Recreating one of the Best Days of 2011

New Year’s Eve saw my husband working a 24 hour shift. YAY! Not. When I dragged myself out of bed on the Saturday morning, I could see three options for the day open to me.

1. Be miserable at home

2. Gatecrash a friend’s house with all my four kids

3. Find something fun to do with the kids

I was actually thinking of going with number 1: Just laze around at home and get through the day. I usually love school holidays but the kids have been bickering more than usual and I’m feeling exhausted and frayed at the moment.  When I thought about the consequences of another day at home, well, it looked like a very long road. Something I’ve learned is I can change the outcome of my day if I apply myself and think outside the box.

Number two was an option: I know many people who would have me over but one of the things about having a largish family is, well, there is just a lot of bodies to manage constantly…plus, after all the Christmas festivities, I didn’t feel all that social.

In the end, I went with number three: do something fun with the kids…but what? I thought about one of the best days the children and I enjoyed in 2011.

Just a bit of background here: Back in July 2011, our family went on a road trip. You can read about it here: Australian Road Trip. It wasn’t strictly all holiday; the week we were at Moruya, my husband worked at the hospital there. I remember one of the days the children and I went exploring. We browsed the shops at Central Tilba, drove down the coast and spent the afternoon at Mystery Bay. It was a magical day! I didn’t want it to end!

Central Tilba, NSW

Mystery Bay, NSW

Keeping this in mind, I planned a fun day of exploring with the kids. We stopped at a gorgeous little co-op craft shop at Dayboro and I purchased an inexpensive handmade toy for each of the children. The ladies at the shop were excited the kids chose the toys they made themselves. The children played with the toys for the rest of the day at every destination. We stopped at many places along the way, including Mt Mee National Park, Mt Mee Lookout, Woodford, and ended the day at the beach, close to where my husband works so we could meet him for a nacho dinner.

 Dayboro, QLD

Redcliffe, QLD

Going on a mini road trip is not something I would have thought to do with the kids on my own (without my husband). However, because he works so much, and on many weekends, I’ve learned to create family time with, and without him.  The day was a success! It felt good: making the last year of 2011 a fun one.

Next time you’re looking for a fun thing to do with your kids, consider recreating a fun day that worked in the past.

Happy New Year! Hope it’s full of making memories and loving moments.

Relevant Link

100 School Holiday Ideas

15 Adventurous Things to Do With Kids