And not just to anywhere, but to the fancy schmancy (okay, not really, more trendy yet cozy) wine bar that I\u2019d wanted to take him to for (cough, cough) months.<\/p>\n

I seriously did spend my morning feeling more like an excited teenager than the mom of an inquisitive toddler. (Quite literally, I went shopping at my local mall.)<\/p>\n

I wanted to wear something fun and sassy\u2014something that represents the woman hidden underneath the food stains and frazzled facial expression. I think I succeeded.<\/p>\n

Without further ado, here are five things that I learned from dating my husband.<\/em><\/p>\n

1. We like each other.<\/p>\n

My husband and I have always fought more when we don\u2019t spend enough time together. I\u2019m perfectly aware that not all couples are like this, that some see each other practically minimally and do fantastically well\u2014but I can\u2019t relate, so here\u2019s my story.<\/p>\n

I think that people grow apart because they\u2014gasp!\u2014aren\u2019t spending enough time together; doing things like remembering why they became a couple in the first place. Here\u2019s another thing that I suggest to you: if you find yourself frequently fighting with your significant other and having difficulty just generally getting along, then make sure you\u2019re looking in the mirror as much as you\u2019re pointing your finger.<\/p>\n

It takes two to tango, and it takes two to fight\u2014and in our case, it takes two people spending some quality time together to have a solidly built relationship on which to base our family.<\/em><\/p>\n

When we sat down and looked at the menu, we got to talking about our tastes in wine and food as we scoped our options, and our conversation came easily\u2014because I still like him. Good to know.<\/p>\n

2. I like looking hot.<\/p>\n

Okay, so I told you that I went shopping, but I didn\u2019t tell you that it was for a little sweater cover-up to go with the extremely short skirt and thin, small top he\u2019d surprised me with a couple days before. (I\u2019ve told you before that I\u2019m lucky to have a man with good taste who enjoys treating me.) Of course, I was going to return them. I told him that I\u2019m too old.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Godsakes, I have to bend over to strap my daughter into her carseat,\u201d or something like that. He looked affronted and surprised as I stood in front of him in the outfit that he\u2019d so lovingly, and wisely, chosen while I critiqued him, and the clothes. He said they looked great on me.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, I kept them, and I rocked them and I loved every second of it\u2014because everyone (and I mean everyone) needs to feel sexy sometimes.<\/p>\n

3. Time flies when you\u2019re having fun.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t bring a purse; I gave my husband my I.D. (because I\u2019m not too old after all) and some chapstick (yep, that\u2019s how I roll) to put into his pocket for me. Anyways, without my phone or a watch I sat there thinking, at one point, admittedly, that our allotted date time would not be necessary. Of course, we\u2019d easily be home by the time that I had told our daughter\u2019s beloved sitter and then it was nearly time to go home, just like that.<\/p>\n

There were absolutely times that I missed my little girl, but there was not one moment that I wished I was somewhere else.<\/p>\n

We get so caught up in life and in responsibility, especially as young parents, that we forget that we\u2019re supposed to be having fun too. You know, enjoying the journey and the process, and all that, yet it\u2019s true. Don\u2019t forget to add \u201clove and enjoy the partner who I chose to share my life with\u201d to your check list for the day.<\/p>\n

4. Conversations change.<\/p>\n

Alright, it\u2019s absolutely true that I was admiring my husband in his fitted t-shirt and that time flew like I didn\u2019t think was possible, but the joke that your conversations change after you have kids can\u2019t be denied. I think if you\u2019re able to discuss the size, color and shape of your child\u2019s poo during appetizers, that there\u2019s no pretending that you\u2019ve just met (at least I hope not) and that\u2019s okay. Isn\u2019t that why everyone wants to have a partner anyway? Not to talk about bathrooms or toilets, but to have someone that you\u2019re comfortable with, who knows your routines\u2014who knows you.<\/p>\n

So, yeah, conversations change, but that wasn\u2019t a negative discovery for me.<\/p>\n

5. We need to do this more often.<\/p>\n

We all say this, \u201cOh, sure, let\u2019s do this again soon!\u201d (Phony laugh, phony laugh.) I know I\u2019m guilty. My husband and I know that we need to escape together more often, and not just for us, but for our daughter too. Children need happy parents. Children need role models in love. Kids need to be shown how to fight, and then how to make up. They need to know that their parents like each other, if they\u2019re growing up in a double household, that is.<\/p>\n

As my husband and I got up from our small wooden table at the wine bar, my legs had that suction-cup action happening from my chair because we\u2019d sat and talked for so long (and because I was wearing a super short skirt), and as we walked out the door I clasped my husband\u2019s hand, knowing that we\u2019d be back soon. Because we do need to do this more often.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, neither of us could easily end our date\u2014both of us had a hard time realizing that our window of opportunity was seemingly over as soon as it had begun.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that we couldn\u2019t wait to see our tiny lady\u2019s always smiling face, but we decided to make a quick stop at our favorite healthfood store for some treats for later, or perhaps it was simply to buy ourselves a little time. (I mean, we had<\/em> skipped dessert.)<\/p>\n

When we were finally cruising up the steep hill to our house, my husband looked at me and said that our daughter was going to be royally upset.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d I asked, flustered and concerned.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we\u2019re already home.\u201d<\/p>\n