Sleep in Saturday

I would have written sooner, but I was busy actually busy engaging in Saturday's activity - Sleep in Saturday. I'm sure it's clear who was responsible for brainstorming this brilliant activity. While sleeping in rarely works with a four year old and a one year old (the fifteen year old has no problem playing along), we do use it as an opportunity to let the kids lounge around in their pj's longer than they do during the week.

Again, the reason this activity works is because it requires no preparation on my part. At the end of a long week the last thing we want to impose on ourselves is something else we need to coordinate. For the boys, just waking up at the same early hour and then stumbling downstairs to snuggle in our bed, filled with cozy pillows and blankets, is enough to make them feel like their Saturday is off to a special start. Every day doesn't have to be something big. I believe it is the consistency of small activities over time that creates a sense of occasion and family ritual.

Now for the adult version...

Scare You Saturday. I've often heard people say you can stay young and vibrant by doing some thing every day that scares you. I'm not sure about the everyday-thing, but I like the idea that once a week, we do something requiring us to get outside of our comfort zone - or maybe it's just something you've been avoiding. It could be returning a phone call from someone think is mad or disappointed; setting dreaded annual doctor's appointments; paying bills or setting a budget; finding a store you've wanted to visit, but haven't because you're directionally impaired and don't want to get lost (can you tell this one is personal to me?); taking a golf lesson for the first time; signing up for a club you've been interested in joining; volunteering for a cause you've been thinking about for quite some time. As for me.... my mother and sister in law have been trying to convince me to take an aerobic swim class. To me this is scary and something definitely outside my comfort zone. I don't understand any form of exercise that requires me to put a bathing suit on in order to exercise. In my world, you exercise so that you can put on a bathing suit. There's a class beginning in an hour. Maybe I'll go... or maybe I'll wait until next week.

Either way, I'll talk to you again tomorrow when we celebrate __________ Sunday.