The REALLY good stuff is starting - or, my Christmas break so far

[RTSDaddy2]

Friday ended the first half of my new teaching job.  I've loved every single second of it, but it has been a LOT of work and I'm pretty tired. Ok, enough on that.

I made myself a promise after the last experience I had that I would NEVER AGAIN allow work to interfere with my time with my family.  I'm holding true to that: I brought nothing home to do over my "two weeks" off.

So yesterday, my wife was pretty busy - she's looking for a new job and at one point, it fell upon me to stay with our daughter, who's 6, while Mom went on an interview. My kid usually prefers to watch TV, but today she decided she wanted to watch me play a game. Her choice: Lego Indiana Jones.

She's seen the game run before, and I have it loaded up as part of our arcade cabinet. Well, about 5 minutes in, she wants to play to.  This is where the "good stuff" starts...we stood at that cabinet and played that game for 2 solid hours.  So engrossed were we both into the 2 player "help each other out mode" that I nearly missed going to see "Twilight" with my wife as we'd planned to do today.  She's a really good puzzle solver for someone so young - she would see the key thing we needed to do often way before I would.

Mommy was back home within an hour of us playing, and when my daughter had to take a potty break, she told Mommy "ask Daddy to wait for me, ok?" My wife told me she must have had a ball, because that's all she could talk about was playing the game with Dad as she passed my wife on the way to our bathroom.

Point being, I NEEDED this.  Once again, I've been away from home a little more often than I intended to at times this school year.  However, since November, I've been getting to do my job as I feel I need to for a little while to heal my family - 8 hours away, 2 -3 at home.  In other words, recently I've gotten to be home at 4:45 (I beat Mom and daughter home most days), instead of 7 PM when it's my child's bedtime like I did from 2004 - 2007.

My Christmas break is off to a rip-roaring start, in simpler terms. I've had a ton of fun with my family, and yet I've had sufficient (so far) time to myself as well to relax and recoup.  May yours be as blessed....

[CheffoJeffo]

 

[DaOld Man]

Thats really good to hear.
Your family is something that should be cherished and put in front of everything else.
I have not practiced that line of preaching though, so I think we all understand where you are coming from.
Enjoy your children. In a blink of the eye they will be grown up.
My son is going on 26. Pastor of a church, and he and his wife just bought a house.
(No talks of me being a grand dad yet).
My daughter is going on 18 and starts college next year. (My retirement plans just got re-tooled.)
I had some very special times with my children as I watched them grow. I will carry those memories (and cherish them) on to the grave, as I am sure they will.
And believe it or not, I have memories of both the kids playing video games with me and beating me to a pulp.
Good times.

Work is necessary, but if you loose your job, you will find another. A family is not so easy to find again.

Merry Christmas, and may God Bless you richly in the following year.

[daywane]

I under stand 100%
my wok went for 2 years 12 hr days 7 days a week
(auto industry)
Need I say I have time on my hands now 
My youngest is still home. She is 13
Autumn is also 13. (girl next door) (she is my 3rd daughter) (not really but I helped her from day ONE)
It is 7 deg. F. out side
Girls are having a sleep over ( 3rd night in a row!)
I have a indoor grill... Girls are being taught how to grill.