I had to work at the theatre for a few hours on Sunday, and when I got back home I found that the kids had set up a nice surprise! They created a nice Family Game Night in the living room, with decorations and snacks, and a couple of very fun games including Musical Chairs and Bobbing For Apples!

My wife Jeanne had been downstairs working out on the treadmill, and was as surprised as I was. The Game Night began with the ceremonial ribbon cutting ceremony (yes, they had strung a ribbon across the doorway) and my 7 year old son proclaiming “I officially declare Family Game Night OPEN!”. We all had a great time playing a couple games of Musical Chairs (particularly funny was the fact that Sneakers, the dog, jumped in line and was walking around the chairs with us, having a wonderful time!). After musical chairs – both games being won by the kids ( Jeanne and I blamed it on them being little and having littler butts to get onto the chair!) – we went Bobbing For Apples, which I don’t think I’ve done in about 15 years. Then we ate our apples and worked on a couple of craft projects they’d set out on the table.

There are days when you work hard, and think about getting home and flopping down in front of the television and not moving. There are days when you work hard, and think about getting home and doing any number of the thousand things that we all have sitting at home waiting for us to do.

And then there are days where you get home, and it doesn’t matter what your day was like, or what you had been thinking about doing, because your kids have done something so sweet, so wonderful, that everything else leaves your head and all you want to do is be with your family.

I like those days a lot.