TGIM
Anyone glad it’s Monday?
A co-worker of mine (married with no kids) just stopped in my office and asked what I did this weekend… my reply was simple, “lots of kid stuff.†She prodded a bit more and so I started to tell her all the things we did: hockey practice for my son, swim team for my daughter. Kids friends in and out of the house throughout the weekend. On Saturday night, my husband and I squeezed in a quick dinner, between sets of a musical my daughters are in.
“That’s kind of what you do when you have kids,†I added when I saw her face.
What I neglected mention was all the other stuff I did: broke up fights about the clothing, cleaned up the messy house, answered the phone about 20 times for everyone else but me, negotiated with my husband about his own plans and the plans for the kids, and finally passed out at 9 o’clock last night, lying on the floor of my daughter’s bedroom!
Then I asked her about her weekend…
She had Chinese take out and a watched a movie with her husband on Friday night. On Saturday, she went to a salon to get her hair done, spent some time shopping and then had lunch with a friend. Saturday night, she and her husband met another couple at a new restaurant in the city (she asked me if I’d heard of it… of course, I had not…) and on Sunday she did a bit of laundry, picked up around the apartment and went to visit her in-laws for dinner.
Sound civilized?
In many ways, weekends are harder than the week days. I remember dropping the kids at pre-school and saying to another mom, TGIM—Thank God It’s Monday!
Tags: BUddha
February 5th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
I can’t believe what I just read! I’ve always felt so guilty about the sense of relief I get leaving home on Monday morning for the relative “peace” of my office in town. I’ve never had the guts to admit to anyone that I look forward to the weekends being over.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
I feel pretty much the opposite! When I quit my job it was a huge relief. Now I can really take care of my kids and family without having to rush everywhere and be good at everything. It’s also a relief not to not have to look good all the time!!!
February 7th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
We do so much for other people, all the errands, the time and effort, the love, the sacrifices. We do it for our kids with little thanks. Until they grow up and we see what upstanding, bright, helpful, kind, loving adults they have become. Parents have a big responsibility and its worth any sacrifice we make along the way.
February 12th, 2007 at 11:16 am
The whole weekend was spent frantically running around for our four kids — but when I fell into bed I really did feel like we’d had a great, full, weekend. Maybe I’m too type A. Sometimes when things get too frantic, we take a break. But for us, taking a break means getting in the car, driving somewhere and going on a hike. I think sitting around is hard for us. Sometimes I think I’d like to learn to enjoy to do less, but I’m not really sure. I don’t feel that happy when I’m still, I feel bored! Not really sure what the right balance is, to be honest.
February 12th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
It’s all a matter of balance. Just like some weeks get out of balance so do the weekends. If we get away with our kids the weekend goes too fast and I’m sad it’s Monday. If we stick around and try to pack too much in, I look forward to a Monday to re-group.
February 13th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
What I love is the bright spots that really shine through on a crazy weekend. For me this weekend, it was an 1 1/2 hr. ice skating outside as a family on a beautiful pond. Even though, we spent most of the weekend on the run, those few moments have carried me into another week and filled me with gratitude.
February 13th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
A lot of kid stuff———————sounds a lot more exciting and fun and rewarding then, my hair, and nails, and me, me, me!
Be proud of the many hats we all do wear and embrace motherhood!
February 14th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Speaking of TGIM, I have been thinking a lot about the upcoming summer. My kids are the type that “love” to hang around mom all day and would be happy with no camp. While I do look forward to those months with little scheduled, I also dread the unstructured time because I know that: 1) there are twice as many clothes to clean 2) twice as many dishes to wash - I’m including the stacks of drink glasses 3)1/3 as many meals to prepare and 4) endless pleas for entertainment. TGIF or Thank Goodness It’s Fall!
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:53 am
I am another one who loves Mondays. Today is Friday, and I’m not looking forward to the weekend. First of all, my birthday is Sunday and I’m turning 49, a very nondescript age and the last year with a “4″ in front of it. Second, with two teenagers and two younger kids, my husband and I spend our weekends shuffling kids around, cleaning the kitchen repeatedly, reminding kids and their friends to pick up soda cans and food wrappers, then we worry on Friday and Saturday nights about drinking and driving or having someone sneak alcohol into the basement…it’s a relief when the school week comes along and I know where everyone is at night and can fall asleep before the older kids and not worry. On weekend nights, I am up until everyone is home safe. (My husband manages to fall asleep anyway…I take the midnight calls for a ride home from a party…I drive out in my pajamas and schlepp my kids and their friends home…I fall asleep at 1 am knowing that when I come downstairs in the morning, someone will be sleeping on the couch and the kitchen will be a disaster….) So, TGIM it is, week after week.