Our First Date Night As Parents

I have read many articles on the importance of date night and always encouraged my family and friends to do them. However, I never took my own advice as where was I going to find the time?!

Well, opportunity knocked on our door as we were invited to a comedy event that was attended for a mature audience (due to explicit language). Now as a parent the first thing I had to do was to make babysitting arrangements for our daughter. Since Nikki is a bit older and loves to spend time with my mom, I asked if she could take care of her. Without hesitation, my mom was excited to spend a Saturday night with her granddaughter. So we were set!

I was very excited as it has been hard to find the time to have a date night since my husband has rotational shifts and Nikki use to not want to stay with anyone but us. Therefore, this was a rare opportunity but one that we were going to embrace.

Before date night I was telling one of my best friends how excited I was and then asked, “Does that mean I need to hold his hand?” She burst into laughter and said, “Yes you should Melanie!” I guess this is part of date night as it seems like forever I have gone on a date (hehe).

Date Night

Date night had finally arrived and Nikki was packed for a night with my mom. We dropped her off and we were on our way to eat some dinner before the show. It was really nice as we got to talk about everything and anything (with no kid interruptions). We had a nice dinner together and even held hands as we walked to our destination (Yes I did hold his hand). 😉

We also had nice weather as Spring decided to finally make a presence. It was just so great and relaxing. I guess since we have been together for almost 19 years, it was easy to go on a date again. You almost forget that before you were a parent, you were partners first.

Now it was time for the main event, Porkchops and Comedy.

Porkchops And Comedy Event

This event was presented by Comedy Portuguese and Melo Out Entertainment. It was a stand-up comedy show with Portuguese Comedians which made sense for us as we both come from Portuguese families. It was a packed house with 200 in attendance. Now when I go to events under the Momma Braga name, I bring my A game. This means I critique every single detail to ensure that if I talk about it, it is worthy of it. 😉

The event started with the debut of Ben Fate who performed for the first time and he did a great job. His rap was relatable to many in the audience. After the performance, comedy night was in full swing with comedians: Joe Botelho, Michelle Furtado, and Jeff E. They were all funny comedians bringing their own experiences for a good laugh by all. The next performance was a special cooking segment with Celebrity Chef Danny Raposo who showed us how to cook infused shrimp which was educational. Then it was the main event, comedian Mike Rita. Now I have seen Mike Rita live and he is funny. He brings his life experiences growing up in a Portuguese home which brings a lot of hilarious stories to share. Coming from a traditional Portuguese home, I know a few personal ones myself.

Now Mike Rita outdid himself on this night as he had both my husband and I laugh to tears. Every joke was done to perfection and the audience of 200 couldn’t get enough. It truly ended date night right for us as it has been so long that we have been able to go out and have a good time as a couple.

Momma Braga Event Rating

This wouldn’t be a Momma Braga piece if I didn’t include a rating for this event which I am delighted to say that it got a 6 stars out of 5! It offered a night full of entertainment with unique aspects and out of the box laughs. Special thank you to Jonathan from Melo Out Entertainment for having us attend as we had an amazing time.

What I Learned From Date Night

I love it when we get to learn from our daily experiences in life and date night is no exception. Therefore, I feel like I should share what I have learned from having a date night with my husband.

1.  I am literally very funny on date nights. Or my husband is just awfully sweet to laugh at all my jokes.
2.  My husband talks a whole lot when our little one isn’t with us which was nice and it wasn’t just sports or work talk.
3.  I loved being able to spend this quality time with my husband as it reminded both of us of how special we are to one another (I know sappy but true!).
4.  We need more date nights!
5.  I love holding my husband’s hand as he is my partner in this wacky journey called life and parenting.

Those were my takeaways and I am truly grateful to have had this date night, even if it was four years in the making. I guess it is true that good things are worth the wait; however, I know that I am not going to wait another four years for my next date.

I do recommend to try and find the time to reconnect with your spouse after having kids. Life gets busy and we can get overwhelmed with all that we are expected to do. That is why we need to get that time inked in. Also night outs don’t need to cost much as the most important part of date night is to spend time with your loved one. That is what mattered the most to me and my husband, that time together could never be bought.

Until next time…Happy Parenting!

-Momma Braga