Living Lovely With Family #2

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This week's topic is: "ways to make meaningful connections and memories with our families in our weekly routine."

DAD: Saturdays are definitely our day to play and be together as a family. We, too, spend many Saturdays doing chores and running errands as well. Our son, Andrew, loves to wake up Saturday morning to find that Daddy is home because he knows they'll get to work in the yard, go to the park and maybe even take a long nap together.

This was how last Saturday found them. I have this picture on the computer desk-top now and every time Andrew sees it he says, "Daddy is spinning me!"



Drew wears him out, always reminding me that "boys need to run."



MOM: When I have a car, we make a weekly trip to Target. Besides the fact that I can get everything on my list there, from contact lens solution to flip-flops to light bulbs to a frozen pizza for dinner...Andrew loves their popcorn and our closest store has a Starbucks inside, so we both get a treat to enjoy while we shop! He looks forward to it so much and any time we get in the car, he asks if we're going to "popcorn Target."

Grocery shopping and other quick stops are inevitable during the week, but I try to pack in as much as I can in one day...and I try to balance it out with FUN for Andrew, too. Funny, but little boys don't seem to be big fans of day-long shopping excursions (big boys, either, for that matter), so I break up our day with a trip to McD's for nuggets and ice cream and definitely an hour or so at one of his favorite parks. Thankfully, we have one near Target and one near Wal-Mart! At the park, we love to swing together, dig in the dirt and sit on a bench to enjoy a drink. I know he enjoys it, mostly because he'll say things like, "I'm glad you're here, Mommy" or "Mommy, we're at the park together!"

Lastly, and I hope this counts, Andrew and I frequently nap together, especially since I've been pregnant. It's definitely part of our routine! Andrew prefers sleeping up against someone when he can and when we lay down together, just before he turns over to go to sleep, he often faces me, touches my face and tells me "I love you, Mommy." If that's not building connections, I don't know what is! :)