Yesterday I mentioned that my friend AJ was in town during Christmas. She came over Christmas Eve morning and we caught up on life while I was immersed in completing my baking agenda.
Eventually the topic turned to dating and boys because AJ is a single girl in her twenties and I always feel the need to get in her business and find out if anything is new on the dating front.
Because that’s what married women who are approaching their late thirties do. It’s like a requirement.
On a totally different note, I had a small get together with some of my friends about two weeks ago and during conversation I used the phrase, “As I approach my late thirties…” Gulley stopped me mid-sentence to inform me that I am no longer “approaching my late thirties” but have actually reached that destination.
‘Tis true.
After Gulley reads this later today, she’s going to call me and apologize for how rude that sounded and that she didn’t mean to be rude. And I’ll assure her that one of the reasons I love her is because she will stop me in mid-sentence to remind me that I have safely arrived at my late thirties.
It keeps me grounded. And also reminds me that I need to buy more Oil of Olay next time I’m at the store.
Anyway, I asked AJ about this one boy and she said, “I don’t know. I’m not sure what I think about him.”
Caroline was busy rummaging through the cabinets for cinnamon or more candy canes or a straight up I.V. filled with high fructose corn syrup, but she popped her head out long enough to look at AJ and ask, “Well, would you want to go on a field trip with him?”
I don’t know that any question has ever brought me more joy. While I’m so glad that P is the only one I plan to go on field trips with for the rest of my life, I’m a little sad that I won’t be able to employ “I’d like to go on a field trip with him” as a euphemism for dating.
But I felt that I had to share it with any of the single girls who read the blog. It’s my belated Christmas gift to you.
And honestly I think it’s a good question to ask the next time a boy comes along. Sure he may be cute, but would you want to go on a field trip with him?
Because it’s one thing to like someone enough to sit across from them and carry on a semi-interesting conversation over a nice dinner, but to like someone enough that you’d be willing to ride a yellow school bus with no air-conditioning to go visit a zoo or some sort of farm where you have to pet the livestock just to spend time with them?
That’s when you know it’s true love.
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Go Caroline, dispensing wisdom even in the midst of her sugar induced frenzy!
I met my husband of six years and father of my two beautiful children on a bus in high school 14 years ago, and I’d still go on a field trip with him any day! Thanks for the reminder, Caroline.
I’d call that pretty sound advice, if you can’t spend quality time with him on a field trip you may as well move on…
Holy cow, this is priceless! Thank you for the laugh. I need it now being at work after vacation.
You always make me laugh, thanks for your blog, it’s my favorite!
Love it! That is just too cute… and so true. You can manage to get through dinner with a semi- boring person, but it takes a fun person to go on a field trip with- especially one with various livestock! Oh…and by the way…. Go Dawgs
I thought of you as I watched the game yesterday!
I love it! I’m going to share that with my girls…who might be using that line someday…30 years from now, I hope.
My dear daughters are 16 and almost 13, so this Caroline-ism could really come in handy. Thanks, sweet Caroline!
As a girl in my very early 20s, I plan on making good use of that question!! Caroline is defiantly a keeper!
I love this post! Love it – love it!!! I definitely married the man that I want to go on field trips with for the rest of my life.
I hope that my little girl will one day be as cute and witty as your Caroline.
I love this.
And my hubby calls it “oil of old lady”.
Girlfriend is on it!
That’s a perfect question…..and I think more disaster marriages(those that didn’t make it) could have been prevented if the couples had just gotten a little deeper and asked that.
She might be on to something….smart kid!
Now that may just be the best single piece of advice you could give to a single lady in search for the man God’s sending her way….even from the mouth of a child….who seems wise beyond her years!
The insight behind it, although Caroline doesn’t comprehend it yet, is very worthwhile!
Love it.
I love it! And I’m thankful I’m married to the man I’ve beeing going on field trips with for almost 22 years.
Caroline is brilliant.
Love the question…will ask myself that next time I meet someone interesting and will pass it on to my single friends!
Sweet girl dishing out advice before she’s even old enough to date (which is like 50-right?)
Caroline truly hit the nail on the head! I am a single girl in my early twenties and I love your blog! Now, every time I meet a guy I am going to seriously ask myself, “Would you go on a field trip with him?” And when the answer is finally yes, I’ll let you and Caroline, the wise one, know! Merry Belated Christmas!
When you’re picking up the Oil of Olay, don’t forget the deoderant.
Caroline is so wise. How cute!
No kidding, but a book that my husband read while in college, before he met me…it suggested that when you meet the one you think could be “the one” take a day trip with them. That way you’ll see them for a longer period of time, spend a couple hours in the car, and see how they react in a different situation. So a field trip together is a good way to decide if this guy could be the one.
That Caroline – wise beyond her years. And I will definitely be implementing the Field Trip rating scale during any upcoming dating endeavors.
Thanks so much to you, Caroline, and AJ for this invaluable gift!
Love it! That is one that I will share with other single gals for sure.
This is awesome! Ahh, the wisdom of children. Wish I had thought of that question when I was dating! Would have sifted through a few bad apples a little quicker.
That is SO awesome! I love that Caroline of yours!
I, too, am on my permanent field trip with my wonderful husband, but I think I will just ask him to drive the bus to some new and different locations in 2010! We haven’t had an exclusive field trip (wink! wink!) since my four year old was born!
Happy New Year!
paige
She is so precious! And funny!
Your daughter is a genius!
A field trip would be a perfect litmus test. And yes, I’d go on a field trip with my husband any day.
Thank you for the smile.
That girl cracks me up!
I hate to jump on the rude bandwagon, but Melanie, I thought the very same thing the first time I read approaching my late 30s.
I truly mean well. Because, you know, it’s inevitable.
Says the 40-year-old.
LOL. A bit of advice to remember.
-FringeGirl
So wise at such a young age. She could totally write a book on dating.
Can you please let Caroline know that she made the heart of this 25 year-old single girl smile huge.
I now can rest in the fact that one day I will find my field trip companion!!!
Love you and that sweet girl of yours!!
That is AWESOME! I’m a 31 year old single girl and I can think of a LOT of guys that I’d like to go on “Field Trip” with !
Excellent recap of Caroline’s wisdom.
And remember, they say that the late thirties are the new late twenties.
Or something like that.
Love. that.
Your daughter is a hoot! I just love it. I also love your posts that are directed at the single ladies… I’m approaching my mid-thirties, and have been married for what seems like approaching forever (okay, only 10 years.) but I always feel the need to direct my single lady friends over here when you write for them!
This may seem a little cold but it is true….you don’t marry anyone you don’t date….if you know someone isn’t for you
don’t waste your (or their) time dating….move on…spending time alone is better than wasting time with someone you know is wrong for you….when someone
shows you who they are….BELIEVE THEM !!
Pam, South Bend
Gabe and I will be married 12 years on January 3 and this year we went on one huge field trip together, stinky animals and all. It was every kind of awesome.
Miss Melanie! I will be asking this question to myself in the future…hopefully! Grin. Merry Christmas!
::Taylor
–I always feel the need to say, “from Deeper Still in Las Vegas”
so far our field trip has lasted over thirty years. caroline is wise beyond her years…..hee hee.
ps. oil of olay is da BOMB!!!
That is a GREAT way of putting it – the field trip question – I’m going to keep that one in mind on any of the future dates I may, or may not, go on
Love your blog!
As a single girl I am so going to keep this question in the back of my mind. That Caroline she is wise beyond her years….she just doesn’t know it yet ;o)
Know if only I could find that field trip guy!
That has got to by my favorite Caroline quotation EVER! What a great question to ask. She really has the world in the palm of her hand.
I love Gulley! Because as a fellow member of the Class of ’89 my first thought when I read that was exactly the same thing – “Girl – the ‘late thirties’ don’t get much later than 38 before they become the ‘early forties’!”
Caroline cracks me up every time! “Would you want to go on a field trip with him?” – too cute!
That is one awesome little girl you’ve got there….what a line.
That is a great question…as a 30 year-old single woman with a little boy drama going on currently, I am going to have to ask myself that question.
As a teacher who has survived…I mean endured…I mean PARTICIPATED in field trips for 20 years with many, many small children, I must concur that this is the ultimate test for a relationship. The new Dating LItmus Test of 2010.
My husband’s mother asked him if he would use my toothbrush and when he said yes she knew I was the one and still am after almost 40 years. I would still use his toothbrush too even though we have a closet full.
Thanks for making me laugh out loud. Literally. That’s why I spelled it out.
That Caroline, she is a genius.
Ha! There’s so much truth behind that statement! I’ll go on a field trip anywhere with my husband
As a single girl and a teacher who just over two weeks ago loaded up my first graders on the big yellow dog and spent an entire day that didn’t get above 40 at a Christmas tree farm in which the employees talked in rhyme and sang carols as they frolicked through the trees, I have to agree that this is sound advice. If I were to ask a boy on a field trip and he agreed it must be love. Love that Caroline!
That is just precious.
Too cute!
divorced and way past late thirties. I would enjoy the field trip on a hot bus, good way to check his deodarant IQ and I love animals. If he overpowers the critters, he’s out.
Wish I could introduce AJ and my son. He is 25, a firm Christ follower, who loves photography, kids, sports and he is wanting to do mission work in Africa. Don’t they sound like a match?
OH, how he would kill me if he saw this.
Pics of Caroline from Christmas are adorable.I have missed your blog. Been missing reading you and Pw both this last few months. Christmas Break has given me a chance to catch up.Happy New Year!
Caroline is truly a sage!
Love.This.
There’s so much truth behind that statement! I’ll go on a field trip anywhere with my husband
I think that she might be able to set up a little advice stand like Lucy from Charlie Brown. Five cents please. More like five dollars these days. LOL
I got the biggest laugh out of that! Thank god for the truths spoken from the mouths of babes (old babes and young alike!)
So funny. In college, I used the football roadtrip as a measure of dates. Would you want to travel out of town and go to a game with him? Like a field trip on steroids?!
Crack me up!!
LOL
As a single teacher, I love this! Any man who I’d like to go on a field trip with will be the man for me. And on the “field trip of life”, he won’t have to count to 22 over and over again, promote good manners, carry the permission slips, ensure bus safety, or pack the cooler. Sounds like a winning situation for him!
I LOVE THIS. I was single until I was 33 and even taught a single adult Bible study class for three years, so I had a lot of conversations with women about dating. And I always said that falling in love would be nice, but before getting married I’d have to like the guy enough to be willing to live with him and see him everywhere I turned.
I’m happy to say that my hubby and I have been married for two years and I still enjoy the sight of him.
very funny. thanks for the laugh : )
Ok, I think it’s time for Caroline to have her own advice column, or at the least, a guest spot on your blog???
Well. I’ll be using that catch phrase in the next few weeks. We’re on the cusp of having (lowers voice to a hoarse whisper) “The Talk.” God help me.
Caroline should have her own advice column.
I’m a single girl in my 20s and I still haven’t met a guy that I would endure a sweaty bus ride and a trip to a lousy petting zoo with. Thanks to Caroline, my standards for a future husband just got a little higher.
While I’d never thought of it in those terms, there is much truth in Caroline’s question. Indeed, she’s wise beyond her years.
Many blessings for the new year!
LOL We have been married 8 years and three kids now and every time we leave the house is like our own version of a field trip. Today we braved the hours drive and bitter cold to go to the mall for family pictures. And btw my hubby would be the guy on the back of the bus mooning the cars and going…shhhh dont tell the teacher with all the boys cracking up around him. Its hysterical most of the time.
But I totally believe when dating you should take at least one trip involving at least a 4 hour drive and lack of kids, radio, and GPS. It can tell you an awful lot about a man. I am still laughing @/w? mine and that says a lot.
Steff
Love this. Just this afternoon the hubs and I went on an unscheduled, un-wished-for field trip. And enjoyed each other’s company very much, despite the circumstances.
Yay for true love.
Mary, wife to one handsome guy
Ahh, the sage wisdom of small girls… it’s true… very, very true!
Love it! That is the best advice I have heard in a long time for this single gal! Caroline is wise beyond her years! I will have to pass this along to my single friends!!
funny.
That is the greatest question! So honest! Give that girl a hug for me! Tell AJ to hang in there. The right one will come along.
Caroline is brilliant. I am so going to start using that one.
Caroline is very astute. My kids are grown, and I’m pretty sure I never want to go on a field trip ever again. Oh, well, if a grandson asked? Hmmm. Maybe if the weather is perfect and I have my noise cancelling headphones.
I just found your blog while perusing PW’s site. This was the very first post I read. I got tickled at the field trip comment and had to pass along a saying that an older man once asked me about my then boyfriend and now husband. “Would you want to be buried with his people?”
As a single girl in my 20s I will definitely be using that as my dating criteria from now on! Thanks Caroline!!
I don’t comment very often, but i definitely am a faithful reader. I’ve said before that Caroline posts are my favorites, and this one is probably my favorite ever. So very, very true. I have been thinking about this post the last few days, and I just had to pop over & comment. Thanks for sharing your little girl and her fun & wisdom with us. =)
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