Catch Up Day

Every Monday around here is deemed catch up day.  It is the day when we return from our weekend bliss and get back to the business of everyday life.  There are loads of laundry to be done, stacks of dishes to be cleaned, floors to be swept and lessons to be resumed.  It is a very busy day in our home, but also a good one. 

All weekend long we can run around or not.  Play games, watch movies, do some crafting, take a walk... or not.  We can visit relatives or friends, go shopping, cuddle on the couch... or not.  All weekend long we have the time and the freedom to be loose with our schedule.  Head to the city for a spontaneous trip to the zoo or call a pajama day, build a fort in the living room and watch It's a Wonderful Life.  We can call it Saturday night pizza night or Sunday night Donuts at Poppy and Me Maw's night or we're not going to cook, its peanut butter night.  The weekend is a beautiful wonderful time in our home.  Yet it is only made possible because of Monday- Catch up day.  A kind of holiday in reverse. 

Laundry, dishes, toilets, beds, homework....
Yes, I know that running some dishes or laundry through on Saturday or Sunday would lessen the burden on Monday.  Yes, I know that it is going to be a ton of work to get everyone caught back up.  The loads will be huge considering the six active people in this house; several of whom still change their clothes at least twice daily.  The dishes will be yucky and will take at least an hour to get all clean (oh, how I dream of a dishwasher or a teenager).  But, surprisingly Monday morning I wake up ready to go.  I grab a basket of laundry left from Friday and start folding, quickly creating neat stacks ready to take to the kids' drawers.  The kids get going on their chores.  My hubby works on putting some breakfast on the table.  We'll work all day on chores and lessons; but the whole time we have the thoughts of all those fun things we did (or didn't do) over the weekend.  It is extra work today but by eight o clock, we'll be able to look at a house that is ready for another week of living and know that all the extra work was worth it.