that stage

after inviting the kids' friends to a baseball game with the family last weekend, we realized our family is at that stage.  it's no secret that I've avoided that stage as long as possible.  but work on the house, david's sports time, and an oldest who is the only oldest among her peers have slowly aided in that stage creeping in.  i knew it was only a matter of time before that stage- you know, the one in which extracuricular and social pursuits crowd out weekend family fun- attacked our young family but i was happy to be staving it off.  instead blissfully enjoying Saturdays uninterrupted by anything outside of our nuclear family.  how did i feel about our that stage outing?  i selfishly missed: hand holding; rare, carefree, chit chat away from the stresses of life; and the overall satisfaction of seeking purely celestial pursuits.  however, the kids loved the game enough to last through postgame fireworks which i'm sure would not have happened if left to family-only devices.  simply put, i still remain a bit avoidant and, at best, ambivalent about that stage but i know it's time to embrace it more readily.  but i can't promise it won't be embraced without a little hovering first!