I love Sundays…in theory.
Sundays to me represent sleeping in and rolling out of bed when I can no longer stand the sunlight on my face.
Sundays mean having a bottomless cup of hot coffee in my hand.
Sundays mean leisurely reading the Sunday paper and pouring over the ads, not because I want to buy something, but because it’s like window shopping in my pajamas.
Breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon would be served at an hour much closer to brunch.
If and when I decided to leave the house, it would be to stroll through a nearby Farmers Market or hang out in a bookstore.
I can’t remember the last time I did any of those things.
Sundays now? They are no different than any other day.
Our three year old and newly minted six year old don’t really care that it’s Sunday.
They still bounce in our room at 6:30am, demanding breakfast.
They are ready to be entertained and for them, that does not mean sitting around reading the paper.
It’s only 9am and the living room is already littered with pet shop figurines, monster trucks, and legos.
This crazy struggle between Sundays past, present, and future plays out each and every week.
I am well aware that the tables will soon turn. Our Sundays will too quickly transform into Sundays spent coercing certain teenagers to get out of bed. Sundays where we will have to enforce family time, because they will have “better things to do”.
Still, I can’t help wishing that a very trustworthy babysitter armed with a tank full of energy would let herself in one early Sunday morning, have breakfast ready for our early risers, and whisk them off to the park.
As for my husband and I?
Well, we would roll out of bed at our leisure, sip some hot coffee, and read the paper.
In peace. Just once.
Just once.
I can totally relate to this. Just once… a week!
I miss those Sundays…they were the best! We still try to do a little relaxing with the Crazies, but it's nothing like how it used to be!
Oh I how I miss those Sundays!!!! Sadie has been getting up a little before 7am and demanding someone play Memory or do a puzzle with her. Thank goodness it is usually my husband she wants!
We did make it to Barnes and Noble yesterday…with the kids. It was nice until Tyler fell and gashed his face open next to his eye and was a blubbering mess. Insert—> book store time OVER.
Not only Sundays, but where did ANY downtime go? Craig and I constantly ask ourselves what we did with our time before kids.
I feel like Sundays will come back in some form…now that my kids are three and five, they do sometimes play for a while together before jumping on us to wake us up – and sometimes I can get another half hour by putting a show on for them!
Melissa,
Saw you over at Sac Connect… welcome! It was great to see your blog listed over there today. One of these days, we should meet for coffee.
Hugs to you!
Genny
I can completely relate to this! It's amazing how different our weekends are now!
yup yup yup. I suffered a particularly difficult 2 weeks with the kids home from school. It would be nice to have a break. Just once.
Oh, how I feel you! Those lazy Sunday's seem so far in the past. One day we will have them again, right? I mean, before we are empty nesters. Sheesh.
We talk about this all the time. There used to be a noticeable difference to the rhythm of our weekdays vs. weekends. And while there is some difference in the way we structure the weekends, in many ways Saturday and Sunday are no different than any other day. As parents, we just don't get the lazy mornings anymore! I miss that…
Of course, I have a feeling that when the kids are grown and we get our lazy mornings back, we'll miss our babies. 😉
A leisurely morning. Sigh…
Sometimes hubs lets me sleep in. But I never really fall back to sleep once the kids have been in.
Sigh.
I love Sundays! They are usually a day that I don't have to work. They mean a little bit of sleeping in, breakfast with my family, the afternoon at the library. Oh, my favorite day!
I think all Moms (and Dads) feel this way about Sundays! Beautiful post, but healthy perspective on how Sundays will continue to evolve.
Great post, Melissa.
We live close enough to one another that if you find this magical babysitter, maybe we could trade off weeks? 😉
Lazy Sundays…oh, how I miss them.
I think all mom's can relate to this. I figure for me my girls(3yo and 6mos) will not give me a sunday to sleep in for another 13 years. Then I won't see hide nor hair until noon. I. Can't. Wait.
A-freakin-men, lady! We feel this past-present-future tensions all the time, too! If we ever find the magical down time, I'll refill your coffee for you, okay?
XO
I wish I could tell you that the "leisure" will return when they get older, but it's just a different kind of activity and stress.
Still, it's important to find some time away, as you know. I go a little nutty when I don't have some "me" time. And it's not good for anyone in my family. I'm sure they'd agree!
I've been a parent for 13 years, so I can barely remember those lazy Sundays! How did we fill all of our abundant free time?!
I am SO with you here. I would like for one day to just wake up ON MY OWN. With no kids, and lie in bed and just think for a minute or two.
Sing it girl!!! I would love to sleep in-I'm not asking for much…7:30 maybe 8. But NO…all 4 of them are up before the sun! Someday when they are teens…payback is going to suck!
I was reading your post and at first I am like "Wow you get to sleep in and have a homemade breakfast"…then I read on and felt much better. You have the same type of Sundays as me
I remember those lazy Sunday mornings so fondly. Seems like such a distant memory.
It's a good reminder, though. Someday before we know it, the tables will shift. And, perhaps we'll be empty nesters just waiting for mornings that aren't so carefree and lazy.
But, still, it would be lovely… just once.