How I Met Your Father

Kids, you may find this hard to believe but, Once Upon a Time, Mommy and Daddy went out at night.  A lot.  Almost every night, in fact.  What’s more, there was a time when Mommy and Daddy didn’t even know each other.  I know.  Crazy, right?

One night, I believe it was about three days following the end of the Paleolithic Era (also known as sixteen years ago today), Mommy walked into a pool hall to visit a friend.  A pool hall?  It’s a place where you play pool with your friends and drink…apple juice.  Turns out, Daddy knew my friend, too, and he sat down beside me and introduced himself.  He looked handsome with his pony-tail (yes, a pony-tail) and Structure button-down shirt.  Structure?  They made shirts for cool people.  Daddy was cool back then.  Anyway, he laughed at my nervous jokes and we found that we liked the same music.  He asked me if he could take me out to dinner the next night:

Daddy:  “Can I take you to dinner tomorrow?”

Mommy:  “I’d like that.” (Then Mommy remembers she had a family dinner.  Mommy’s heart begins to pound)  “Wait, I can’t.  I have a family thing.”  He’ll never believe that.  He thinks I don’t like him.

Daddy:  “Lunch, then?”

Mommy:  Oh, no!!  “I can’t.  I have plans with my roommate.”

Daddy:  “Coffee?  After your family thing?”

Mommy:  Yes!  Yes I can do that!  “Yes!  Yes I can do that!”

We didn’t wind up having coffee, but that’s a story for another day.

So kids, that’s how I met your father.  From the moment he sat down beside me sixteen years ago, we’ve been in love.

Stop making faces.

So tonight you’ll stay here with Grandma.  Daddy’s going to take me out to a fancy dinner to celebrate, and then to one of our all-time favorite places:  Middle Earth.  Yes, that’s where the Hobbits live.  No, you can’t come with us.  Grown-up nerds only.

(Happy anniversary, Jared.  I love you 🙂

Tagged: family, hobbits, home, humor, love, marriage, motherhood, relationships, writing