Forced Family Fun in February

It has been a month since I've posted here.  A month!  Believe me when I say that I'm entirely guilt-ridden about it (which, as horrible as being guilt-ridden may sound, it isn't quite as terrible as being flea-ridden--which I'm not.  So it isn't all bad.)  The problem wasn't that February lacked things to talk about, it just lacked interesting, social type things to talk about.  There was plenty of the "Oh! So many things to do!" and "I just can't get ahead!" type conversations flying around here, but those are not inspiring-blog-worthy diversions.  At least it looks as if the February doldrums are finally gone, and we can now get on with life.

Which is exactly what we did last weekend.  We were kind enough to warn the kiddos ahead of time that we'd be spending Saturday OUT of the house and AS a family (we don't always warn them...sometimes it's just nice to limit the amount of time they have to complain).  This announcement elicited cheers from the girls, groans from the boys, no surprise there.

First on the agenda was a hockey game.  Now, let me explain something.  We are not a sports family. (Sorry, dad!)  We tried baseball and soccer when the boys were little, and still haven't come to terms with the fact that we were expected to be up and raring to go at 7am on a Saturday.  [shudder]  I should probably be apologizing to all the families that had to deal with our uncomprehending ennui during all of those weekends, but I'm just not there yet.  Maybe someday.

Right, so we aren't a sports family.  This means it wasn't entirely outrageous that all of our kids were wondering why on earth they were required to go to a hockey game.  The answer was that we were gifted some box seats to watch the LA Kings at the Staples Center, and it was a perfect excuse for some of that infamous Family Time.  Turns out, they kind of enjoyed themselves.  They actually apologized afterwards for complaining--they didn't know what to expect, and it was actually rather fun, they said.  Of course, those apologies came after we all got free McFlurry coupons on our way out--they had their ice cream goggles on and the gratefulness was being poured out freely.

Yeah, back-of-the-head pictures is all I've got.  Sorry.

They may not look excited here, but
they are, believe me.  Or they would
be if they knew about the ice cream.

As if one major outing in a day weren't enough, we jumped right  in to another family event.  We had bought Medieval Times tickets as a reward for studying the Middle Ages to death (to quote Melinda, "No more minstrels, PLEASE!")  After reading The Minstrel in the Tower, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!, Castle Diary, Saint George and the Dragon, Ethelred the Unready, Tales of Robin Hood, The Door in the Wall, and Adam of the Road, not to mention our regular history reading, they'd had enough.  Or so they thought.  Until Medieval Times.

(Actually at first, when we were heading in and there were some people dressed up and ready to take our photograph, Timothy was dreadfully humiliated.  As we walked in further, however, I pointed out to him that there were quite a few adults there (young and unaccompanied by children) and he seemed to adjust fine.  Especially when food was slapped on the plates and the sword-fighting and games began.  What boy can resist a good sword fight when the sparks are flying and people are yelling and you have a plate full of food?)

We had front row seats and the girls were honored to receive gifts from our knight (a flower for Melinda, a special sash for Audrey).  Not just honored, but flattered and overjoyed.  At one point I saw Audrey wiping away a tear.  When I asked her if she was okay, she said "I'm just crying for joy."  Before it was even over, they were begging to go back.


A Full Day of all six of us together, and you'd (I'd?) expect them to be more than done with the close quarters.  But we came home peaceful.  Not only that, but the kids all wanted to go out together again the next day.  So last Sunday we took our farewell trip to the Borders down the street and then ventured in to McDonalds (a place I haven't been inside since...???...2004?) where they apparently play classical music nowadays.  (It's that high-fallutin' coffe-shop image they want to adopt, I guess?)  It was a weekend of experiences, of family, and yes--of fun.  And now you know that which was worth knowing during the month of February.