We've done some chores, watched some movies, played some video games, read some books, played Sleeping Bag Slide down the stairs, ate some leftover pie, cuddled a lot, built a fort in Lucy & Mattie's room, and done a good deal of giggling and chasing each other around the house. I love when my kids play together, making up games and laughing and not needing anyone else around to entertain them. Typically they're inundated with social visits and birthday parties on the weekends, but I suppose everyone is visiting with family and putting up their Christmas trees, because our phone has been atypically quiet. And I have to admit it's nice for a change. I'm looking forward to another short week coming up, with one early release day and two half days.
I know school is important and routine is good for kids, but the best days for me are the ones when my kids are off school and we have no obligatory activities planned. The days when we can hang out in our pj's all day if we feel like it, or go on a spontaneous trip to the park, or even just try to put a dent in the laundry without constant interruptions.
Before I had kids in school full time, it seems like we were always busy doing one fun thing or another. Whether we were going on a trip, to the zoo, a nature center, a water park, visiting with family or friends, or whatever. I always wanted to go-go-go. Maybe I was just younger and full of excess energy, I don't know. Whatever the case, I find that I don't plan as many activities these days. I think it has more to do with the fact that school and kids' extracurriculars keep our family so incredibly busy on a day to day basis, we're all starved for down time whenever we get the chance. Between school, homework, basketball, dance, floor hockey, catechism, everyday errands, play dates, family obligations, and birthday parties, we often don't feel like doing a whole lot when we have a window of unscheduled time.
I know this is the way things go, and it's going to get crazier as our kids get older. But it makes me kind of sad sometimes. I miss our carefree days of doing whatever we wanted. That's partly why I love summer so much.
As my kids get bigger they also want to spend more time with friends and less time with me. My days of being able to plan their lives out for them are numbered. Some weeks it seems like Bethany is away from home more than she's home.
We will continue to make family time a priority, whether it's hanging out at home or getting out of here for a change of scenery. Either way, we're together and that's the important thing. However, I'm going to make it my goal to make sure we all get out of the house just for fun a little more often too.
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