Team Red and Team Brown attend different schools. This often makes things tricky – and tiring! We do a lot of driving around, and doubles (double conferences, double concerts, double end-of-the-year shows). This year the two schools seemed to have almost completely mismatched calendars. Start dates, end dates, spring breaks, days off .. on and on. Last Friday, Veterans Day, was the third Friday that Team Red was home while Team Brown was scheduled for a full day of studies. There was a lot of sadness at the breakfast table. Not because of anything particular they’d be doing, but just the fact that they’d really love to all be doing it together.
It was pretty moving. To the point of instigating a discussion between Papa and I. And after deducting that there were no tests to be missed or important deadlines, we declared it an official no-school Family Day!
I have a super high value on responsibility, so this felt pretty out of my comfort zone. But also, just right.
Although our kids have had a really natural and amazing bond, it’s something that we’re still really intentionally nurturing. Because it’s different than being born one by one into a family – it’s a love and connection that really develops with time and experience. Sharing and splitting all of their time between the different households doesn’t make this development any easier. So what we did today was to say THIS is important. We have a high value on family, even and maybe more so in a crazy blended-family. We are going to pause in the day-to-day chaos of our 21st century life, and just be. Together.
So what does one do on Family Day? Ours involved cooking up a huge batch of tomato basil soup, lots of new lego creations, raking leaves by the older boys, and said leaves becoming landing pads for the younger ones. Bikes and scooters on one of the last beautiful fall days, a walk in the nearby forest preserve, and, of-course, an epic nerf war! A fantastic new holiday indeed.
