"Daddy and Maddox Just Hang Out"

A few weeks ago while going about our Monday evening routine I was driving down the freeway heading to dinner with Maddox. He was talking in the backseat as usual, "Lightning Mcqueen is SOOOOOO red dad!!! And Mater is SOOOOOO grown (brown)!!!!" Just his usual banter in the backseat. Nowadays it involves "Toystory 3," "Cars," or "The Childrens and the Indians," since he's been learning about Thanksgiving at school. He then said something that really caught me off guard, "girls date." Wait what? What is he talking about. Then he said, "mommy dates." First of all I was confused because how does a two year old know what dating is? How does he know that his mommy does it? "Does Maddox date?" I asked him. "NO! Daddy and Maddox just hang out!" I felt a strong sense of pride and purpose after hearing that. Damn straight we do Maddox. This was Maddox's first assertion of something that most guys don't pick up on until they're in their teens. Usually when one of their friends starts dating and the rest of them are either too awkward or too ugly to get their own girlfriend, and out of jealousy they start to say something to the affect of "bros before hoes." Now I don't agree with calling any woman or girl a hoe. I think it's distasteful and disrespectful. But I do like the comradery and unity that usually accompanies the saying. Maddox was pointing out to me that we have each other. We have all we need. Not that dating when you have a child is a bad thing, in fact it's a healthy thing. I like to date as much as the next guy (actually I hate it, the dating game is a joke.) I enjoy the company of a pretty lady every now and again. But not at the expense of my Maddie time. And don't know how I'll ever get to the point where I can invite someone into our little world that we've created. We have our own inside jokes, we have our own rituals, and we have our own love and happiness. We are the most prolific touchdown duo in all of American Fork Utah. Maddox and I combine for at least 10 touchdowns each and every football session in our living room, which is always followed by him pointing at me and yelling "YOU! Good job man!!!" I feel happy to have that type of connection with my son, the type of connection that propels him to say, "NO! Daddy and Maddox just hang out."