Microwave Family Time

I made up a new term.  I bet no one on the Internet has ever defined "microwave family time".  Surprise, I just googled it and come to find out, there is a brand of microwave popcorn called Family Time.  Huh, not the same!  http://www.shopwell.com/family-time-microwave-popcorn-butter-light/popcorn/p/5167100068

My original term doesn't have to do with food, though.  If I were to give it a dictionary definition..."microwave family time (noun) spending a week's worth of quality time with your family in one day, as in microwave cooking.  Same result, less time." 

Today was the only day all week that we had together as a family.  George arrived after midnight last night and he left tonight around 8 in order to avoid the bad weather tomorrow. We crammed EVERYTHING in today! We had coffee this morning.  He spent quality time playing with the children.  Just a few examples, he tried to cuddle with John but I explained to him that that is the last thing that 18 month old wants to do!  Instead, he played trains with John and sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Riding on the Horsey".  He played trains and Yahtzee with Emmett and read books.  With Carmen, he got some good talking and snuggling time in this morning.  She was so thrilled to wake up and see him here.  She just talked his ear off.  Last night, she asked me to tell him to talk loud when he came home so she would wake up.  Well, after midnight, he could have screamed and she would hardly budge!  

We tried, though, so we could tell her about it this morning.  

Family time also equals work time!  We winterized the yard, hauled and stacked fire wood, cleaned the deck and brought in all toys.  George went to the dump and helped me move our mattress and box springs and replace it with the bed we were given as a hand-me-down from friends.  I finally dumped the bags of sand that had been sitting outside all summer INTO the sandbox (I loved it  when Carmen commented, "You're strong, Mom"). I cut down all the sedum out front and the marigolds all along the driveway and weeded.  Don't get excited, I wasn't REALLY gardening, I was just trying to burn off the Krispy Kreme donut I had indulged in that George brought home from Richmond last night. In all this, George even met our new neighbor and went on a walk with him down the yard to look for groundhog holes.  What bonding!  

So, as you can see, we microwaved our family time today.  Sure, we would have loved to have seen each other all week, but we did our best with the one day we had.  Everything is rushed these days.  Everything seems like it has to be microwaved.  But the quality of the time we had was just wonderful....Beep...times up.  Day is done.  Now off to sleep in my amazingly comfortable bed for the first time...if only the other side was occupied. I guess I will have to wait until next Pinkie Day for that.  

Here we are at dinner.  Can you see the Advent candles in our Advent wreath?   You have to use your imagination.  I pretend light the candle every night and the children tell me what color it is.  I really need to buy more than one set of candles at a time.