Category Archives: Family matters

In which we discuss matters of the family.

Family matters

I went back to Ohio, but my city was gone

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We had guests this weekend, so date night was almost shuffled aside this week. Those guests, though, had concert tickets for Friday night. So rather than turn on the TV after they’d left for the show and the kids had gone to bed, we pulled out a new game and played it until bedtime. There was, once again, no dressing up (or even changing out of my sweatshirt), but we had a lot of fun playing cards together anyway.

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Project 52: Date Nights logo

  • Two children in bed.
  • House guests otherwise occupied.
  • A copy of Lost Cities.*

    • This was my first week “planning” date night, and all I did this time was buy a game in the event that we’d have time to play it. I’m at bat for all of March, and I’m a little nervous. I’ve made a list of things I thought would work nicely, but now I’m second-guessing myself and worrying that they’re too cheesy. Maybe we’ll just play “Lost Cities” every week for a month.

    (I will try not to do that. I promise.)

    *It’s an adventure-themed card game with five suits that’s reminiscent of gin rummy. Each suit corresponds to an “expedition.” It’s addictive.

    Family matters

    I can’t wait for ‘Rock Band: Karaoke Duets’

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    Rockford was out of town all last week, and our weekend was almost entirely planned already. As such, I was kind of expecting that date night wouldn’t actually happen this week. But after we got home from dinner at the in-laws’ house and put Pete to bed, we decided to have a very low-key, “Rock Band”-themed date night.

    The ingredients:

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    Project 52: Date Nights logo

  • One child at Grandma’s; one child in bed.
  • “Rock Band: Beatles.”
  • Two Wii guitars.
  • Two Wii microphones.

    • It was a lot of fun. (Especially the part where I owned Rockford in the guitar duels. Or where he let me win. Whichever.) I really do hope an all-duets karaoke game is in the works, because the singing is my favorite part of “Rock Band.” And it’s even better when you’re trying (in vain) to sing the Beatles’ harmonies with someone you love.

    5 Songs I’d Like to See on “Rock Band: Karaoke Duets”

    1. “Islands in the Stream”
    2. “Tonight I Celebrate My Love”
    3. “Leather and Lace”
    4. “Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart”
    5. “Jackson”

    Seriously. It would be the Greatest Fun Ever Had. What’s your favorite duet?

    Family matters

    In which I begin dating my husband again

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    Rockford and I have been married for nine years. We’ve been together for much longer than that, and we’ve known each other since dinosaurs ruled the earth seventh grade.

    Project 52: Date Nights logo And you know something? I still like him. Quite a lot. Which is why I thought, “Hey! That’s a great idea!” when I saw the Project 52: Date Nights idea at Simple Modern Mom.

    The premise is simple, in concept: one date every week for a full year. You pick a night and a time, set whatever restrictions you’d like and each of you take turns — a month at a time — planning the dates. The standard rules on the contract (yes! there’s a contract!) state that you should Look Nice. Which around here, I take to mean Don’t Wear Your Pajamas.

    So again, pretty straightforward concept. Spend Time Together. Will it be so simple in execution? We’ll see. Because I signed up to do it. I should say we signed up to do it. Rockford is so entirely on board that he planned our first date:

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  • Kids in bed.
  • Chocolate-covered strawberries.
  • Music.
  • A few hands of gin.

    • Even though I lost (429-278), it was so nice to turn off the distractions and spend some time together.

    We’re going to try to go out for a date once a month, but most of our date nights will be at home, after the kids have gone to bed. In addition to the No PJs rule, we’ve decided that we can only do one movie night a month. So. Do you have any great ideas for inexpensive, at-home dates?