Family Movie Night

About once a month, Friday Night is Family Movie Night. It is pretty simple. . .Allie picks a movie, Allie picks the necessary junk food that we will all share during the movie and Allie insists that all the lights are turned out - so she can feel like she is in a real movie theatre (even though we can pause it for a bathroom trip!). . .and she loves these times - sometimes I think even more than going to the movies!

I asked Allie the next day why she loves it so much - why she likes it more than going to the movies. She gave me the most simple - yet powerful answer - because we are all snuggling together on the same couch, Daddy isn't reading a newspaper, Mommy isn't on the phone or on the computer or doing laundry. We are all doing the same thing she said, at the time time, as a FAMILY.

It made me stop and think. . .I consider myself a pretty involved and attentive mommy. And while Daddy tends to work his tush off, when he is home he is always happy to read with Allie or play a game with her - in between those passions that men have (reading the newspaper and napping). But what I realized is that when he is doing something with Allie, I am usually off blogging or cleaning or chatting on the phone or sometimes a mommies' night out and when he is vegging with the newspaper, I am usually playing with Allie, or she is playing by herself or often she has a playdate over.

And while we do quite a bit together as a family outside of the home, I think when we are at home we clearly aren't doing family togetherness as much as I think we are. . .I was even thinking about when we are in the swimming pool. Either we have friends over and everyone is in and out at different times or I am in with Allie or Daddy is in the pool with Allie - it has been a long time since the 3 of us were just in the pool together. I guess sometimes I take advantage of when Rich is home to divide and conquer - he is playing with Allie and so I am tending to other "stuff".

And what I realized by the simplicity of Allie's comment about Family Movie Night is that perhaps with this New Year approaching, Daddy & I need to make a more concentrated effort to just have some simple Family time at home together. . .I know I get caught up in always making plans and its gives me the jitters to think I might have a weekend coming up with no plans and OMIGOSH, won't we all be bored? But there is a difference between doing nothing and spending some quality time as a Family together. . .and while Allie is the first person to want a playdate with someone, I also hear her saying that she loves her Mommy & Daddy time and so perhaps this Mommy needs to bring it in a little and not always rush to make plans and run and go and do. Maybe I need to listen to what Allie is saying and try to devote more than one night a month to some simple, family togetherness time at home. . .

Or maybe she just loved the unlimited junk food that night??? :-)