The Weekend

Sometimes on a Friday it feels good to exhale knowing I have reached the end of another week.  Perhaps a glass of wine later will keep me chilled, but I can't do this until I have checked what is happening on the Saturday.  Do I need to be out of the house early to drop someone at a friend, activity or training session? Relaxing I remember that football training has been cancelled and there is nothing until 11.30 so there is no rush - exactly as a Saturday morning should be.

Sunday, however is not quite so calm.  With three out of four children playing football at different locations and at differing times, one son doing a class and the odd party thrown in, the day is planned like a military operation.  Sometimes I say goodbye to my husband at 9.30 in the morning and don't see him again until 4.30 in the afternoon.  Whilst this may seem appealing to some, I do quite enjoy seeing him at the weekends!

I am not sure how we became so busy with our children's activities, and do not consider myself to be a pushy parent, but over the years as the boys have become older and we have had more of them (no comments please), so our days have been filled up. I have always been pleased when the boys wanted to play football as I think sport is brilliant not just physically but to build team spirit and for them to socialize.  I do sometimes regret agreeing to this when standing on the touchline layered up to the hilt and so cold I can't feel my fingers or toes, but it is still better than them sitting at home in front of a TV or computer screen.

We used to have friends over on a Sunday afternoon for tea.  The adults would chat and catch up whilst the children played, but we are home too late for this, and inevitably there is always homework that someone has forgotten, but which must be completed before Monday morning, so now we socialize on a Saturday night and it's adults only!  It is good to have a part of the weekend which is just for us.

Last Sunday after much organizing we went out to see the Strictly Tour at London's O2.  It was a great evening and it was only at the end of it I realized I couldn't remember that last time I went out with my husband somewhere that was just for us.  With so little free time we are normally seeing friends or occasionally have a function to go to.  We never say "Let's go to the cinema" because either there isn't the time or we can't get a sitter, and although  I found this quite sad, but perhaps it is the reality of having a family.

And so now will begin another weekend and perhaps with the impending snow, football will be cancelled and we can stay inside, have a duvet day and not worry about going anywhere - sounds like bliss!