Family bonding experiences

[Gunny]

My sons enjoy going to hockey games, too violent for me.

Looking back I'd say that the bonding experiences that 'stick' with both the kids and I are certainly vacations. Somehow when I am away from home, I'm more relaxed and would let them explore a bit. (Hence why I'm probably enjoying AZ so much, it's like a vacation most of the time.)

Other than those I'd say the most memorable times were the impossible to plan for-like stumbling onto reading what I wanted to read, outloud to the kids when the youngest was 6. Jurassic Park was the first, they still talk about that! Especially how I'd have to tone down some for Derek, then tell the older two what really happened. LOL! It became a game to find the 'grossest' novels to read, though we did cover a lot of classics too. (I forget the title of the novel about an Ebola breakout, but they really liked it.)

Dinner time was always family time, one thing I've noticed is that all 3 of them still expect to 'sit down' and talk without electronics for dinner. Both boys do a lot of the meals at their homes. Bryan cause he likes to cook, Derek because he likes to eat. His fiance isn't that into cooking, though she's been trying. LOL! Choosing restaurants was also a treat, though we usually ended up at Olive Garden-the one place they call could agree on. What sticks though were the dinners out following something special like plays or concerts or when my parents would join us. "Remember when we went to Lawry's and saw all the Bulls?" or when Grandpa got a limo to go to The Nutcracker and to American Grill after. Good times!

We load up the picnic basket and head out to one of the lakes or rivers around here, or go to one of the water parks. We like to DO stuff, not watch others do it.

I'm the only one in my immediate family interested in any sports. My stepfather will watch them but they live 60 miles away.

[Elessar]

We load up the picnic basket and head out to one of the lakes or rivers around here, or go to one of the water parks. We like to DO stuff, not watch others do it.

I'm the only one in my immediate family interested in any sports. My stepfather will watch them but they live 60 miles away.

Neil and I would play basketball, ride bikes, go to the beach (and destroy each other's sand castles), play cards,
read, explore museums up in 'Mother Lode Country', and go rock picking for gold.

When he got older, I went to all of his football games and quite a few practices, as well as his wrestling matches.

[jimnyc]

I grew up with the father/son bonding over sports, in various ways. And that was Dad and all of his sons. First off, we all played baseball and football growing up. Dad was coach in both leagues, and coach of the teams I was on. I was pitcher and QB. I didn't realize it and appreciate it at the time, but it was a lot of bonding. Dad also took me/us to a lot of games, almost all NFL games, and mostly pre-season (cheap bastard!) I'll never forget the Steelers coming to Giants stadium. And although we sat upper tier, Dad being a photographer, and having a cool as hell telephoto lens, took a few photos of "Mean" Joe Greene, and they looked like we were in the first row!