Monday, September 23, 2013

The Rhythm Of Our Days: Slow And Simple Monday Mornings



With nowhere to be or to have to rush off to, our Monday mornings are slow and relaxed.  They have become our day to simply stay at home, catch-up and lay low after a weekend of outings and errands and are one of my favourite parts of our week. We take our time with breakfast and after tables are cleared, faces washed and teeth brushed, the girls are itching to play with their toys.  I let them linger in their pyjamas that bit longer than usual while Barbies are dressed, Duplo towers are built and toys are 'cooked' breakfast, using this time myself to throw on a load of washing, do a general tidy-up and make the beds.



After some resistance, I get Grace and Sophie dressed and we make what is usually our one and only trip out of the house for the day to a small local supermarket where we buy fresh bread and one or two items, the girls holding hands as they follow me around the store.  Back at home, morning tea is prepared, the kettle switched on before I have even unpacked our grocery items as I eagerly await my second cuppa of the morning.  On days we stay home, I seem to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals.

Mid morning, we enjoy a craft session together full of creativity and messy fun. I hover nearby, keeping a close eye on paintbrush wielding Sophie whilst pegging artwork out to dry. When clean up time arrives, the girls are ushered outdoors... sunny days without rain allow for pottering in the garden, digging in the sand patch and running about on the lawn, drizzly days call for patio play with scooters and bubble blowing. Cold days see the girls back to their indoor toys, usually dressing their 'babies', playing shops or colouring in.  



On Monday mornings, we have no plans.  Our time is our own, free to potter and play and to enjoy one another's company.  We wear house clothes and don't worry about getting dirty or messy.  I feel sad already that this much loved part of our week will be very different next year when Grace begins full time school...


A few of you expressed an interest in joining along with my 'The Rhythm Of Our Days' series... I'd love any of you who wish to share a snippet of a typical part of a chosen day to leave a link to your blog post in the comments below (I have yet to fully investigate a linky widget sorry).  
Document in photos, with words or whatever takes your fancy so that you too can record and capture the small, often overlooked parts of your week 
before they change and take on a new rhythm...

14 comments:

  1. I do love a slow Monday morning. A good friend collected the boys for me this morning so that I didn't even have to leave the house for the school run, and could slouch around in my ugg boots a bit longer. Life is very different once full time schooling arrives. Enjoy those Mondays while you can. x

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  2. Since being a fulltime stay at home Mum - Monday's have become my favourite day too. When normally this day of the week is the start of the 'working' week for us, it's about recovering from the weekend, cleaning the house and letting the day take us wherever it leads. I feel so lucky to get the chance to stay home with my little ones and enjoy a new take-on Mondays! I'll be blogging this week as part of your series Amanda :)))) Love the photos you've included in this post - just lovely! Such a great way to keepsake the special rhythms of our lives right now.
    Claire xx

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  3. Have you read the book "today we have no plans"? ...its beautiful - in spirit, words and pictures
    I love our quiet days too - time to simply enjoy them
    x

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    1. Yes, such a lovely book that I actually thought of too when I began this series :)

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  4. Oops - I didn't tell you about our Mondays.
    Monday marks the end of the weekend - back to work for Daddy and school for the girls
    Jack and I usually do the supermarket run on the way back from school and see lots of the same people there each week too. We may get a coffee and a spotty bikkie after the supermarket. Then its home time - a quiet day for us too - some jobs, lots of food prep, playing soccer or riding bikes, jumping, reading etc.
    Then school pick up and gym for Jack
    x

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    1. I find we bump into the same people on the day we do grocery shopping too :) Your Monday sounds lovely and low key too... thanks for sharing xx

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  5. I love days like this! I have enjoyed catching-up with your blog. Your two little ones are adorable!

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  6. oh your mondays sound simply beautiful!

    i love that your girls are close in age and are now at the age where they can play together and inspire and imagine together. i can't wait for that time with my own two!

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  7. First thing I've ever read where someone isn't complaining about Mondays - lovely :)

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  8. I really like the sound of your Monday, easing into the week slowly and enjoying time together. I love watching little ones create and dress up and hear their little voices making up stories as they play, these are special moments:) . xx

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  9. We embrace Slow Mondays here too. It's just Flynn and I while the other 4 are at School that day. It's the quietest day of my week and love it! x

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  10. This sounds like the most ideal day to me. My Mondays are crazy busy, I am on playground setup so have to arrive early, plus the normal Monday busy-ness and then I am on lunch duty too. Tuesdays at home are very eagerly awaited let me tell you!

    Hope you spend lots of days just like Mondays over the next two weeks of lovely holidays.

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  11. I'm spoilt on Mondays as my mum takes the big kids to school. So my Mondays too are quiet....but not so relaxing. A lot of washing, cooking and wiping!
    I plan to link up to this once the term starts again and I have a little bit more time xx

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    1. Your Monday is my Tuesday... I run around like a mad woman cleaning anything and everything... will do a Tuesday morning post in the coming weeks :) Will look forward to you joining in xx

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