Christa Atherton, owner of The Apple Box, highly values family time with her husband, Blake, son, Ryder, 5, and daughter, Piper, 3, and will soon see a baby boy added to the mix.
Q How do you find time for “you” outside of being a “mom”?
A That’s tough one. It’s a delicate balance between work and kids. Owning my own company takes up a lot of time. On the weekends, anytime we have together is family time. But in the evening after I put the kids to bed, it’s a good time to catch up with my hubby and regroup. Even sitting with my friend and watching TV is like a mini vacation.
Q What are you reading right now? What do you read with your son?
A Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, an adventure-style novel. It’s a time-travel book based in Scotland with a lot of folklore. With the kids, we read something different every day. We’ve been doing the Barefoot Books. They come with a CD and you don’t need to censor them, which is good. They sit and listen to stories for hours.
Q What is your favourite family activity to share together?
A I would say going for walks and bike rides is pretty huge for us. We just recently started skateboarding as well. We really enjoy a big plate of nachos together. Going down to the Causeway and watching the entertainers is also a fun one. We like to maximize our time together.
Q The part of your day you look forward to the most?
A Dinner time. Coming home and having dinner with my family. Generally speaking, my husband will have dinner on the go. We sit down together and decide whether we’re going to have an adventure that night. I feel sometimes that we’re starting to live separate lives, so that coming together time is important. Also first thing in the morning, when the kids jump into bed and discussing what we’re going to do that day.