The Time Crunch

What a lazy Friday night.

The kids and I made it home from school tonight a little after 5:00. I had stayed at school a bit later than usual in hopes of bringing home as little work as possible. As soon as we made it in the door the kids unpacked their book bags, opened a Valentine's gift that had arrived from Aunt Machelle and Aunt Amy, and headed out to the backyard to play.

I watched from the kitchen window as I worked to get dinner together. Soon, it was time for Muluken and Tricia to head out to a boy scout banquet. While they were gone, Ainsley, Ty, Harper, and I played a little Wii and then watched the Winter Olympics for a couple of hours. We saw some crazy women throwing themselves down the side of a frozen mountain on skis, snowboarders on the half-pipe, and a few figure skaters spin so fast I felt nauseous just watching them. By the time I sent the kids up to bed it was 9:00 and we had been sitting in front of a screen for almost three hours. That almost accounts for what is usually an entire week's worth of screen time for the kids.

I'd generally cringe at the thought of so much time spent doing "nothing." But after the week we've had I have to admit it was fun to just sit, relax, and spend down time together. This was the first night I had spent at home since last Sunday. Monday was spent at USC, Tuesday was dance class for Ainsley, Wednesday was an hour-and-a-half baseball practice for Muluken, and Thursday found us getting Harper to Girl Scouts while also taxiing Ainsley, Muluken, and Ty to a star gazing party.

Soon Harper and Ty will begin soccer season while Muluken's baseball season will jump into full swing. I fear that the nightly routine of reading books before tucking the kids into bed at 8:00 will soon be lost. This has been our nightly routine for the past eight years. Rarely do we ever miss it. Now, though, I foresee many busy and late evenings. And I fear we're on the verge of losing one of the most important times - reading together - that we have together.

I'm certain we'll figure something out. And, in reality, this is only the next few months. Come May or June our lives will return to their normal flow and predictability. But, until then, we'll get our first glimpse at what it means to have kids who are getting older and finding more and more interests that lie outside of our house and family. I suppose this was inevitable.

As for this weekend, we'll pack up a few things and head out for a camping trip and some hiking. We'll enjoy time together. We'll play and laugh and relax. We'll try to pack in a week's worth of leisure.

Because on Monday it all starts again.