Traditions

Seems I can never feel I'm doing enough with / for my kids. Those days when I go home exhausted and grumpy stand out in my memory, times when I just sit and growl single syllable answers to their wonders of the world. I guess what I tend to forget are the little things they value so much, like:

• Dance Night (usually Monday)
• Wrestling Night (usually Tuesday)
• Sock Mace Fight Night (often Saturday)
• Movie Night (weekly, usually when I'm too pooped for anything else)
• Game Night and Day (daily, lately as it gets colder outside)
• Story telling--EVERY night for over six years now
• Bath Night (alternating nights)
• Donut Saturday mornings
• Big-Breakfast Sunday mornings
• Big monthly birthday celebrations
• Gingerbread House making (Christmas)
• Fire pit parties
• Walks on the trail
• Home Depot project Saturday (1st Sat of the month)

...and I guess in listing these I do feel a little better, for each gives me reason to reflect and smile....like yesterday when we played Uno with our toes, the baby and the beagle. Or when we made a game of Toro from tossing things at someone, sort of like dodge ball in the house...or when during bath night Edison was just cracking up at my chicken imitation.

Today when I get off work, I'm to go to the thrift stores for Scarecrow wardrobing and effects, for this is the day of our 2nd annual Tradition: scarecrow and jackolantern makin' good times. Last year it was colder and we got a bit testy. The pictures bring up so much fun from it, though, and I'm positive today with be a great time. I think, now, as the Moment approaches, I revere it, and hopefully I can embrace it and realize that we're building traditions and making memories. I will make it a big priority today, try hard not to be gruff or tired or impatient. After all, these traditions can be adopted by my kids and carried on some day, and I wouldn't want a deadbeat dad to be part of the tradition!