Other traditions are far less grand, yet still meaningful. Sunday mornings are one of my favorite traditions. Maybe you'll think it's mundane---and maybe that's exactly what makes it so great!
On Sunday mornings, I wake up before my husband and daughter and enjoy the stillness of the house. If I'm up early enough, I can even watch the sunrise from the porch. I might flip open a book or magazine, I might hop online to do some work, or I might make some tea and simply sit quietly and drink it. Any Mom of a toddler knows that drinking a hot beverage while it's still hot is luxury enough most days!
It's not long before Mark is up. He comes downstairs and sits with me; typically turning on the TV because there must be something incredible on ESPN right now, right? Finding out that, no, there really isn't, he'll fire up the DVR and we'll quickly watch a show from earlier in the week. Again, any parents of a toddler know it's not always feasible to watch Modern Family "live" when you're busy trying to be a modern family!
With about 4 minutes left in the show, Abby's up! Never fails. Her timing is good. The TV is switched off and Mark and I race up to her room for a Snuggle Party. The kid wakes up so full of happy and awesome, you can't help but feel that way yourself. There's a whole routine up there, too; count to three, open the blinds, say good morning to the world, check for the cows across the hills, and then fire off questions about the day. "Is it Sunday? Do the Penguins play? Can we go to the playground? Are there pancakes for breakfast? Do I have to wear a jacket?" She's like a barge of fireworks, shooting off questions like powder kegs!
After snuggling for a while and being entertained by no less than 14 stuffed animals, we come downstairs. Abby is about three steps from the foyer when she confirms, "It's Sunday, right?" A nod of my head sends her into the office to turn on the radio, tune it to the right station and then turn on the speakers in the family room. It's time for "The Acoustic Sunrise with Dan O'Brien"--unplugged versions of great songs. I love that she knows that; I love that that's something she understands is part of our Sunday! We hang out in the kitchen, making breakfast, listening to the music and we plan our week.
This is where you might think it's lame---because everything to this point was riveting, right!? One of my favorite things to do on Sunday mornings is soak in our family. The noises, the quiet, the smells of breakfast, the smiley faces drawn on waffles with syrup, the conversations, the giggles, the messy bedheads and rumpled pajamas. This is where I feel like I must have done something right at some point to be blessed with these riches.
Last order of business before we turn ourselves loose to the Sunday at hand---we meal plan and grocery shop. I'm sorry--did I hear you say "lame?" Yeah, well...this simple task has become a staple in our weeks and saved us big time. It's saved money, time, bad choices and the aggravation of the 4pm "what's for dinner" conversations that used to occur daily. When we don't make the time to plan out our weeks, we're creating stress by having to figure out dinner on the fly after a long day at work AND we're usually creating opportunities to make bad choices--as in, "just call out for Chinese, it's fast."
I love scouring websites to find fun new recipes that are easy and healthy. We plot out our week--which nights we have activities or plans, plan out each dinner, write the recipe so we know what ingredients we have vs those we need (shop your pantry first; money/time saver!), grab some coupons and head to the grocery store. Once we're back and the groceries are all put away, the real fun of Sunday begins.
Traditions. They aren't always lavish ceremonies steeped with pomp and circumstance. Sometimes they're better when they're simple, ordinary and shared with the ones you love. To some, they may be lame. No worries; they're special to you and that's what matters most! Here's hoping you enjoy some of your very own traditions and find joy in sharing them, too!
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