Family Days

Mike was off this weekend and we had a free Sunday afternoon to spend altogether. Since we're a large group, we like to plan frugal activities. Lunch and an extended playtime at McDonalds followed by a free swim at our local Wellness Center sounded like the perfect afternoon. We topped the night off by supper in front of the tv together watching some Twilight and We Bought A Zoo.

Well done Matt Damon.

We spend a lot of time altogether as a family, but mainly it's running from a lesson to a birthday party, rushing through breakfast on our way out the door to school or a quick snuggle at bedtime. With Mike working shiftwork, and busy schedules our life includes a very limited amount of family time with all 6 of us.

It wasn't overly exciting activities. We stayed in our community and we had already visited these places before, but it was fun to get out of the house, do something active and be together. It had been a while since we had been to McDonalds or the Wellness Center so this was a treat for them. It's so fun to see my kids run around excitedly and just constantly be happy.

We laughed, made jokes and did tricks in the pool. It gave Mike and I the opportunity to take time to enjoy all the kids, together or one on one. It also gave the kids the chance to play together in a neutral setting, which I feel is important sometimes. There were no territories and no toys that belonged to another sibling. They only focused on being silly, having fun and just enjoying each others company.
Of course there were fist fights, dramatic tears, a bladder mishap and an unlimited amount of ear splitting whining. It wouldn't be a proper Talbot-Melanson-MacLean outing without any of those.

At the end of the day all the kids thanked us for the fun day. No matter how exhausted I was after such a busy day, making my kids smile was well worth it.

I think it's necessary for every family to have these kind of days. With life as busy as it is, it's so important to set aside that time to be together.
Happy Monday!