Sometimes it’s not the grand holidays that kids will remember, it’s the small yet special routines weaved into family life that they seem to hold dear. I know that is definitely the case with my kidlets.
Takes for instance the times they have a sleepover at Grandma’s. Every time they follow they same routine in the morning. They wake up, all pile into my Mum’s bed with a heap of books to read. She sips on her cup of tea while the kids have their milk. After a slow morning filled with breakfast, they get dressed and walk up to the shop together. I know Mum buys the paper, usually something for lunch and I’m sure she probably spoils them with something else too that fails to get mentioned! But it’s these little things that my kids look forward to the most when they stay at Grandma’s.
We have our own routines that we have at home, some are small, some a bit bigger, some happen every week without fail and other’s are more like a treat. For instance:
}}Every Friday morning we ring Hubby at work, before any of us can say hello or good morning, everyone sings out “No More Works!!”. It signals to us all that at the end of the day we have the weekend together, two whole days without work or school, yay!!
}}Sleepovers in the lounge room. Now that the kids are a bit bigger, we bring out both of the kids double bed mattresses (it used to be just one that we fit on) and bring them into the lounge. We tent to do this more in the winter when we have a slow weekend ahead. We watch a movie together and we all drift off to sleep in their own time.
}}A cook up! This is probably one of our most regular and most requested. Usually on a Thursday or Friday night, we gather a heap of easy food and have a cook up. Think party pies, dim sims, breads and dip, chicken wings etc. Once everything is cooked, it’s placed on a big communal tray and we sit on the lounge room floor together and have a picnic.
}}Sunday morning shopping. Now this is one I have to say I’m not usually involved in (I know, don’t get jealous, I usually do housework while Hubby and the kids are gone!). The rest of the family heads into the Queen Vic Market to do our weekly fruit and meat shopping. They have their set little shops that they visit, the fruit guy usually loads the kids up with fruit as they are walking around, getting them to try everything before they buy. They then head off to buy a bunch of lilies for the house before visiting Sylvia in the Deli. Hubby jokes that all the ladies look at him thinking what an amazing single dad he is, he says that if I ever go with him they will all think I’m his new girlfriend bahaha! And don’t forget a final stop for jam donuts, you can’t go to the market without them! Grandad has even started to jump in the car for a little excursion in to the market.
}}When we drive to our caravan, there is a spot on the freeway where we are only a short drive away and you can see the coast. Hubby or I usually put down all the windows (no matter how cold) and we all sniff the air “can you smell it?” we ask, as in, can you smell the sea air. For us, this point in the journey means we are nearly there!
Seriously, some of these routines are so funny, and so small, but yet we treasure them dearly!! I’d love to know any that you are your family have!?
Life at no. 2 
I love all of our family traditions and routines, like pizza and footy on a Friday night and fortnightly family dinners. It’s true that it’s the little things that make the best memories.
Lots of memories are connected to food when you think about it!
So true. It’s not about the big, planned, expensive activities but the small things that mean the most. I’ve added your page to StumbleUpon too, hoping you might get some readers from there. Jen
I think that’s true Jen, the things I remember as a kid weren’t the things that cost anything! Thanks for stopping by too, I appreciate it!
These are so lovely! Its true, you often remember the little routines from childhood…not the big presents or cool clothes. But the weekly pancake night!
Yes! Pancake night!! Hubby thinks that I’m crazy because we used to have pancakes for dinner and he thinks it’s not a meal!
The sound like lovely routines. We struggle a little with routines because of hubby’s shift-work and our generally busy lives (I work 4 days, plus teach several classes of yoga, daughter does 12 hours of dance per week etc). We try to have a night where we play Uno or a board game (now our youngest is 6 he can actually play OK) – we try for once a week but doesn’t always happen. We have a yearly family holiday with my extended family and that’s when the traditions really kick in – we pretty much do the same thing every year – get the kids to climb in this big tree to take a photo, draw a Christmas tree in the sand and decorate it with leaves, feathers and whatever we can find washed up. Oh and eat and drink to much! Special times.
The more you think about it the more routines you probably have then you realize! Isn’t it great when your kids are old enough to play uno!!