The Long Weekend

I love a good long week-end.  Thank you Martin, George, Abe, etc.  But, there are some drawbacks, too.  I can't go running on most Mondays that we have off due to the fact that my kids don't have school and my husband has to work.  I am programmed to run long on Mondays, both physically, and even more so mentally.  And when Monday rolls around and I can't lace up, I miss it.  It's not a complete freak out situation.  I do realize that not running is a pretty minor trade off for a mini-vacation and I don't sweat it too much. That said, when running is your (eh hmm) therapy, well, you know.  Another pro, though, is waking up and knowing it's a short week.  Oh how I love the short week.  First, you skip the regular Monday routine all together.  That's huge.  Then, everything is easier when Friday is that much closer.  It just is.  Take this morning, for example.  At 4:30, my 6 year old came into my room and wanted to discuss fairies, whether or not they are real and if they are, why she can't see them.  Not an easy one to answer, especially that early in the morning.  Two hours later, I headed downstairs, giddy for coffee, and ended up getting in a fight with my espresso machine.  On multiple levels.  First, I had to pick through my trash to find a missing part that I accidentally threw away last week.  That was not awesome.  After that didn't fix the problem, I had to start tinkering, unscrewing, poking and cleaning.  Normally, all of this would piss me off to no end and there would likely be some expletives involved.  But, not this morning.  I'm going to go out on a limb and give credit to the long week-end for my ability to deal.  Undoubtedly, I was a bit more relaxed than usual since I'd had the extra day off.  Then, on top of that, knowing I only have four more days of this morning routine, I was able to get myself through it without a total meltdown.  So, despite the cons, which are barely even cons when you break it down, it all works out pretty nicely in the end.  Long live the long week-end.

Listen to this:
Rich Doors - New Villager  

Pajama Days

pas·sion

ˈpaSHən/

noun: 1.strong and barely controllable emotion.

1. 
   

Grace, outside in her pjs, at XX o'clock...
...on Saturday.

My six year old LOVES the week-end.  I get it.  Most of us do.  But I truly believe Grace likes this two day stretch more than most.  Me?  On the week-end, I like to get up, drink some coffee, and then maybe head out for a run or go skiing (if it's winter) followed or replaced by whatever else needs to get done depending on the urgency.  Grace?  On Saturday she likes to wake up and NOT get out of bed.  She tends to chill out for a while, sing a little, maybe snooze again or read a book or two.  She will eventually roll out of bed but continues to do whatever she can to draw out the morning.  She prefers to keep her pajamas on.  All day.  I don't always let her do this, but when I do, she'll say something later that night along the lines of, "See mom.  When you leave your pajamas on all day there's no rush to get ready for bed because you ARE ready for bed."  So smart, that Grace.  It's not that she doesn't like school or hanging with her buds.  She loves those things, too.  But nothing is as good as Saturday morning.  And she'd trade soccer for pajamas any day.  Every single morning we have the same discussion.  The only change in the below conversation is the day of the week and the number of days left until Saturday.  Here's how it goes.  Every day.  Monday through Friday.

Grace: Mom, do we have school today?
Me: Yes, Grace.  It's Wednesday.
Grace: Do we have school tomorrow?
Me: Yep. Tomorrow is Thursday
Grace: How about the day after tomorrow? (I kid you not, she keeps going)
Me: That's Friday.  You have school then, too.  The day after that is Saturday.
Grace: YES!!!! (here she genuinely celebrates despite the fact that Saturday is 4 days later than she'd hoped it was)

We all have our passions.  I am passionate about running and music.  Grace is passionate about lazy pajama days.  On Thursday night, she gets a little twinkle in her eye.  By Friday she's got a skip to her step and she's giddy.  I love it.  It's not the most typical passion for a 6 year old.  But it makes her so damn happy.  I've gotta believe (hope, pray) that she's not going to be 40 years old and still want to live, work and play in her pajamas.  But for now, she's doing something she loves every week and she does it really well.  I am doing my best to live by her example.

Listen to this:
Ages Places - Wildlife Control  

HELLO MONDAY

Ah, Monday.  Here I sit.  Again.  I'm not going to complain.  I will not have a case of the Mondays (easily one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time).  No, today I'm going to try and put a positive spin on this typically dreaded day of the week.  Please forgive my efforts to be bright and cheery if you are not one to embrace this day.  I'm not really either, but today I'm doing my best.  Happy Monday.

TOP 10 REASONS TO ENJOY MONDAY

1. My girls are back in school which gives me more time to do lots of things.
2. Tomorrow is new music release day on iTunes.  New music = good mood.
3. I don't get to run on the week-ends during the winter because my family skies, so I'm eager to get back on the road by Monday.
4. Monday is also my "long run" day, which I happen to love.  For real.
5. My girls play soccer after school on Mondays.  This is nice for 2 reasons.  First, it's the ONLY activity they both can do together at the same time.  Second, it's really fun to zone out for an hour and watch them play.
6. Mondays I tend to hit Whole Foods.  I don't love to grocery shop, but I do enjoy this store, particularly their coffee bar.  Mike makes a mean latte.
7. I tend to check out from RWM during the week-end, and I get exited to plug back in on Monday.
8. We always have a newly taped TREME to watch on Monday night.
9. Only four more days until we head back up to NH to ski. (skiing is a close 2nd to running for me)
10. Sunday nights are much worse.

Listen to this:
The World is Spinning - Opus Orange  

Try Something

Last night my 9 year old got home from gymnastics at 8:00 and sat down for dinner with a scowl on her face.  I asked her what the problem was.  Her answer?  "I'm so cold.  It's so cold outside.  This house is so cold.  It's annoying."  Translation...I'm tired and feel like being mad at something and/or someone.  But, in fairness to her, she's right.  Our house is old and very drafty.  It's colder than most.  We have space heaters in our kitchen and our kids' bedrooms.  You'll often find us sporting hats and scarves, and in my kids' case, jackets, inside when the temperature really drops.  Case in point:

Rosie doing her homework 

Grace watching a show.

 It's not bad throughout the entire season, just when we get into the single digit territory, which has been often lately.  Winter is kind of rough in general.  Being cold and uncomfortable sucks.  It tends to put people in a bad mood.  What I didn't say to Rosie, but thought to myself, was suck it up Buttercup.  We've got three more months of winter so you might as well grin and bear it.  Instead, I put on some music and started dancing.  At first, she covered her hands with her face, clearly mortified.  But, I could see a smile forming through her fingers.  So, of course, I kept dancing.  She was still rolling her eyes at me but now she was laughing.  "Please stop, mom.  You're embarrassing me." (and so it begins at age 9, but that's a different post) "No way!" I yelled.  I started singing along, using my wooden spoon as a microphone.  Yes, I was fully aware of how ridiculous I looked.  But as you can guess, I could have cared less.  Rosie hopped off her stool and started dancing with me.  Both of us were laughing now.  The kitchen was no longer chilly.  It was down right hot.  Okay, maybe just warm, but still.  Two lessons here.  First, they say music warms the sole.  I'm going to have to agree with that one.  Second, sometimes all it takes is a little something - in this case music, dancing and a bit of humor - to turn a dour situation into something else.  And likely, something better.  Does it always work?  Ha! But when it does, it's incredibly satisfying.  Try music.  Try dancing.  Try something.

Listen to this:
Eleven - Thao & Mirah (feat. Tune-Yards)