The Party House has been filling up on Monday nights recently when everyone seems to find their way home for dinner.  Because of work and school schedules it is the one night that all the kids are able to land at home for dinner at the same time.  And oh what dinners we have.  With our own kids, and significant others, and sometimes an extra friend or two we can easily have 8 or 9 around the table.   And I have this crazy,  family,  house rule – You are a guest at our table the first three times that you join us.  But on that fourth dinner you are part of the family, and need to just jump in and fend for yourself.  I’m not sure when I started this rule, but is has stuck, and works pretty well.  Plus it makes for good conversation with any newbies at the table.

This is such a great way to re-connect with everyone.  How’s everyone doing?  Anything exciting going on at work or school? Anything else significant going on in your world?  Did you do anything exciting over the weekend?  These are the questions I like to get answers to.  It’s my personal barometer of how everyone is doing.  The kids just enjoy the chat.  Sometimes Travel Man gets into story mode, and starts sharing his travel stories, or stories from his day in the Air Force.  For myself, I like to just absorb it all.  Laugh and joke, and listen, and take it all in.  It’s one of those moments that you know you will cherish in the years to come, because they will not happen as often as they do right now.  So, for the moment I look forward to our Monday night dinners, and relish the moments, and absorb all of the good family times.  The coolest part of all of this is it just kind of happened this way.  Not really any specific plan, just a happening.  One that makes this Mom feel good to the core.

Does your family have any weekly “happenings” that you look forward to?