Couch Night

About once a month, Mitch will travel out of town for a business trip or work meeting. The kids like to take advantage of Daddy's time away and have started a "couch night" tradition for when daddy isn't here. His business trips are always on a week night, so it adds in a little extra fun for the kids to stay up past their bedtime on a school night. This week Mitch was away for 2 nights. The first night I set up a blow up mattress in the living room and the couches and mattress were covered in blankets and pillows. Everyone dressed in their pjs early, and we settled into our cozy while we ate pizza, donuts, and watched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This is not a night to eat healthy, but rather a sibling slumber party.

The next day a huge storm blew in. The kids spent most of their day still in their pjs, while I worked off and on on Maddox's costume for his end of the year Faces of History performance. Maddox has worked weeks on researching and writing a five paragraph paper on Eric the Red. A nasty storm raged on all day, with lightning strikes and thunder rattling the house, causing the kids to scream with excitement with each loud clap of thunder. Rain continued to pour down from just after lunch until past bedtime.

At dinner time we drug out the blow up mattress, blankets and pillows, while I worked on a spaghetti and garlic bread dinner. We ate in front of the tv and the kids and I enjoyed jello and cookies for dessert while we watched the movie Tarzan and Jane. Mason and Josiah fell asleep just after the movie and the big kids continued to watch old episodes of  Full House until 11 pm.

I love that the kids have started this sweet tradition that's at least 4 years old, I hope they continue and one day will look back and think fondly of this sibling bonding time.