Family Fun Night

Every so often, Jonathan and I will decide to have a "family fun night" with the girls.  We'll pull all of the pillows and blankets into the family room, set up their tents, light a fire if we can, and cuddle.  We'll play games, focus completely on them and do whatever they want to do.  It's a time when we turn the computers and phones off and will sometimes watch a movie together.  Now that I no longer work outside of the house, I try to make a lot of the day focused on the night ahead.  

I didn't want to have to worry about cooking a big meal and missing out on setting up and playing with the girls, so I opted for a Crock Pot recipe that my family LOVES.  This taco chili recipe is delicious and ingredients can easily be substituted or left out if you don't like everything that's in it.  I grate cheese, offer sour cream and serve it with warm tortillas.  It's a perfect fall meal that's not traditional chili.  Once that was in the Crock Pot and Annabella was asleep, Madelynn and I made Halloween cupcakes. 

Then it was time to set up the tent and pile up all of the comforters, blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals. The girls will stay entertained playing with their tent forever.  We don't have the space to have it set up all of the time, so it's a treat when they get to play inside of it.  The dog, the cats, and the kids all pile up inside of it, it's really adorable.  

"Hey mommy, look at this face!"

After we ate dinner and cupcakes, Jonathan and I focused all of our attention to the girls and let them have the rest of the night.  We always entertain the idea of sleeping downstairs and have done it in the past before Annabella was born, but at the ages they both are now, it's next to impossible to get them to both settle down and sleep outside of their beds.  I thought we could really do it this time because Madelynn was happily cuddled up with Jonathan in the pallet and Annabella was cuddling with my on the couch.  BUT they started getting restless and Jonathan and I started getting more and more sleepy, so it seemed we were going to lose the battle again.  

Seconds after I took this photo, Madelynn moved to lay on top of Jonathan and really cuddle.  Before I could take the picture, my battery died. :(

Around 10:00, we took them upstairs and they were asleep in seconds.  The best part of family fun night for me was getting to cuddle with my baby.  Anna is always going 100mph and won't sit still long enough for anyone to hold her and snuggle with her.  Madelynn is the same away a lot of times.  So when we settle down and put a movie on at the end of our night, they stop what they're doing and cuddle with their mommy and daddy.  It's such a sweet moment.  For the next few days, I'll leave the pallet and tent in the living room until they've tired of it or I can't take the cuddle anymore.  Now, go and plan a fun night for your family!!