Good Morning, Sunshine

Monday. Again.

I don't know about you, but Mondays are fightin' days for me. I fight to get out of bed, after inevitably staying up too late Sunday night engrossed in PBS or halfheartedly snatching glances at football (you know, when you do that trying-to-look-authentic-eyes-glazed-over-lifting-and-lowering-eyebrows-with-a-slow-nod thing when your husband calls your attention to some play or unbelievable call) or seeing how many tabs I can open on my online rabbit trails. (I don't know if it is this way for every pastor's wife, but Sunday nights are a mini-celebration for me: Yeah! We got through another Sunday! None of our kids were accidentally left at church [this week], and I have my husband back!)

And there is the fight to reclaim the house after a weekend of doing things other than the ordinary. So, there's the ordinary, only it's morphed into the extra-ordinary and heinous. Specifically, we're talking laundry, bathroom scrubbing, and the ever-present, "But what'll we do about dinner?"

Eve

And, in a stroke of lunacy, three years ago I scheduled my children's piano lessons for Mondays. My only consolation in this is that we do *not* have lessons at our house, so were I not to complete the Herculean task of righting this house, it would not matter. (You know, were that not to happen...)

Take 1

And there's school. School is a harsh taskmaster this year. The children are doing it, and it does get done, but it is a major undertaking. School days feel like a rush from the time I rise until the time I... unrise. I can say for sure that this year/this combination of children doing school/this many kids/this much work to get meals on as a certain 6-ft. 13-year old eats a truly unbelievable amount of food and has his siblings in training...well. I'm not sure if I've ever been busier. See that? I can say for sure that I'm not sure. This is what I have been reduced to. GASP. And ending my sentences with prepositions! GASP. And starting my sentences with "And"!!!

Take 2

It's a good busy, though. I mean, really I'm in a state of shock/marvel more than oppression. Ethan was remarking Sat. night as we purchased last-minute groceries (because that's the only kind of groceries we ever purchase), "Can you imagine what we're going to be able to EAT when the kids are gone? I mean, if we spend this kind of money on just the two of us..." That's right. King crab every night, baby.

These are my Monday morning musings. Life is busy. I'd expound on that, but I just don't have the time.

Instead, I'll leave you with the song I've been playing over and over to my children today. They're so grateful.

Today

was Monday, Ethan's "day off." We usually try to cram too many things into our Mondays and get started too late and end up disgruntled and tired and eager for the relaxation of a regular work day.

But today we had only four things on our agenda, none of them urgent:

1. Get a coffee (I really really really need to get a new French press -- my old one broke and I am absolutely spoiled and must make coffee in a new one).
2. Get funny little lock-thingys for the one nice bookshelf we own -- it lost them somewhere on the move.
3. Get library cards.
4. Get outside.

Right before leaving, Ethan burnt his hand when he inadvertently grabbed the exhaust of the pushmower as he was putting it away. He covered it with some silver salve he has left over from his battle with pushki nine years ago, and we left.

Our first two chores accomplished, we headed to the library. Eden (3) fell asleep in the van, so Ethan nursed his wound and stayed with her and the babies in the parking lot while I took the other five inside. The library here makes a BIG DEAL when you turn five and can get a library card, so Miriam and Abraham were especially excited to be getting their own cards. We decided each child could get the same number of books as their age. This means I know exactly how many books each child should have ready to return next time.

In other (more accurate) words, it means I will know exactly how many books are missing.

Then we headed to Gypsy Hill Park.We drove past the busy, larger play place and headed for the smaller, older one. The babies rolled around on a quilt on the grass, the other 6 played happily for the better part of an hour, and Ethan and I relaxed on a bench and laughed at the children's antics.

Afterward, we headed to Kroger for some last-minute embellishments for tonight's tacos. Ethan picked up a Redbox movie, I picked up some scrumptious fresh blueberries (albeit not for the tacos), and we headed home to a meal that was eagerly devoured and baths that were not-so-eagerly taken.

And now? We've sorted through a few more boxes in our bedroom, treated Benjamin's ailing tummy with peppermint tea and funny music youtubes, and are about to veg in front of a movie. I will make a valiant effort at staying awake.

Happy Monday.