Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sunday at the Merritts

For me Sundays are the hardest day of the week. It is so strange.

My kids will get up at 6:30 every other day of the week, but on Sunday they want to sleep in. And it is torturous trying to get them up! Once they are going the morning runs smoothly, after I have had to raise my voice about three times.

Thankfully this year we have the 11:00 am block. We were late the first couple weeks, but we are doing much better now.

The hardest part comes after church.

My home is an absolute wreck after everyone rushing to get ready. We clean it up a bit then it's time for lunch. We clean up a mess, just to make one-one of the most annoying things!

I will then cuddle up on the couch to read the ads. Relaxing for me, but the kids seem to not know what to do with all this spare time. I try to direct them in an appropriate activity, but it usually leads to some type of fighting or teasing. This is the Sabbath Day, why all the contention?

Soon it is time for "the nap". We used to have a mandatory family nap, but the kids are starting to get too big to force to sleep, so I let them choose something quiet.

I wake up and we have to pick up again.

I start dinner. We eat.

Sunday night TV is one of our favorite nights. There is AFV, Extreme Make-over, and now The Amazing Race is starting. I know a lot of people steer away from the TV on Sunday, but not us.

Around 8:00 pm, I start the whole bedtime routine: bath, scriptures, and prayer.

I don't know if it is because we are so off routine from normal day or if it is out of boredom, but my kids act up the most, don't listen, tease, and fight much more than any other day. (As I am writing this, I have my 13 year-old son sitting in my bedroom closet!!)

It's real bothersome! This is supposed to be a day of rest, but I feel like I work harder as a mom on this day than any other day of the week.

PS somewhere in all of this there is ALWAYS Little House on the Prairie!!!

2 comments:

Taryn said...

I hear ya! Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest...but not for me! Adam can usually catch a nap because I am keeping the kids quiet, but if I try to doze off all I hear is fighting and them coming to me tattle-tailing! And i HATE mondays because I have to clean up the aftermath!

Mama Bear said...

I think its mainly just hard for me at church. It messes up Faith nap routine and as I hard as I try to get her to nap during the Primary hour by walking the halls... she only gets in a good 5-10 minutes so then she is really fussy during class.. I teach so Jeff has to take care of her but then he is gone and I am left with 8-9 five year olds that would rather tell me random thoughts or tease each other and its sooo hard to keep them all on task!! By the end of class when they are all gone.. I take a huge sigh and sit in the chair to a screaming and tired baby wishing the next 20 minutes to go by so I can have her in bed and sit and do nothing for 2 hours! I don't know how I will get through the day with more than 1 child.