Disclosure: The following is intended to be funny and sarcastic and in no way detracts from the utter bliss of marriage/family life that I envisioned when saying my "I do's" 11 years ago. It is possible, however, that the few roadblocks, detours and road closures (read infertility, bankruptcy, foreclosure, implosion of my husband's real estate empire, - o.k mini empire - , his ensuing mid-life crisis, and my own mid-life crisis (evidenced by the untold number of lbs I've put on) may have slightly tainted my view of "Happily Ever After."
In no particular order:
Romance &The Morning After
Dating Years: Breakfast in bed, flowers, reading the paper together.
Family Years: Rock- paper-scissors with Matt to decide who will let the dogs out, make coffee and watch the Disney Channel with our early riser, Samantha.
Culture
Dating Years: Denver Art Museum, Buell Theater, Concerts at Botanic Gardens
Family Years: Children's Museum, Disney on Ice, and any free concert at the local park.
Friday Night Date Night at Home
Dating Years: Frank Sinatra on the ipod, martinis, appetizers from some cool recipe we saw on the Food Network, and dessert from the same.
Family Years: Frozen pizza, board games, "G" Movies, Ben & Jerry's on the couch.
Extra Curricular Activities
Dating Years: Wink, wink, wink ;)
Family Years: Girl Scouts, piano lessons, art class, horseback riding
Social Circle
Dating Years: Friends, bosses, colleagues
Family Years: The parents of your child's friends, the Girl Scout leader, the piano teacher, the art instructor, the riding instructor.
Fashion:
Dating Years: Nordstrom, Anne Taylor, Talbots and department stores in the mall.
Family Years: Whatever is on sale at Kohl's or Target
Financial Goals:
Dating Years: $ to travel the world, 928 "Risky Business" Porche (Matt), lovely custom home where we can entertain, while relaxing on all of our Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel furniture.
Family Years: $ to stay at the YMCA camp for a few days each summer, goal to get debt free on our 10 year old vehicles, $ to make mortgage payments on our humble track home - sitting on our 12 year old Pottery Barn furniture with rips, stains and crumbs.
Measure of Happiness:
Dating Years: Fulfilling marriage and family life, successful career, perfect examples of "40 is the new 30", etc.
Marriage Years: Hoping we can put up with each other for another 10 years, praying we don't screw up our kid too badly, working our $!*$*! off to put money in the bank for the next real estate crash . . . .and apparently "40 feels more like the old 50 at our house."
Who said fairytales don't come true?
Sheryl
Sheryl
