Ramblings of mother/wife

     Today, I registered our youngest cubbie bear for kindergarten. How time flies. Everyone says the youngest is the hardest but that was not my experience. I had a harder time with the unknown of things when registering our eldest for school. Today, was old hat or at least familiar ground. Most assuredly it helped to see my friend Nancy behind the registration table. I think it will be more challenging taking him to school for testing and then for the first day. This past year he was so ready and excited for pre-school. Now, he just wants to stay home with me all day.
     Beyond registration, I am cleaning up the remnants from our eldest's 7th birthday party. Then, on to planning to meet with the Master thespian to practice the puppet show we will performing for the children's Easter program.
    Our family loves to have time together alone. We also love getting together with friends and taking part in our day to day responsibilities (work,volunteering and school) but time together just the 4 (or 6 counting the pets) is something we all desire. My goal has been to keep a day of rest and a mid-week evening open just for family. It is such a challenge to keep this tradition solid. So, often this or that comes up and requires we fudge just a little and I think most families find this to be a similar story in their own lives. My husband is really good about wanting/needing this family time and after all these years together I finally get it. I feel it.... the stretch on us as a unit when we don't get that time together. This past week was one of those weeks. No day of rest and no mid-week time just us. Everything seems so rushed and crammed in  and one of my sponsors from the Emmaus walk just asked how I was doing in this area.
      A couple new factors to consider, Papa Bear has a new position which has him working a little longer each day. This time away has taken a toll on our family. So, we must adjust. Overall, I thought we'd done pretty good balancing our week. I still think we did pretty good but what do you do about going out to play and ending up with neighbors playing with you in the yard? We don't want to be rude. I wish we lived in the country! Our yard is an extension of our home, yet the neighbors have more access to us. An impromptu play date is nothing for those young 20 something parents, who can still burn the candle at both ends, but for we mid-40ers one little play date can be the difference between staying connected and being stretched too thin. I want to be social and neighborly but I don't want to lose my family only time.