Monday has always had a bad rap. Poor weekday. But honestly, when Sundays are so good, the last thing that you want is a Monday to roll around. Mondays = deadlines, meetings, reminders of projects that just seem impossible. Sunday was a day to actually forget about work for once and so it just seems a little unfair (and slightly ironic) that Sunday was a true day of relaxation just one day prior to the start of the work week. Now, I'll manage. I'll wake up, shower, get dressed, throw on my face and lift my heavy, tired legs into my car and make myself drive into work. I'll survive. Once I get there it won't be so bad, but the thought of it just seems so depressing.
So what makes today so special? Nothing really. Today wasn't particularly spectacular, but it sure was one of those days that just will stick with me for a long time.
It started off with Deacon calling into our room "Moooooooooommy, Daaaaaaaaaaaaaddy The sun woke my eyes up". Hearing his sweet little voice almost makes the early morning routine tolerable.
The best part about Sunday's is that Deacon will crawl into our bed and snuggle up while he watches his morning shows. Then he'll get so uncomfortably close and say, "I think you want to read books with me mommy." The kid is so persuasive.
So after our somewhat normal routine, we pulled ourselves out of bed and got ready for Mass. Deacon always says, "is it time to go to Jesus' house?" SO cute. So away we went to Mass and even though Deacon had a hard time sitting still, there wasn't a significant outburst that required us to visit the baby room.
Insert tangent: Every Sunday, right before Mass, the Lectern states: "it is sometimes difficult for small children to remain seated and quiet throughout the Mass, for your convenience, there is a cry room, blah blah blah blah. I totally agree with the concept. But there has become a sort of expectation that if you have a small child that you MUST be in that cry room. This is where I disagree. First it looks like a zoo. Meaning, you are in a tiny room with windows that peer out into the congregation. So the "normal" church goers can just take a peek at the animals behind the glass. Frustrating. Here's the other beef I have with the cry room: for one reason over the other, kids just know it ain't the "real deal" and there fore they get more antsy in that room than they do at church. Also, parents seem to think that because they are in said cry room that their children can run around like cheetahs at the cat exhibit. So, what does that teach the children. Absolutely nothing. When will they ever sit still if they never have the opportunity to learn? end tangent.
SO Doug and I are the rebels of the church and we don't really care. Okay, we care, but we refuse to let Deacon think that church time is play time. SO we decided that since Deacon is three, he can totally hang with the normal church goers and begin to learn the concept behind our Mass, our faith, etc. The cry room has been renamed in our family to the "Baby" room and it is for babies, and if he acts like a baby then he has to go to that room. Maybe that's a little harsh, but it works. Sure the kid is three. He will say funny things during Mass and move around more than the average adult, but if he isn't screaming, crying or kicking, then we will sit as a family with the rest of our church family. It just makes more sense to us. Deacon is learning the expectations set forth for Mass, plus Doug and I actually get to listen to the Mass. It paid off today because the homily was, I think, written specifically for Doug and me. It was words that resonated deep within us and served as a wake up call. The priest brought us back to elementary school with the simple end line he used:
Who is God, God is love. If we have the ability to love, then we have the ability to have God in our hearts. simple, yet so often overlooked.
After my faith recharge, we set out to get some doughnuts. Deacon got chocolate with sprinkles, here is the aftermath:
Deacon ate only the icing, but really, that's that best part so you can't really blame him!
The funny thing is that I have been on a diet (meh) this past week, but for some reason I seem to believe that calories don't count on the weekends. This means that all my hard work during the week went down the tubes this weekend. This is something I definitely need to work on! Tomorrow will start a new week (yes, yes, I already stated that, so no you'll not have to read my soapbox again) and I'll pack each day, workout and lunch and try again. The main reason I am dieting is not to loose weight (although 10 pounds would be AWESOME) but just to eat better foods. I don't need all that fast food crap. I need real food, with real texture and taste. I couldn't tell you the last time I crunched down on celery--it.was.amazing. I am also calling it a diet because I am putting my spending on just that, a diet. I need to spend my money more wisely--and eating out everyday at work is not wise. This week I saved $60.00 on lunch by packing. multiply that by 4, then 12. You get the idea.
So after our doughnut/eggs/sausage fest came to a close we just played trains, puzzles and let the day ease on through our household. There was laundry to be done, dishes to be washed, grass to be mowed and floors to be mopped, but for once we didn't do ANY OF IT. Doug and I were so content just being parents today that we didn't even bother multitasking and it was AMAZING!
After our morning of play, we laid Deacon down for a nap (oh yay, you better believe the couch had my name written all over it!) and prepped ourselves for the zoo. It's been too hot to do much of anything in the Greater Cincinnati area this summer so our zoo passes were put to a hault by mid-June. Thankfully the weather today was tolerable because Deacon had a huge desire to see the "amiminals". Just as we were slinking into the park the other guests were leaving, so it was absolutely perfect. no lines. no crowds. just trickles of patrons here and there. We were able to go see all the exhibits that we wanted to and we didn't feel the need to rush. Deacon's favorite animal currently is the Lions, so that was a must see. We also went to see the Manatees, but they weren't out. I was bummed--they are by far, my favorite animal.
As the the clock struck 6, we headed for home, had dinner and then indulged in Hawaiian Ice. That's right, shaved ice covered in sugar. delicious. You can't go through a summer without visiting this shanty of a stand. Its a right of passage. I think Deacon was addicted to them since he was in the womb. I craved them uncontrollably and when I was on bed rest I had plenty of people stop by with the icy treat for me. Deacon ALWAYS gets orange, just like his daddy. The two of them were being absolutely adorable...luckily I brought my camera to share some of the cuteness:
capturing our shadows
getting some drawing in before dessert
My leading men...
They put so much joy in my heart
As the sun set, so did the festivities in our home. We washed away the day with soap and water, got bundled up in our PJs and ended the day just as we began it, in our bed all snuggled up reading books before bed. It has truly been a wonderful day.
Good night!
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