Single Parent Movie Date
A single mom friend called me late Saturday afternoon to see if I wanted to watch Slumdog Millionaire with her that night at seven. My reaction to this single parent date idea? Absolutely! Impromptu dates rock! (Sometimes hanging out is better than dating.)
One problem – my kids were with me all weekend. Don’t get me wrong, my kids are plenty old enough for their dad to head off for an evening without them. But my teen daughter was out with her boyfriend. My son was watching Tour of California on Tivo. Both kids needed dinner. I’m the responsible party. Plus, I needed to get a run in. (Hey, some things in life just have to be.)
“Give me ten minutes to see if I can make it work,” I told my single mom friend.
I consulted with my preteen son – he was happy to cook dinner (my son rocks!) as long as he could watch a movie from Blockbuster (my son can negotiate like a mother f***er!)
Fair enough. I asked him to text his sister to be home by six. I let the single mom know I was totally in for the date. I threw on my running gear and ripped off a quick three-miler. I showered and changed into clothes suitable for a single parent date. My son assured me he had texted his sister. Had she responded? Um….
I phoned and left her voicemail: please be home at six. We drove to Blockbuster and picked up two movies – Hell Boy II and The Mummy. (Sorry, no chick flicks, since my daughter hadn’t responded to any texts or voicemails yet.)
My son and I were home by six, with my single mom friend due at 6:15. I texted my daughter: where r u?
Just then she responded to her brother’s text: ok.
I called her (keep in mind, she just texted her brother, so her phone was in her hand!) I got voicemail. (damn) “I’m trying to leave at 6:15 for a 7 o’clock movie. I need to know you will be home with your brother. Please call.”
My single mom friend showed up at 6:15 (I asked her to swing by my house since I was herding geese getting my kids in one place.) She and my son and I sat and visited for ten minutes.
“Are you sure you texted your sister?” I asked my son.
“Yes. Check my cell phone,” he said.
He showed me the text he had sent: be home by 6.30
Ahhhhhh….
My daughter showed up at 6:30, on the dot. My single mom friend and I headed off for the movie. My kids cooked dinner together (pasta and steamed spinach.) I had a rocking single parent Saturday night date.
Life gets crazier when kids get older.
But it gets a little easier, too.
- My Teen Daughter is Dating
- Beach Date Pickup
- How to Talk to Your Daughter About Sex
- Single Mom Dating a Single Dad – A Month Between Dates?
- A Decade of Divorced Dating!
- How To Pick Up a Woman in Front of Your Son
- Texting vs Calling for a Date
- Sexy Text Messages That Can’t Be Ignored
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Comment by Dr. Leah
| February 23rd, 2009
Normal, expected, uneventful … just a typical night in any home with older kids. And, you had a pleasant evening. Sounds like good times all around.
Dr. Leah’s last blog post..Beware of the “marriage museum”
Comment by John
| February 23rd, 2009
You seem like a well-rounded, serious, no nonsense type. Have you considered getting a profile on Match.com? Or putting an ad on CL for a (female) table tennis partner? That could be quirky/cute. Or take up real tennis, which has a higher female audience.
Comment by MindyMom
| February 23rd, 2009
Glad you got out David. Sometimes it does take a little doing with the kiddos. I pretty much expect it never to go exactly as planned.
So does the single mom have more than friend potential or was this stricly platonic?
MindyMom´s last blog post..Coming Home, Motherhood & the ER
Comment by Cathouse Teri
| February 23rd, 2009
Still don’t get why she didn’t respond to your calls. I get sooooooooooo pissy about holes in communication.
Did you like the movie?
Cathouse Teri´s last blog post..Nah… I’m Not Jaded ~
Comment by Laura
| February 23rd, 2009
LOL at your son! Its a boy thing ;-p
Glad you got out :) So was the movie good?
Laura´s last blog post..Friday Night at Cranks
Comment by T
| February 23rd, 2009
Wow! How nice they they cook together! I hope my daughters will do that together one day.
Glad you were able to squeeze in some YOU time, some KID time and some GROWN UP MOVIE time!
Happy Monday!
T´s last blog post.."Back in the day" isn’t so far away…
Comment by dadshouse
| February 23rd, 2009
Teri – it’s very frustrating when my daughter ignores texts and voicemails. Somehow, she never misses messages from her high school friends. It’s something her mom and I keep talking to her about. Perhaps we need to take her cell phone away until she learns better etiquette. (I know some adults who have completely ignored recent messages. I don’t get that at all. Seems disrespectful, not very nice.)
Dr. Leah – I’m glad my home sounds normal. It feels crazy sometimes. I guess craziness is normal.
Slumdog was really good! I had no problem with it winning the Best Picture Oscar.
Comment by Twenty Four At Heart
| February 23rd, 2009
Ahhh … the non-responding teen. This is a pet peeve w/my teens. I have had to remind them that I pay their cell bills so that I can reach them when I need to. If they aren’t going to respond, they aren’t going to have a phone any longer. The message has gotten through! Glad you had a nice night out!
Twenty Four At Heart´s last blog post..I’m Such a Bitch, I Can’t Stand Myself
Comment by Susan
| February 23rd, 2009
Glad it all worked out and you were able to get to go — and get a run in. Impressive!
I hope my kids will continue to play well together and to be able to make dinner and hang out as teens like yours. Right now, PB&Js are more their style, but at least they can manage those on their own. Me, too :)
Susan´s last blog post..Knowing, learning, laughing
Comment by Debbie
| February 23rd, 2009
Great post! great site!! My 3 kids are still not ready to be left alone..so all dates , actually not dates…shortage of those…all ‘events’ have to be planned around weekend w/dad. So its fun to read of whats to come… and to also remember this are alot of us on on this single parent journey!
Debbie´s last blog post..Last look back…journal entries cont
Comment by Cathouse Teri
| February 23rd, 2009
I agree. Time for some drastic measures. Ignoring dad is NOT allowed!
Cathouse Teri´s last blog post..Nah… I’m Not Jaded ~
Comment by krn
| February 23rd, 2009
Sounds like it all worked out well! Ooooh, I can’t wait to see that movie. You got asked out, Dad’s~ so, how did that feel? I’m thinking your cute pics in your last post might have inspired that. I hope you flirted, unless it was purely platonic. ;)
Comment by Canadian Bald Guy
| February 23rd, 2009
Glad you got out of the house, David. So…how was the date? Is this a “cliffhanger” or is it going to be kept a secret?
Canadian Bald Guy´s last blog post..Instant family? Just add water
Comment by dadshouse
| February 23rd, 2009
Oh, no cliffhangers. This single mom friendship is platonic. We occasionally get together. It was really nice to get asked out for a spur of the moment, wanna go tonight sort of thing. That’s way more fun than planning it a week in advance!
24 – I’m glad I’m not the only parent who is dealing with unresponsive teens. Though, I guess I mean, I wish our teens were more responsive.
I’m surprised no one gave me a hard time for calling my daughter home from hanging out with her boyfriend so that I could go out! She had spent the afternoon with him, and as far as I knew, didn’t have evening plans. But sometimes hanging out turns into dinner at In-n-Out, so it’s possible I pulled my daughter away from a date! Oh well. Dad needs his time too.
Comment by Janet
| February 23rd, 2009
So….did your son purposely tell her 6:30 to help her out a little? That would be kind of cute.
As for your daughter, I’d be kinda cranky that she didn’t respond to your call, but she DID come home at 6:30 on the dot.
Sounds like you’ve got a good set of kids there. I can’t wait to see Slumdog myself!
Janet´s last blog post..Hope is the thing with feathers…
Comment by Lori
| February 23rd, 2009
My first thought was my daughter would never respond to her brother telling her to come home. She’d think he was just messing with her. She has to hear it from me.
I don’t see a reason to give you a hard time. Parents are entitled to some fun too.
Comment by Cathouse Teri
| February 24th, 2009
I would never, in my wildest dreams, chide you for telling your daughter to leave her play time so you can have yours. Never.
Cathouse Teri´s last blog post..Nah… I’m Not Jaded ~
Comment by movin down the road
| February 24th, 2009
I have no idea what I will do when my kids need me less and I can leave them to make their dinner and go see a movie!
movin down the road´s last blog post..The Knock-off Speedo
Comment by Leah
| February 26th, 2009
Wow – and I thought coordinating babysitting for my three year old was a challenge. Glad it all worked out, and that you guys got to the film. I’ve been dying to see that one, myself.
Leah´s last blog post..Creative Emergence