Family Time

What does family time look like for you? This is probably my nosiest inquiry. Everyone talks about the social media "highlight reel". Which I love to see. I'm smart enough to realize that the best makes the cut. Honestly, who wants to see the mundane? I get mundane 90 percent of the time in my own life. I like to live vicariously through others' highlights when my mundane is boring me. Do you ever wonder the same about what other's are doing with their family time? I've been taking pictures of what happens when we are just doing life. 

When we travel around town or from place to place, the kids usually bring along their electronics. If we are in town, I'm usually in the back seat with one child while the other rides up front. I don't have a problem riding in the backseat so I don't make a fuss. We do a lot of driving around on Saturday because everyone has games or practice at different times throughout the day.

In the evening, the boys usually watch a sports game or television show on Netflix. I will read or go online. Sometimes, we play board/card games together.

We have a chores chart for the boys to earn screen time (video games/Youtube) on the weekends. They are only able to play Friday-Sunday. They were able to have unlimited time on the weekends but it was getting out of hand. They would stay up until insane hours (3am) playing games. Now that they have to earn screen time, things are much more balanced. Practicing basketball is a "chore". This guy doesn't mind!

The beach plays a pretty big part in our family time.  We are only a few miles away, so we will take a quick drive to the island. Some days we walk the beach or walk around the park bordering the InterCoastal waterway. The Intercoastal separates the mainland from the islands that run along the shoreline. It's very pretty and there is a lot of wildlife.

We usually do dinner out once on the weekend or every other weekend. 

Burger and fries are typical choices.

Every once in a blue moon, the daughter makes a special appearance at family time. Between practice schedules and social engagements, it's getting increasingly harder to get time with her 😒

Like that one time when her dad came home from deployment and she whined, "But mom, I can't miss practice!" And I said something along of the lines of, "Don't even start with me, girl!"

That was the last time we spent time with her outside of meals and being her taxi.

Rest assured, she makes her presence known when she is around :)

So, that's our life outside the highlight reel. We mostly cart the kids around to practice/games, watch some TV, and occasionally drive out to the island. 

Nothing too exciting. How about you? What does your downtime look like?