Last week was National Families Week. A time to pause and reflect on what your family means to you.

To celebrate what makes your family unique.

So, what makes your family unique?

I really had to think about this question. In a line-up of families, what would distinguish my family as my own? Like, what’s our thing?

Hmmm…

6.00 am ~ Like many parents, we start the day by waking up to a surprise stow-away (or two) in our bed. The highlight of my day is probably early morning cuddles as I slowly regain consciousness. ‘I’ hungry. Can we have breakfast now?’ Boooooo!

The kids eat their breakfast, while I down my coffee and toast and read a line or two of my Bible, before they’re ready for the next thing.

Showers; throwing clothes on moving targets, emails beeping insistently on my iPhone.

8.30 am ~ Pop’s here! Relief, excitement. My work day can start.

I’m so grateful to have my parents living locally. They help look after the kids so I can work from home.

10.00 am ~ Conference call… ‘Mama…’ Tyson whispers loudly, opening my office door… ‘I’m not going to play cars any more. I’m getting my trains out.’

‘Sorry everyone, where was I?’ Everyone is very understanding. We are a family business. Very authentic.

Conference call finished. Load of washing on.

12 pm ~ ‘I want something to eat.’ Tyson has snuck past Pop. Lunchtime. Sandwiches all round.

2.30 pm ~ Pop has to head off on his school bus run. My work day is all but over.

I put my feet in the sandpit. It reminds me of our family holiday to Fiji last year… Soft, cool, soothing.

‘Mama! Stop looking at your phone. I’m making a sandcastle!’

‘Sorry, darling. I’ll make a moat…’

Phone rings… ‘Yes, next week is great. Monday…. I’m not available after 2.30 pm.’ (Pop Day Care closes at 2.30 pm)

5.30 pm ~ ‘Daddy’s home!’ The boys declare loudly. I have to remind them not to run towards the car until the engine’s stopped. Does every mother live in constant fear that their child will be run over? Or is it just me?

6 pm ~ Workout. ‘I’m going to exercise, too, mama!’ My boys scurry downstairs. I put on Jillian Michaels, and they jump around with me. For about 3 minutes. Then they run outside to ride their bikes and return when I’m doing sit-ups to jump on my stomach. Awesome.

6.30 pm ~ Bath time… dinner time. Yes, it’s pasta again (it’s easy and fills them up, and Mama doesn’t have time to be creative – does that make me a bad mama?).

7.00 pm ~ Bedtime! Doing a ‘Happy Dance’ inside my head. Bedtime! I climb up to the top bunk and snuggle with my boys while we pray.

‘Amen!’

I cuddle each of my boys for a long time. I miss them when they sleep.

7.20 pm ~ They’re asleep! TV on. Tracksuit pants on. ‘So, how was your day?’

‘Sigh.’

9.30 pm ~ The majority of my work is done now. While the house is quiet and I can string my thoughts together… uninterrupted.

11.00 pm ~ Force myself to go to bed. Still so much to do! But I will be awoken at 6.00 am tomorrow and… I… must… sleep…

Is it possible to love someone more than all the love in the world combined? That’s how I feel about my little family. Crazy, chaotic, fun, infuriating, precious.

Precious.

So, what makes your family unique?

___

Photo by Elina Fairytale.