A Family?

At last night's Family Meeting, Younger Daughter made multiple proposals for us to all do things together.  She talked about how nice it was last weekend when we all spent some time cleaning the house after breakfast on Saturday morning.  She suggested that we have a meal where every cooks something, and that we have everyone work on the garden together, and that we all go to the beach this weekend.

All of the ideas got shot down by someone.  I pointed out that not everyone is interested in cooking.  My Beloved Fiance pointed out that not everyone is interested in trying to get a garden going.  Oldest Son said he regards walking to the beach as something he does on his own and he would be uncomfortable going there with everyone.  Younger got kind of angry about that.

Beloved and I were discussing it later.  She told me that Younger really wants us to be a family and all do things together as a family.  She refers to me as her step-father (which I knew) and to my three boys as her brothers (which I didn't know about).

Later in the evening I was talking with Younger.  I told her I'd noticed that she really wants to do things together as a family.  And that I think she is a little ahead of the pack in thinking of us as a family.  Oldest Son and Older Daughter clearly don't think of us as a family.

Which is making things hard for Younger Daughter.