An Experimental Sunday

Sunday. We had just come back from a night and day in the woods - our true family re-charge time. Of course I read the Simplicity Parenting book in the car the whole way there and back. Luckily, nature is classified as theraputic and necessary, so despite the busy-ness surrounding the comings and goings to nature, I felt good about the expedition.



I decided to take the entire day, Sunday, to stay home. No email. No phone calls. Really - I stuck to it. No computer of any sort. I let the day unfold. Waffles, maple syrup, Thing One stayed in his pjs until lunchtime -- very unlike him, but showed me that he was relaxing into the flow of the day. I had also "previewed" the day the night before with the kids to let them know we'd be home all day with no plans, no outings.



Thing One wanted to make pajamas on the sewing machine, which he has been talking about for months. We pulled out the machine and got started.



Thing Two just played and played. And played some more. And took a morning play-bath, with knights and weapons and dragons.



Sally played and played and played and helped me make blueberry currant jam.



So it sounds sort of idyllic, right? But guess what, it actually was. Everyone was mellow and into the relaxed swing of the day. I even tried out Payne's "something to do is right around the corner" deadpan response to the "I'm bored" comment coming from Thing Two. It worked after the third repetition. He was off and finding a new game to play with his sister.



The three of them, later in the afternoon, dressed up in knight outfits, with chain mail and helmets accompanied by every skateboard pad they could find in the garage. They found swords and jousting sticks, and raked the leaves in the backyard into the outline of a school for knights, with a jousting area in the courtyard. I am not kidding. And my energy-challenged child was able to joust without hurting anyone for almost 30 minutes! And he was able to stop jousting before he couldn't stop. It was amazing to see. The game evolved, and soon it was dinnertime. I brought dinner outside and we all ate at the knight school, and everyone ate it! And liked it! I was really shocked. I still am.



Even Monday morning breakfast went calmly, and part of after school today. But not the other part. More on that later.



Now it's time to prepare for a calmer tomorrow.