Soup Dates

  A few days ago I had my sons all to myself, and was actually organized enough to enjoy them. YAY!! So I thought I would share. We have a little tradition in my circle of friends we like to do. Take our children on dates. There are so many reason to do this. It teaches them how to act out in public. How to make decisions. What it takes to be polite to the people serving you, a trait lost on many by the way. I cringe when certain people ask me to go out to dinner with them. You see, I was a waitress for years and years. After that I worked in optical, then pharmacy. So good public service is a pet peve of mine. When I go out with these certain people, the whole time they are barking orders and complaining, I am figuring out a way to throw a tip on the table without them seeing. Those people are always the worst tippers too!

  My favorite thing that they learn though is how much I love them. They are filled with compliments and special attention. I tell them how there eyes make me melt, or how their giggles remind me of myself. We can just start with a little giggle for no reason, and because of how stinking cute it is, it will end up with all of us gut rolling and holding our sides at completely nothing. This is a time we can sit a draw, and I find out a little more about who my children are. Each time we go out, I learn how much of a blessing they are, not only to me, but to everyone they meet. Yes, I am a proud mama.

 Another, less thought about reason, is that I am the first one taking them out on an actuall date, though it may just be for soup or an ice cream cone. They can learn how some one should treat them, and in turn how they shuold treat a lady. Fathers out there reading this, hear me now!! One of the most important gifts you can give your daughter is to take her out on her first date. Buy her flowers, hold the door open for her, treat her like you would want the standard set at. Becasue guess what, that is what she will do. She will let people trest her the way she thinks it is OK to. She will also live up to the standard you have shown her her whole life. By the things you put up in your garage, what you read, and by what you hide in your sock drawer, that she will find when she is a teenager. Right now, as I type left handed and play swords with my little four year old boy, it is hard for me to imagine him older, but the fact is he may be knocking on your daughters door one day. Let me tell you something, you better prepare her, because- man my boys are cute! Oh my goodness. Have no fear men and women of internet land, they are going to be the most polite, caring, door holding little men this side of the Great Lakes!