Saturday, January 20, 2007

Family Time

Is there ever enough of it? Family time that is? Can you ever have TOO much family time? I have been struggling with this lately. It seems that I am always running errands either by myself or with the kids (sometimes just one of them). But it seems that, other than going to church, our family doesn't really do a lot together. I miss that!!! Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome that our family goes to church together...families need that. But once my DH gets home from work, he doesn't want to leave the house again until the next day. And sometimes not even then if he works from home.

He has this little "joke" he makes everytime we get ready to go somewhere; as he's getting ready, he says, "I'm not goin!" Cute, huh? It never fails though, whenever he says he doesn't want to go somewhere (and you can tell he doesn't), he ALWAYS has a great time. Same thing happens when we have people over. Which by the way, I LOVE to do! I love to entertain.

Not sure why I even went down this road...I guess to some extent, I need to vent. I don't want to go somewhere ALL the time. Every once in while would be nice. But I want my DH to WANT to go. That makes me think of that movie, "The Breakup" with Jennifer Anniston and Vince Vaughn...where she says, "I want you to WANT to do dishes". And he follows up by saying, "Why would I WANT to do dishes?" That's just so funny to me, because it sounds just like my hubby.

I don't think it's that he doesn't want to spend time with us. I just think he's a home body. I, on the other hand, am always gone. But like I said, I'm either by myself or with one (or both) of the kids. Man, when we go on our family vacations, we have SUCH a wonderful time. I just don't see why we don't do it more. Doesn't have to be a vacation, just hanging out sometimes Maybe I'm too needy????

Anyway, I guess I'm done. But I will leave you with a few questions: 1. Does your family have family time together? 2. If so, what do you do? and 3. If you don't have family time, what do you wish you did with your family/spouse/significant other? Who knows, maybe I AM just too needy....

5 comments:

Jude said...

Hmmmm... family time. I think we usually wrestle. Well, okay, the boys wrestle and I watch and fend off "tickle Mommy" attacks. LOL. We had sarted hiking together and I loved that... and mow we haven;t done it in forever it seems like, so... off to schedule a hike... :)

Diane said...

This is interesting to me, because I'm like you DH... I just want to hang out at home. I spend so much of my day around other people or on the go, I enjoy coming home and just vegitating. When I have things I HAVE to do, I try to do them on the way home or when I'm already out during the day. Once I get home, I want to stay home most of the time. Even when there's nothing to do but watch TV, I feel like I'm more happy at home than out.

My dad was just like you DH too. He'd come home from a day at work and just want to stay in. We never went to dinner or the movies, etc.

Interestingly enough, last night, after my husband had been out working all day, I sent him a message asking what he wanted for dinner. I was thinking of ordering in a pizza. He replied back saying that he wanted to take his girl out. At first, I was thinking, oh no, I want to stay in... I'm not dressed, I'll have to shower, I want pizza! Then I thought, he's WANTING to take me out. I need to get dressed! We ended up going out and waited for about 45 mins to get seated and about another 30 to get our food (after our appetizers) but it was still worth it. We had a fun date night out.

All that being said, maybe a way to get your DH out the door when you want is to make plans. Does that seem to make a difference? I know it does for me. If I plan to go somewhere on the weekend, or even a weeknight, I'm more likely to do it, rather than a spur of the moment thing. I don't know why that is, but it's like a commitment or an appointment that I must do. When we want to go do a "fun" thing like the aquarium or movies, we usually make plans to do it... we know in advance that we're going somewhere, rather than just picking up and going. Maybe that would help your DH.

Sorry for taking up so much space. :)

Dawn Bibbs said...

Diane, thanks for your comment and thanks for the suggestion. However, (isn't there always a however?) Even if we do plan something, which by the way, he doesn't like to do either) by the time that day gets here, he's changed his mind about going. We may still go, but I can tell he really doesn't want to. Same with having people over...but as I said before, he winds up having a great time. I don't get it.
Don't get me wrong, I love my house and I love being in it. But I don't wanna just sit here and do nothing ALL THE TIME!
Thanks again for your comments, you too Jude!

Brown English Muffin said...

I was just saying to Big C the other day that we need to have a family night...even though Baby C is only 8 months if we start now she'll get used to.

I have a question for you! When you worked out of the house did you still want to get up and go when you got home? I know for me I love being GONE...but I seem to only want to be on the go on the weekends...when I fianlly get home during the week I don't really feel like going anywhere.

Maybe Hubby feels tired and doesn't want to go anywhere but relax?

Oh yeah I loved that line in the Break Up as well...but I don't think it was a line that ONLY you and your husband say...I think it's a line ALL men say!!!

Brown English Muffin said...

1. No we do not have family time.
2. n/a
3. I wish we played a board game or something.