Quality Time

Quality time is an informal reference to time spent with loved ones (e.g., close family, partners or friends) which is in some way important, special, productive or profitable.

This is something that plays a VERY large role in the lives of Little Miss K, Fred and myself. You see Fred and I have been together since 1997, 14 years, and we married in 1998. When we first met he was posted to a patrol boat in Western Australia. He would go away for 6 weeks then be home for 2 weeks (still going into work each day), go away for 6 weeks then home for 2 weeks that's just how it was and I accepted that. If I wanted this relationship to work then that's how it would be. It was made harder by the fact I moved to Melbourne for 9 months to get away from a not so nice ex-husband while Fred was still in the West.

But we worked at it...we had to....we snatched periods of time together we made the most of them. In our first 12 months together we spent a total of 52 days together and that wasn't in one big hit either it was a week here a few days there. Each moment had to be cherished and made the most of. Now 14 years on I look back and sometimes wonder where this time has gone....but we STILL today manage to have quality time together.

Quality time isn't something you can measure into a definative thing....it doesn't have to cost you money ...... all it costs is time well spent together.

I look back over the last 14 years and I bring out those memories of time spent with Little Miss K and Fred , each one of them polished and wrapped in the love of our family, some of them photographed most of them just memories in my mind, some make me cry, some make me laugh but ALL of them make me feel all gooey on the inside.

Fred and I actually sat down one day not so long ago and worked out that in 14 years he has been away serving his country for around 8 years of those 14 years....but I wouldn't change a minute of any of it because we always manage to have quality of time together. I would rather Fred be the kind of Father he is, one who  sits down and plays Lego or colors in or reads a story or watches a movie with our daughter and only be home with us part time than be a Dad who works 9-5 five and spends bugger all time with his child.

For Fred and I our relationship does take a back seat to our daughter needs HOWEVER we still find time for US...it might be sitting on our bed having a picnic dinner watching a movie with a few glasses of wine or it might be just sitting in each others company. Even mundane things like going grocery shopping together becomes quality time together. we wander up and down the aisles, shopping list in hand, I push the trolley he gets stuff off the shelves and we talk...and we talk...and we talk...he puts naughty stuff in the trolley (stuff not on the list) and I take it out again!! We don't have the luxury of having family close by so when we go to visit my Mum we always have a night away while Little Miss K spends the night with her beloved Nanny. So your time together is what YOU make of it......

People often ask if I get jealous of the amount of time Fred spends with Little Miss K and how they go off and about together and my answer is always a most emphatic NO!!! People forget that while he may only be home with us for a few weeks I have had the joy of being with her for all those months in between seeing him. If anything they should be asking him if he is jealous of all the time I get to spend with her!!!

Mmmmm I seem to have rambled a bit tonight....but I figure Dear Reader you will have by now gotten the drift of this post.....make the most of the time you are given with your family quality NOT quantity is what counts.....make memories to last that have been polished with love.

Finally  we have Fred home on what is called a "Shore Posting" for 12 months. 12 months of him coming home every night (in theory nothing is concrete when you deal with Defence ) . 12 months of being able to be with him and talk to him and just do stuff as a family....lots of memories to be made here.....