Family Nights

Spending time as a family is essential for so many reasons. It helps us maintain an open relationship with our children and builds happy memories for them. I have also found it helps restore that playful spirit marriage often loses through years of struggle, responsibility, and work. A giggling child's enthusiasm is contagious and just the thing to put the spring back into my step. After a great family night I find myself laughing, and being just plain thankful to be a part of this little group called my family.

We never schedule things on Friday nights anymore. That night is reserved for our famly time. We make sure to eat dinner together, even if we have to wait for Dad to come home late from work. Sometimes we eat something special that the kids helped to make, but often it's a pizza or something easy so we don't have to clean up.

We keep a running list of ideas handy and usually Friday morning I'll pick something from the list. If Mom and Dad had a rough week we just snuggle on the couch and watch a movie, but there are so many more adventurous options. Here is a list of our ideas. Most we have done and a few we have yet to try. You may find some inspiration here and then start your own list and add to it! Each activity listed costs between nothing and $15 for a family of four.

1) Movies: Don't just stick with the latest block buster hit, but sometimes try a favorite movie you and your spouse love to watch like "The Princess Bride" or some of those wonderful old calssics, "Singing in the Rain", "My Fair Lady", "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"; or pick a theme for the month, 80's movies, "The Star Wars Trilogy" The "Back to the Future" movies, Christmas movies, check out a ballet from the library, etc.

2) Have a Poetry Night. Have each family member work on memorizing a favorite poem or Bible verse during the week. Then give each person a chance to recite while the others look on encouragingly.

3) There is always game night to consider. That is self explanatory. We usually choose a game our youngest member can play pretty well so no one gets left out.

4) Work on a puzzle together. My parents used to serve sparkling cider and popcorn to make these kinds of things special. There is great opportunity for conversation while working puzzles as well.

5) Music Night: This one may take some time to plan, but if you home school, preparing for family night can become part of the curriculum. Learn to sing a hymn, a patriotic song, or a Christmas song. If you are really talented someone can play an instrument as well. Over time, learn several songs and you are in for a major jam session!

6) Puppet Show: On Monday read a simple fairy tale or other short story to your children. Then during the week let them make popcicle stick puppets to fit the story and have the performance on Friday night. It's amazing what you can do with a little paper and crayons. Make a theatre from a cardboard box.

7) Play an impromptu game of flashlight tag or hide and seek. Autumn is great for this because it gets dark early and you still have some pleasant evenings left.

8) Visit the local observatory to see the stars through a lens.

9) Build a fire and read out loud, or tell stories.

10) Make a craft.

11) Play in the snow.

12)Have a math or spelling contest

13) Go for a flashlight walk around the neighborhood, or in summer, take an evening bike ride.

Well, those are thirteen of my best ideas, so if you are feeling crotchety or disconnected, grab your kids and go have a family night!

"It's Autumn! Full of hot chocolate mornings and toasty marshmallow evenings,and best of all...jumping into LEAVES!"

-Whinnie The Pooh

Comfort Food

On a blustery autumn evening, it is finally time for some comfort food. Here is my favorite comfort food recipe (or recipt as Laura Ingals calls them). I got this recipe from the Delaney Farm Blog last summer and my five year old told me he loved it so much he wanted to eat it for every meal of the day for the rest of his life. If you cook the squash a day before hand, it is a cinch to make.
Mashed Coconut Ginger Squash

1 large winter squash
1 Cup coconut milk
2 tblsp chopped ginger
2-3 garlic cloves, plus 2-3 coloves minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Put on a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Put 1-2 cloves garlic in area where seeds used to be. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until soft when pricked with a fork. Remove from oven and cool. Scoop out squash from skin.

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium and saute chopped garlic and ginger until lightly browned. Turn heat to low and add coconut mild and squash. Once warm, remove from heat. Season with salt, pepper and optional cilantro.