.