Staying Connected

Before Mr. Beguiles and I got hitched and in the early years of our marriage (before we had children), we would stay up into the wee hours of the night talking. We talked about movies, politics, religion, music, family, friends, books, aspirations, and more. It was a special time of getting to know each other better and I remember it fondly. Currently we are in a different stage of life though.

This one involves not talking at all.

No, I’m kidding, of course, but sometimes it does feel that way. With my husband working full-time and in graduate school and with four little ones at home, loud and boisterous little ones I might add, it has become increasingly difficult for us to have those long conversation we used to love so. Actually, short conversation are often out, too, so we’ve had to get creative. In the event that any of you can relate, I’ve compiled a little list of things we do to help us stay connected.

You‘ve Got Mail! If your husband has access, and his employer allows, sending each other e-mails throughout the day can be a great way to keep in touch. Occasionally Mr. Beguiles and I will exchange articles of interest, sometimes I will send him pictures of the kids, words of affection are never wasted, and I’ve been known to beg him to bring home yet another gallon of milk from time to time.

Love Letters (yes, those again). I’ve mentioned before that I like to tuck little love notes into my husband’s lunch before he goes off to work and he occasionally leaves one for me in the kitchen if I am sleeping when he leaves. Nothing gets my day started off on the right foot quite as well as stumbling into the kitchen for my coffee and finding a sweet note on the counter.

Affection Reflection. This one is an oldie but goodie. I have been known to dab on a bit of dark red lipstick and lay a smack on my cutie’s mirror. If you’re willing to mangle a tube of lipstick (this can be a good use for those free samples that don’t compliment your coloring), you can ever leave an ode to his awesomeness on his mirror, as well.

Soap Love. Before you get out of the shower, scratch a little message into the bar of soap for your handsome hubby. A simple “I love you!” is a great way to show him he’s on your mind at *all* times.

Dial It In. I make it a point to send my husband a sweet text message at least once a day. I may not have time for a long conversation but I always have time to send off a quick text to let him know that I miss him and am thinking of him.

More Smackaroos. Well, maybe not always (see above). I am not a speedy texter (I don’t actually think that’s a word but we‘ll go with it) so on really busy days I’ve been known to pucker up, snap a picture of my lips and send off a kiss to my cutie pie at work.

No Holiday Required. The next time you’re at the store peruse the greeting cards aisle. Pick out a sufficiently sappy card (no special occasion required) and leave it somewhere for your husband to discover. It might even be fun to mail it to him at work if possible.

Special Delivery. Have something special delivered to his work. I’ve only done this once or twice but it’s always a big hit. I believe I chose to surprise Mr. Beguiles with a giant cookie but there’s no end to the number of items that can be delivered these days so pick something that would delight your guy.

Breaking and Entering. I’ve always found this one to be especially fun because I get to be sneaky! Place a call to your hubby while he’s at work, make sure he’s actually at his place of business and not about to run out on an errand and then break into his car and leave him a surprise. I suppose it’s not technically considered breaking in if you have the key but it can’t hurt to pretend.

Twenty Questions. Or five or ten. Write out a list of questions for your spouse to answer sometime during the week. They can be serious, practical, intellectual, political, humorous or personal. Anything goes! You won’t believe how much fun it is to exchange answers at the end of the week and discuss. You can actually learn quite a bit about your spouse this way. I have to say, one of my favorite aspects of marriage is that not a year goes by that I don’t learn something new and fascinating about my husband.

Do The Obvious. Pick up the phone. I usually wait until my kids have gone down for their naps to call and check in with Mr. Beguiles. I'm telling you girls, the uninteruppted conversations we share over the phone are nothing short of undiluted, pure bliss for this busy Mom.

P.S. Don't forget! The Sephora Giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight!

(Head on over to Works For Me Wednesday at Rocks In My Dryer to find a treasure trove of helpful advice! Thank you for being such a lovely hostess, Shannon!)