Very Short, Very Sweet, Very Grand Rapids Date

I just got home from a date.  With a six year old.  Not to worry – it was with my six year old, A.P.  When my husband got home from work today, ‘the boys’ went into A.P.’s bedroom and emerged a short while later high-fiving each other and exchanging ‘I have a secret’ looks. Then they took off, snickering something about groceries.  They returned with the following: two bud vases filled with carnations, two little bears, and two valentines cards. 

A.P. went first.  He gave me my card, flowers, and bear.  Then after getting a thumbs up from his Dad looked me right in the eyes and said, “Mom? Would you like to go on a Valentine’s date with me?”   Maybelle was pretty smitten with her bear and kind of missed the whole date question, but once I told her she could wear her Fancy Dress and Pink Sparkly Shoes she was completely on board. 

They decided to go to Olive Garden.  We decided to go downtown.  A.P. lives for the Amway Grand and despite my best efforts to get him to check out the JW;  he’s old school.  “Next time, Mom.  I promise“.  As we walked across the bridge from the Gerald Ford Museum (we’re both way too cheap to pay for closer parking) A.P. stopped and declared for the 500th time that he was sick of those table and chairs and just wants Nessie back.  In fairness to the table, A.P. is almost certainly going to be some type of structural engineer and he sees bridges without artwork as absolutely fascinating and amazing.  Slapping art on it just wrecks it for him.

A.P. loves the “Fancy Hotel” and for a six year old, has a pretty good grasp of the layout.  I don’t. It has shops, restaurants, bars, several lobbies and most importantly quite a few fountains for tossing pennies in.  We stopped ‘for a drink’ and he sat right at the bar next to the “Fancy People” with our Diet Coke and Sprite.  I’m sure they were very impressed when he remembered to push my chair in for me.  I’m sure they were very unimpressed when he helped himself to the bowl of nuts – and used the spoon to get them right into his mouth. Oops.   

We ate at GP Sports.  The food was fine with the exception of A.P.’s chocolate milk which he sent back on the grounds that it “wasn’t chocolatey enough”.  The waitress brought him another, which he tasted and declared;  “Nope.  Just bring me a water. Please.”  At the end of the meal, he pulled out a ten dollar bill his dad had slipped to him.  He handed it to the waitress and said, “I’d like to order my Mom a piece of cheesecake, please”.  I will never in all my days forget that. 

Dating was completely lost on our generation and my husband and I are starting a small movement to try and bring it back. We’re trying to raise kids who know how to treat, and be treated.  He surprised me by arranging these ‘dates’.  Valentine’s Day isn’t a biggie for us so I wasn’t expecting it. Well played, sir!

Happy Valentine’s Day to you – whatever your plans may be.