Lazy Saturday Mornings

I love Saturday mornings! They are so different from the rest of our mornings during the week. Monday thru Friday we wake up with the goal of eating breakfast and starting school. Sundays our goal is to be at Mass 5 minutes early.

But on Saturdays there are no pressing matters. All we have to do is wake up. The kids watch a little bit of cartoons (3o mins.) while I fix a breakfast for champions. Normally, I'm willing to make whatever everybody wants. This morning I made eggs & bacon for Kolbe AND eggs, sausage, & toast for Belle, Sophia, and Catherine. Craig just took some passionfruit juice and a few sausage links before heading outside.

Anna didn't want to eat. And on Saturdays I don't mind. Because I know I can feed her later when she's hungry. Normally, its a small battle trying to get Anna to eat before Mass or school. Yet, if she doesn't have something small, she'll be hungry at the most inopportune time. Saturdays she can be allowed the luxury of eating breakfast at noon.

My whole brood is outside, riding their bikes, while Craig sits and talks with our neighbor. The house is quiet. As I finish my coffee I'm already thinking about the floors to clean, furniture to polish, and clothes to fold. At my leisure.

And I'm so thankful that God has put it in my heart to embrace my vocation as mother and wife. I love maintaining my home because in serving my family, I am loving them. A priest recently told us (group of women at an evening of recollection) that stay-at-home moms have such a special opportunity to see our work so similar to that of Our Lady. For 30 years she maintained a home for Our Lord, which included cleaning, cooking, and washing. She served Christ by being the best mother she could be.

And so I truly find joy in serving my family. Isn't it amazing that ordinary things we do everyday can be opportunities for grace?! I love how St. Jose Maria Escriva puts it:

Do you really want to be a saint? Carry out the little duty of each moment: do what you ought and put yourself into what you are doing. (815, The Way)

Persevere in the exact fulfillment of the obligations of the moment. That work - humble, monotonous, small - is prayer expressed in action, which prepares you to receive the grace of that other work - great and broad and deep - of which you dream. (825, The Way)

I'll only clean for an hour or so because Anna's birthday party is today. I need to go pick up her "store bought" cake as well as balloons and flowers.

A few years ago we started the tradition of giving the girls flowers on their birthday. I want them to feel cherished on their special day and to know how it feels to receive flowers. I also like the fact that Kolbe is learning to be a gentleman. He LOVES buying flowers for his sisters and grandmother and ME!!