Back-to-School=Back-to-Routine...Friday

 

Yay for Friday!!!!

When our children were younger, it was Friday Night Date Night. Cheap dates, but dates. When Laurissa was a baby we didn't live near family...or anything else for that matter. {Nothing like planning ahead of time if you thought you may need a late-night snack at 3 in the afternoon! We lived so far out in the country at that time that there were not even street lights on our street!}
Anyway, we would give her her evening bath, jammie her up, put her in the car seat and have our baby with us in the car. Nothing beats listening to "Sleep Sound in Jesus" when you are the pround, sleep-deprived parents of a colicky baby who would finally give in to sleep! Almost falling asleep ourselves, we would spend the rest of the evening driving around...sometimes we would go buy donuts, get ice cream or just drive to pretty places to see city lights. We had so much fun.
After moving closer to family, we would sometimes actually have a real date without the kiddies. We felt completely spoiled, not to mention the feeling of newleyweds!
...But as our children got older, we wanted to have FUN as a family on Fridays even though they were still young...so we started having Pizza, movie and popcorn nights...and board game nights. As they have gotten older, their friends have joined us and we love it. Even as my hubby has to work some Fridays, we still will have Pizza night or I will take one or both of the children on a date. Traditions change with change in schedules, children going off to college, sports, work schedules etc. but I am grateful for the traditions we have had even though they have needed to be altered a bit at times.


How about you??? Do you have specific traditions? Are you a stickler with them or are you okay with changing things up a bit for the sake of family relationships?

I have to admit, it is really hard for me to adapt. IT IIIIS! I love tradition and I would love to say we have never missed this or that, but the truth of the matter is this: Life changes, and I had better be willing to do my best to provide tradition and stability as much as I am willing to not be so regimented and unable to be flexible to where I am actually causing more tension and stress for the sake of "tradition".

As our family dynamics change...and as Friday schedules get swallowed up in LIFE, I will always look forward to the times we are all together on Friday nights, but I am also looking forward to having Friday date nights again with my hubby. Maybe we will get jammied up...listen to Jack Johnson and drive around town...go through the drive-through for ice cream...find our favorite view of the city and her lights and enjoy the company of eachother...and our little, dappled doggie!

Happy Happy Friday!