Be adventurous: do something new!
Thematic Dating
If you want to have a special occasion date, build it around a theme. You could include the kids on these dates. It's good for them to see their parents holding hands and having fun.
A fifties date might include driving to a malt shop while playing a "Hits of the Fifties" CD and, then, after you share a chocolate malt -- two straws please -- rent a James Dean movie. A western theme date might include chowing down at a rib-joint, going horseback riding, or watching a Roy Roger's movie.
If you live in a larger city, you probably have ethnic neighborhoods called Little Italy or China Town. A German village lies less than a mile from our house, and Ron and I love to go there. We usually consume mass quantities of schinkenwurst and streusel, then waddle down the cobblestone streets and pretend we're on vacation in Düsseldorf.
Some other theme dates might include "Hawaiian Paradise in Our Own Backyard" or, if you haven't pulled weeds in a while, "Jungle Adventure in Our Own Backyard." The man of the house would love a date night called "Baseball Fever" or better yet, send the kids to grandmas and build your theme around "Touch Football"!
Educational Dates
Ron and I both love to spend the afternoon browsing through art galleries and discussing what we like and don't like about various pieces. If you don't like art, museums are wonderful places to learn about history and science. Most men would enjoy a train museum, a history of hockey exhibit, or a classic auto display.
You could choose to get a more formal education together, too. Most cities and junior colleges offer a variety of adult evening classes, usually lasting only a few weeks and having low tuition costs. The two of you might want to take a class in photography, computer skills, or gardening.
Many churches offer Bible study courses. If you take one together and do your homework together, your spiritual relationship will grow along with your emotional and educational connection.
Surprising Dates
One of the differences between newlyweds and "oldlyweds" is that people who've been married for a long time usually stop surprising each other. It's not that they can't do it; often they just get lazy. But you can change that.
If you know that your mate would love to go to a certain event or concert, surprise him or her with tickets. Ron knows that, as a teenager, I had a mega-crush on Paul McCartney, so he bought two tickets for his concert as a surprise. Wow, did he get a big reward for that! (Ron, I mean, not Paul)
