It's the new year and January always feels like a season for change. My resolution for 2015? To make the year memorable through quality time. Family fun is everywhere in Oklahoma City, I've found out recently.
My toddler will be 3 at the end of the month and if my seven-year-old's swift transition from toddler to child is any indication, the next 12 months will progress swiftly, with pre-k looming on the other side of age 4. It's also sure to be a blur because we're having a third son sometime between now and Isaac's birthday, so there's that added element of chaos with a newborn when days turn into nights and back into days again.
Smartphones have come a long way since my oldest was born. I didn't have an iPhone to reach for to Google questions and find local parenting resources, much less take photos. I hope that the thousands of photos it's now easier than ever to take will document this time and memory will have to fill in the rest. We've lived in Oklahoma City all of Sam's life but going out just hasn't been a priority until now, which is the difference between having one child and more than one, I think: the focus shifts. The older children also still need all the possible experiences and stimuli appropriate for their ages because it's their turn to be 3 and to be 7 too – not just eclipsed by a new sibling. They're only this age once, people remind me. I nod vaguely but better understand why they're emphasizing the point with each child's birthday. The years seem to go by faster in quick succession.
I asked Sam on New Year's what was his best memory from 2014. I thought the beach in Costa Rica or a big show like "Walking with Dinosaurs" would rank at the top of his list. "Remember when we went to Soccer City?," he asked. Sam doesn't play soccer; we attended a Family Day event one evening this past fall. "I got to try it out and run with other kids," he said. The event was offered without charge but it was exactly what he wanted to do and try and find out about.
This year, I'm planning to make good use of that smartphone and outline where we want to go, something appropriate for all two three children. Weekend Picks, MetroFamily's Thursday newsletter, features the 10 best events around the metro area plus five for the next week. If we're able, these are the events I'd like to attend this weekend:
Building Buddies at Science Museum Oklahoma
Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 5 at Civic Center Music Hall
Family Workshop at Oklahoma City Museum of Art
We'll see what's possible but I'm aiming to keep my resolution even as life changes drastically.
Happy 2015 to you and yours! I hope it's a memorable year for families everywhere, filled with family fun.
