Tuesday, August 29, 2006
The Family WalkThere are a lot of things my family could do to improve our time together. But one thing makes me proud that we have kept pretty consistent for some time now is our family walk. When I have my days organized and we eat supper at a reasonable hour (I try for between 5-6 around here), there is usually ample time afterwards to do the dishes, go for a walk, bathe the kids, pray the Rosary, read a couple stories and get them to bed by 8 pm. I admit this routine isn't always perfect, sometimes we skip parts of the formula but all in all, this is what makes for the smoothest night-time routine around here.
Going for an evening walk has been so good for all of us, and great for our marriage especially. My husband and I are taken out of our respective work zones (his job place, my house duties) and we just go around the neighborhood or go to a nearby playground and let the kids play a bit while we sit on the swings talking. It's not that we always get into deep or meaningful conversations-- half the time we're commenting about our day or the gardens we passed etc. But the great thing is that we are just together, breathing fresh air and being undistracted by the TV or phone or whathaveyou around the house. It's a wonderful feeling. Lately we pull the wagon behind us or the kids walk too... before my belly got too big we often did bike rides instead, each of us had a child on a rack attached to our bikes. It doesn't matter the method, the point is getting away from the mundane as a family and spending a bit of time together.
I'd add it to my recipe of making One Happy Home.
-Ellie: Oak Harbor, WA
Labels: Reflections