Yesterday my husband needed me by his side. He had to attend a work meeting, which was followed by a social where the wives were included. This is a big deal for us because due to that fact that we live nowhere near family and so never have baby sitters. Never. Going out takes huge planning and preparation. This is how I prepared to go out. Can you relate?
Who Can Care For The Kids?
For us to attend a function where the girls can’t come with takes HUGE planning and preparation. We decided that the only people we felt comfortable leaving the girls with were our good friends who live in a nearby town. We’d never left them with anyone overnight before, apart from my mom, so this was big for us, and for them.
How Men Prepare To Go Out
The men left at 08.30 in the morning and my husband’s preparation went something like this:
- 07.00 Wake up, shower, change, make me look for something that is an inch from his hand, and then spend an hour searching for a specific pair of jeans that have vanished.
- 08.15 Make himself toast. Eat it warm.
- 08.30 Get in the car and go.
How Women Prepare To Go Out!
This is how I prepared to go out:
- The week before – confirm arrangements for babysitting.
- Two days before – liaise with the other wife/friend to confirm our travel plans (as we were going together later).
- 00.30 Wake up to have a wet bed because the 3 yr old decided NOT to go to the toilet before bed, and then decided to come sleep in my bed.
- 00.35 Have an argument with the 3 yr old because I have to change her wet pyjamas.
- 00.40 – 06.30 Spend the night sharing a 3/4 bed with ‘the kicker‘ trying to sleep, but not really achieving anything.
- 07.00 Make the kids breakfast
- 07.30 Start looking for the disappearing jeans (see above)
- 08.25 Attempt to get in the shower only to be told that I must wait until he has left so I can lock the door behind him (His key suddenly having lost the ability to turn in a lock – reread with heavy sarcasm!)
- 08.40 Shower
- 09.00 Do my hair
- 09.05 Remember to take meat out to take with for the evening dinner – go do that.
- 09.08 Carry on with hair styling
- 09.30 Start warning the children to get their shoes on.
- 10.00 Leave the house (IT TOOK THEM 30 MINUTES TO PUT THEIR SHOES ON!!)
- 10.10 Get to the mall, get a few last minute items, including healthy food for the husband, and sodas for his drinks.
- 10.45 Get home and realise that instead of having two hours to get ready and pick up friend, I have one because I messed up the timings.
- 11.00 Frantically pack the kids overnight bag, change my outfit 20 times, tidy the house, feed the cats bring the birds inside, pack the cooler-box and everything else I might possibly need.
- 12.00 Leave the house.
- 12.10 Pick up friend.
- 13.00 Drop off kids
- 14.30 Arrive at the function.
I really wish I was a man sometimes. Okay, most of the time!
Was It Worth It?
We ended up having such an awesome time. We all drank far too much, didn’t eat quite enough, and got to bed very early in the morning.
One of the highlights of my evening was meeting the real life version of the picture below. Two old ladies around 70 years old, complete with matching red leather covered hip flasks! They were hysterical. They told me they got the hip flasks because sometimes they have to go places with their husbands. And sometimes they don’t always know if there will be alcohol or not and they like to be prepared in case there isn’t. Oh, and they ‘WhatsApp’ each other to remind each other to pack them! Don’t you just love that?!
Were The Girls Okay?
I need not have worried about the girls either. When I dropped them off they ran off to play before I could even say goodbye and this morning my youngest cried because she didn’t want to come home. That really makes me regret waking up at 0630 after five hours of sleep to drive 45 minutes to fetch them in case they were missing me. I should have left them there all day!
Needless to say I am very ‘tired and emotional today’ – translation: I am trying to eat ALL the food in the house in an pointless effort to eat my way out of this hangover.
Today there will be no limit on screen-time for the girls. Let me know in the comments if this in any way resembles how you may have prepared to go out now that you’re a parent.
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About the Author: Carly Crawford
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Glad you had a fabulous time! So nice to get to let your hair down when you have kids. I can certainly relate to having more to prepare than the hubby for a night out. x #MarvMondays
This is so true, I always tell Hubs how envious I am that he can be up and out in record time!
#DreamTeam
Could not be more true. Be it for a night out/ day out/ holiday/ anywhere, really… we (mums) have to pre-plan and wake up hours earlier to get it all done!
#DreamTeam
Ha ha, this is so true. My husband always comments of the fact we’re running late, while sat drinking his hot cup of coffee after a nice hot shower where no-one interrupted him to use the toilet, find their clothes or get their breakfast x
#DreamTeam
It’s like they live their lives on a different level to the rest of the household. ?
Thanks for reading.
Oh bless you, why is it SUCH an ordeal to get those shoes on? I can never understand it! Glad you got out the door though and enjoyed the day together, sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing with #dreamteam x
I have no idea, maybe we just have far higher expectations than we should. I mean there are two shoes for them to find. lol
Glad a great time was had…. x
And I bet your husband got to have a quiet day of being “tired and emotional” while you looked after the girls! #itsok
Haha – probably.
Nightmare! My husband’s actually not too bad as long as I keep barking out instructions like an old fish wife, but it definitely does take days of me planning stuff in the lead up. Love the two old ducks by the way! Xx #ItsOk
I’m lucky I have my parents to babysit, but am totally the same as you in preparing for it all, especially if the kids are going to theirs. So many bags to take! I can’t believe you wrote this on a hangover. Good girl! Ha ha #ItsOK
Great you got a well-deserved and enjoyable night out, and even better that the girls were ok. But I get you on the planning – the men just waltz away whilst we have to backtrack and think and plan and prepare – for everything!
PS: To have written this with a hangover – fab!!!
#itsok
Yup, this sounds about right :) I could never leave 5 kids with someone, I would feel too bad! haha … So, if it’s not oumie, we never go out!!! A hangover = great time! Glad you had one! #itsok