Family Time

The past 2 weeks have been challenging. For those who know what my husband does, the protests against embassies in the Middle East have meant that he is very busy at work lately. He reported in 2 Mondays ago, and since then has been working long days and rotating shifts on a very demanding schedule. No, he won't deploy, so that is a huge relief. But there are days where the kids don't see him at all, which has been hard on all of us. In addition, he is kept "on call" at all times, so he is not allowed to leave base, and is supposed to be in cammies at all times. Nevertheless, he is adjusting well to his new job and learning the ropes. He refers to it as trial by fire, but it seems he is coming through it successfully, and I am very proud of him.

So when he is around, we try to spend as much quality time with the kids as we can, whether it is a family bike ride, trip to the playground, or just going shopping together. Last weekend, we decided to get some cheap new toys and games, since the house is pretty empty and there is not much for the kids to do here. We picked up Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders, those childhood classics. It's the first time we have sat down with the kids to play an actual board game, and they loved it! Candy Land was a little easier for them, since they know their colors. Chutes and Ladders they enjoyed, but we had to do the counting for them. But the last few days I have really enjoyed playing a quick game with them before nap or bedtime. Candy Land only takes about 15 minutes, and we all have fun. So it's not all dramatic traveling adventures here, but we are enjoying our little family adventures too! :-)