Dave and I recently started dating again. We have been reasonably monogamous for quite some time, becoming very set in our ways. But certain opportunities presented themselves in the last few months and the temptation was just too great. Our view is that you only live once and there are so many great people in this world to get to know. So we are happily back on the market once again… dating other families.
So before you jump to the perverted wrong conclusion, I’m not talking about swinging. I’m referring to making new friendships with like-minded couples, with children who get along with our children. And while Dave and I are pretty easy going, finding that perfect family is not as easy as it sounds. The wives have to like the wives; the husbands have to like the husbands; and of course the husbands have to like the wives and vice versa, but, uh, not too much. And even if the grownups match up perfectly, the kids could hate each other which ruins the entire dynamic.
The initial stages of family dating are difficult enough that I wrote about it for Babble about a year ago when I described the love affair the Dave and I had with Geoff & Isolde and their two girls. I am proud to say that this relationship has withstood the test of time. Their family has become our family and we love them dearly, but, um not exclusively. You see recently we started hanging out with Doug & Mo and their kids and I think it’s getting serious. You see we spent the better part of last weekend together engaging in a whole host of activities and we’re not even close to sick of them. In fact, we are a little smitten.
Maybe it’s the way Doug can mix a margarita or Mo can cook circles around me (not that difficult to do, I know, but everything this woman has made for us has been delectable) . Or maybe their kids are really nice and can hang easily with our brood. Or maybe the fact that Mo and I are both on a mission to get in killer shape and Doug and Dave like to brew beer, tie knots, and race pinewood derby cars. Or maybe they are just easy… in the I-want-to-chill-with-cool-people-who-don’t-try-hard kinda way. Doesn’t matter. We dig them. We even mentioned a vacation together at some point in the future – and no one blanched. A good sign.
But I think at this juncture it’s important not to seem too “into them” lest we might scare them away. (Just in case blogging to the world that we L-O-V-E these people doesn’t do it.) So maybe this weekend we won’t call them. Play a little hard to get? We’ll try to make plans with other people and see if they call us. A test of sorts. If they are into us, they’ll call. Right?
They’ll call.
