I always look forward to the un-scheduled days of summer but sometimes it is hard to "find" my family. Someone is at camp, while the other is spending the weekend at a friends cabin, while my husband might take the opportunity to finish a project. We have a family vacation planned at the end of August, but it seems more difficult to spend time together as a family.

My family is lucky. We enjoy each others company and prioritize our meals and fun time enough, that when someone isn't around, we miss those opportunities. While it is harder throughout the summer to plan activities too far in advance, I also rely on surprise moments. When I was younger, my favorite surprise happened one very hot evening. Few homes had air conditioning then. My father told us all to get our pajamas on. Then he told us to get into the car. We went for a very nice drive through different neighborhoods and very conveniently drove right past a Dairy Queen. What a treat that was except that "drive thru" didn't exist then, and my older brother was too embarrassed to get out of the car in his pajamas to order his ice cream.

For some creative ideas for spending more time with your children and spouse during the busy summer months visit Better Homes and Gardens article 5 Ways to Find Family Time

Posted by Susan at 8/04/2004 10:18:58 AM | Link