Keeping the romance alive

According to a book donated to me by a very yummy mummy, L, it takes a lot of work and effort once Bump arrives to keep the romance in your marriage and ensure that this side of things don't get sacrificed as a result of the new addition. All sensible advice.

The past weekend the Boy and I had our wedding anniversary. We've never really done much to celebrate. I think we've been out for dinner a couple of times in the past, and one year I made the ultimate sacrifice and made him garlic prawns with the heads on (I am scared of prawn heads so it was a gut wrenching experience). But as our anniversary only falls 5 days before my birthday we tend to roll the two into one. Most years we are on holiday, as our anniversary falls outside the rowing season and therefore in prime holiday time, so we have often been away to celebrate. Last year we were in Bali with friends and family.

This year, however, we surpassed ourselves in the celebrations. Saturday involved going rowing (me in a single scull, him in a double) followed by a fry up with other rowers. I then found myself on the ferry to Macau in the early afternoon.

The Boy had booked us a hotel near the start and finish of the course, but by the time we checked in the only non-smoking room they had left had twin beds. As being in a smoky room the night before a race is just about the worst thing you can do in preparation, we took it. The beds were rock hard, not an inch of give, and set about a metre apart - we would have to lean out of bed to hold hands. You also jarred your back if you tried to, lazily, flop down on top of them, so forget any frolicking even if we had the energy after the hard rowing session in the morning. After an early supper, we were in bed by 10 - separate beds of course.

On the day of our anniversary, at 3.30am, thinking it was 4.30 and so 2 hours before the start of the race, the Boy woke up to eat a banana as fuel for the race. After shouting at him, he then went back to sleep until 4.30 when his alarm went off again and he ate what was possibly the worlds driest granola bar. I think I shouted at him again, accused him of sounding like an overgrown rabbit, and was generally rather rude about being woken up again. That said, the bed wasn't the kind of place one would want to dwell.

At 6.30 we were standing in a pitch dark stadium about to start the Macau marathon. I did it with my rowing coach, and the Boy did the half marathon alone.

Once back to HK, barely able to walk, let alone engage in any form of marital gymnastics, I fell asleep on the sofa for the afternoon.

The evening of our anniversary was spent cooking with and for the men's crew I successfully coached to a bronze medal at the National Championships this year. They wanted to say thanks, and so everyone came round for a big meal at our place. My present for the day was a very nice Tiffany necklace that the boys bought me to say thanks for coaching them.

Then we fell asleep at 11.

Despite it appearing possibly the most unromantic anniversary possible, it was completely appropriate for us. It involved sport, getting up insanely early, and time spent with friends. It was one of the best we've had.

However, I think it should be pretty easy to continue this degree of romance when the Bump comes!