All week long, we wait for Friday night. Whether it’s a break from schoolwork or a job, it means freedom. The weekend stretches out long on Friday, two whole days ahead to have fun or just catch up–even if it’s just on sleep. It’s everybody’s favorite part of the week.

When our household was full of kids, Friday night meant homemade pizza and VHS movies. Every Friday afternoon, the kids and I would go to Blockbuster and pick out two videotapes, one for the family to watch together and another for my husband and I to watch after the kids went to bed. We walked through the rows of movie boxes in search of the right one, excited to find the perfect one.

Several Fridays, we were captivated by the story of some hardy gold seekers in the Australian outback in a series called Five Mile Creek; I would go to the video store early to make sure I could get the next episode. After dinner, we got bath time finished early, changed into footie pajamas and robes, and lined up on the couch in the family room for the movie, microwave popcorn or ice cream bowls in our laps. Fall and winter nights, Dad would make a fire in the fireplace, using wood we chopped and brought home from the cabin.

After the movie, it was bed time. The adults waited until it was quiet upstairs before starting the next video. Many nights, there was talking and giggling and footsteps in the hall, and if it went on too long, we would rattle the wooden spoons in the spoon holder in the kitchen, a warning that there would be consequences if Dad had to come up and check on someone who was out of bed. I don’t think anyone ever actually got in trouble, but when they heard the spoons rattle, the noisy offenders would leap back in bed and pretend to be sleeping.

The older kids longed to be a part of what the grown-ups were watching; they crept down the stairs to hide behind the couch and watch the grown-up movie. Sometimes we knew they were there, and let them stay, but I’m sure there were many times they were able to sneak in and out unnoticed.

Our tradition of pizza and family movies continued when we moved two times, and progressed from G ratings to PG, PG-13 and even to a few R movies as the kids got older and their tastes changed.

Gradually, less kids were around for pizza, and even less for movies, as they began to prefer going out with friends to staying in with the folks. Pizza became less frequent, with a higher likelihood of it coming from LaVal’s delivery or Zachary’s take out than from the oven.

When we had just our two boys home, we tried to keep the tradition of watching movies together alive by taking them out to the theater instead of staying home. It worked for a while–they had a harder time passing up a new release and theater popcorn than they did ditching the home version of family movie night.

A special variation of movie nights happened on Christmas Eve. After our usual Christmas Eve activities were over–supper, candle-light service at church, and everyone opening one gift–all six kids gathered to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol while my husband and I finished wrapping gifts.

The tradition of cramming onto the couch in jammies and watching a movie lives on at holiday time for other movies. Everyone has a favorite that must be watched at some point in the season–especially White Christmas, Elf, The Holiday and It’s a Wonderful Life.

If kids are home for a weekend, they still love to have pizza and movies, along with popcorn the way we make it now, popped on the stove and topped with nutritional yeast. These days, though, the kids stay up late and my husband and I often go to bed before the movie ends. No spoon-rattling is necessary to quiet us down.

Ordinary Friday nights usually find us here, just the two of us, back to the way it started. No kids home; even the one who still officially lives here is usually out on weekend nights. So, my husband and I will pop some corn, pick a movie on Netflix or OnDemand, and cozy up on the couch in our pajamas. It’s still a great way to spend Friday night together.