Ginnie Graham: Outing with 7-year-old ranks among top dates
BY GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer
Monday, July 11, 2011
7/11/11 at 4:31 AM
After work one day, my son asked me out.
It was actually after an evening of reminding my 7-year-old that he needed to pick up his clothes, put up the dishes and read a book to me before bed.
There was the usual grumbling on both our parts.
Dad was off in the other room wrangling a little sister into finishing her set of chores, setting off another round of exhaustion.
"You know, we need a mommy and me day," he said seriously.
"We'll eat at a nice restaurant. Do you like McDonald's? Wendy's does have those fancy fries now, though. Oh, and definitely a movie. You can't go to work that day either."
Despite my initial skepticism, I agreed we probably needed a break from the routine, which seemed to be wearing on everyone under our roof.
Besides, I felt a little guilty that he thought fast-food was haute cuisine.
Funyons and Angry Birds
Knowing that my son is not a cheap date and I would be picking up the tab, I settled with him on going after the next payday.
It gave him a few days to plan. He decided on trying a new pizza parlor, found a movie and figured out ways to fill the rest of the day.
That morning, he acted like it was Christmas, excited for something new and ready to go - hair styled back and clean clothes.
At lunch, he started off his conversation by asking if chips were around when I was a kid. Then he launched into his theory of how Funyons are the standard by which all chips should be judged.
I learned he never bothers to learn a girl's name ("Mom, I'm not that kind of guy") and he likes making up jokes. He likes baseball best but wants to try tackle football.
At the movies, I discovered he's a back-of-the-theater guy, while I am a front-and-center viewer. We ended up on the last row, sharing buttered popcorn.
The mall was next with a stop at the Apple Store, where he showed me iPad applications and his prowess at Angry Birds. Considering we don't have that machine or game app, I was impressed that he got to level 12.
After that, we ate ice cream, tried on goofy hats, played a Star Wars Lego game at a store and drank fancy tea.
Even though he's just slightly half my height, he still wanted to hold my hand. I've got maybe two years tops left on that one.
We had so much fun that the day flew by and it was time to get dinner and go home - tired but relaxed.
Breaking out of the grind
At the end of the day, I realized how much I missed this little guy even though I see him every day.
Lost in the daily grind of getting teeth brushed and homework done, I forgot to really take a look and appreciate him.
He's got the funny bone of my uncles, the practical nature and creativity of my husband, the sensitivity of my mother and even temper of his grandfathers.
His endless questions and talkativeness - that's probably me.
That night, I was reminded of all the dates I had before I married 13 years ago.
This one by far ranks as one of the best, and one I won't soon forget.
Original Print Headline: Going on a date with a 7-year-old
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