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Maddie
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| Posted: Oct 16 2006 at 12:05am | IP Logged
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What are they like? We have been struggling with Sundays as it is SOOO easy to make it like a Saturday where we go-go-go, shop, clean, etc. Last weekend we had a major project of cleaning out a barn filled with cow stuff 2 years old, translated: back breaking work, and we didn't finish it all on Saturday. Sunday morning, everyone was wiped out after working Sat. on the barn and we planned to go out on Sunday when my 11yo ds said, "But it's Sunday!" As we were trying to explain to him that sometimes work must be done on Sunday, it occured to us that we are able to manipulate just about every circumstance to make it fit an excuse for treating Sunday like Saturday or any other day of the week. We still have not gotton to that barn. 
Our Lady of LaSallete wept because of how Sunday was abused several hundred years ago, imagine how much worse it is today!  So, as a family we are making a greater effort to rest on Sunday and I was wondering what you all do on Sunday as a family to make it a day of rest. Do you play games? watch a movie? sit on the front porch amd talk?
Today my dh took a nap and the children played. I read and put dinner together. We loved not having "something to do" but I would love to hear what a Sunday is like at your house after Mass.
Thanks! 
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Willa
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| Posted: Oct 16 2006 at 12:24am | IP Logged
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I was going to put "we try hard to keep Sunday as a rest day" but that sounds like work, doesn't it? I guess I should say we try to protect Sunday as a quiet, family, joyful and holy day.
My mom set a good example for me in this area. She never did housework on Sunday or any kind of regular work. Instead we went to Church, then she made a really nice dinner for the mid-afternoon, and then we had a simple supper. She usually set aside Sunday afternoon for writing letters. My dad played nice classical religious type music -- Bach or Mozart or whatever -- and read; sometimes we played a game as a family.
In our house nowadays since our only Mass up here is a Saturday vigil, I usually get up a little bit later than usual on Sunday and spend more time playing with the kids or  sitting at the computer.
I make waffles in the late AM as a brunch, or sometimes omelettes, and pizza in the afternoon -- family tradition now!
My oldest calls in the early afternoon and we talk to him, and sometimes I make a phone call to family or friends I owe calls to -- alternating through the list so hopefully I'm not on the phone for too long. We play games; we talk. Recently SET has been a favorite; at other times it is pingpong or chess.
I like to do copywork on Sunday, too; calligraphy of a Scripture or religious quote.
In the evening we have our Story Society meeting, where we meet to share progress on what we are writing, with hot cocoa. Then I start straightening and working on my list of things for Monday, to jumpstart the week; we say our family decade, and my husband watches a movie with the olders while I put the youngers to sleep.
It is a really nice respite! We don't do all of this every Sunday and sometimes we do other things but those are some of the typical activities. Sometimes we go for a walk. This season there is usually a football game on in the afternoon. The general idea is to have a more leisurely rhythm to the day, to enjoy family time and be grateful for what we have.
On Sundays I don't do housework or straighten much unless it is absolutely necessary. For this reason Monday is the major clean-up day. Sometimes my husband does wood-working but in general, we try not to do work on Sunday unless it is of the "hobby" variety.
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Erin
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| Posted: Oct 16 2006 at 5:38am | IP Logged
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Maddie wrote:
| on the barn and we planned to go out on Sunday when my 11yo ds said, "But it's Sunday!" any |
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Out of the mouths of babes, my own dc have pulled me up on this as well.
It is a tricky one, for the pat 4 years we were building our house and we simply had to do it on Sundays as the weekend was the only time. However it is now that we are having to undo habits from those years.
I don't do washing on a Sunday, this means I have heaps extra on Monday so that is a real sacrifice. I try to think about what is really necessary. We don't shop on a Sunday, once again this takes planning as it is easy to slip into habits.
Aside from the don'ts though we have been making an effort to make it extra special. We try to read the readings before Mass, often on the way to Mass. We won't play the radio on the way to Mass although we do sing hymns. We also try to have family picnic's, take the canoes to the river, get out of town for a drive in the country etc. enjoy God;s world and make Sunday something out of the ordinary, different. Doesn't always happen but it is the plan.
And we always have a Sunday roast, with the special once a week dinner set and cutlery, and juice for the children. Teh dc are most put out if I try to take short cuts on setting the table 'but mum its Sunday'.
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Dawnie
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| Posted: Oct 16 2006 at 11:09am | IP Logged
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Maddie,
What a great question!
My dh works at 911 and does not have Sundays off. He doesn't leave for work until 2pm, though, so that still gives us time to go to Mass and have lunch together as a family. We go to the 11am Mass usually, and I try to have something in the crockpot so we can eat as soon as we get home. If we have money, at times we pick up some fast food for lunch after church. After dh leaves for work, I do the work that must be done (cleaning up the dishes from lunch) and then lie down w/ the littles for a nap. After naps, the littles and I just spend a relaxing afternoon and evening together. Sometimes we go to a grandparent's house to visit.
I don't do any housework that doesn't HAVE to be done on Sunday. I also try to avoid shopping on Sunday. Having that day set aside for rest and worship really helps me to feel recharged on Monday instead of wiped out.
Dawn
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angiesherm
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Sunday's at our house are full of family! We go to church and my grandmother (82 yrs. old!) STILL has Sunday dinner for my entire extended family after mass. It's a family tradition to go to grandma's house every Sunday. My kid's love it and it's nice for me because my grandmother loves to cook and will not let anyone else make the food. So, takes care of one meal for the day! We usually don't eat until 2:00, so we have a very small meal later that night, more like a snack.
That's how my Sunday's have been since I can remember. It will, of course, change every now and then, but for the most part, that's our Sunday! We love it!
God Bless,
Angela
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Glenn
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Sundays at our house start with Mass in the morning, usually 9 or 10:30, then we have a brunch of bagels. Grandparents join us for the bagelfest, which is such a treat. This usually takes an hour or so, because everybody is starving and wants to try every kind of bagel. After brunch the kids put on a show for all of the adults which is always a hoot. Then we take a long nap. When we get up we usually take a long walk and then have dinner. For dinner on Sundays we always have cereal so we don't have to do any unnecessary work. In the evening, my husband reads Bible stories to all of us, for as long as we all will listen. It is fun because the kids love Bible stories and so do I. My kids have heard most of them before, but I haven't, having grown up semi-Catholic and not been exposed to the Bible much. We try not to do any work, but it is hard for me not to at least clean a little. I don't do laundry, which is a sacrifice because then Monday comes and we are already behind. My husband, however, assures me that the holier we keep Sunday, the more successful we will be in our work the rest of the week. I believe him and have witnessed it by seeing the fruits of his work when he keeps Sunday holy. Also, he tells me that if we don't work on Sunday, we will be more eager to get to work on Monday. He is a musician, and he also swears that he is inspired and more creative when follows this commandment. I love the simplicity of Sundays!
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Oct 18 2006 at 7:38pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for posting this. I often use Sundays as my "catch up" day, since dh is home and can help with the kids while I do things that are hard to get done with my little helpers. Sometimes I go out to a store, since I can go kid free, but lately this has felt wrong to me. I want us to spend time together as a family- I don't want to be running out to stores or organizing closets.
I need to take a long look at my Sundays and rededicate them.
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Maddie
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| Posted: Oct 18 2006 at 8:43pm | IP Logged
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SeaStar wrote:
Thanks for posting this. I often use Sundays as my "catch up" day, since dh is home and can help with the kids while I do things that are hard to get done with my little helpers. Sometimes I go out to a store, since I can go kid free, but lately this has felt wrong to me. I want us to spend time together as a family- I don't want to be running out to stores or organizing closets.
I need to take a long look at my Sundays and rededicate them. |
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That is exactly where we are. It is so hard to relax when you have mountains of work hanging over your head but then really relaxing and letting it go on this past Sunday felt SO good. We also took a walk to our elderly neighbors house on Sunday and she (our neighbor)said she had been led to rest more on Sundays too, (without me saying anything about my thoughts on Sunday, it felt like such a confirmation to me!) and we chatted comfortably on her front porch swing while the men talked and the children played. That was awesome, God knew what I needed!
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Karen E.
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| Posted: Oct 19 2006 at 12:09am | IP Logged
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Maddie wrote:
That is exactly where we are. It is so hard to relax when you have mountains of work hanging over your head but then really relaxing and letting it go on this past Sunday felt SO good. |
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Yes -- just look at it as a process. We've been in the process for several years now, and it's finally what I want it to be. I dropped one thing at a time over the years: laundry, grocery shopping, etc. (I had gotten the grocery store down to this: "We'll just stop for the donuts ..." but that too easily turned into other things, so just this past year, even that had to go. Now, I plan ahead for some other kind of post-Mass treat.)
Then, we made a point of making Sunday family day. We plan something special to do as a family -- "special" can be simple ... it's just that we do it together. We take a walk, go to the lake, play a board game or hide and seek, watch a video together and have popcorn or sundaes.
I recently realized just how important this family time has become to our kids when our oldest had the chance to join a young adult choir at church with her best friend, but said to me, "They meet on Sunday! What about our family time?!"
Hang in there, and make those little changes, add the planning that's necessary (so that you can really relax, rather than think, "I should be doing those chores!"), and before you know it, Sunday will be the haven of your week.
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Karen E.
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Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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Maddie
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| Posted: Oct 19 2006 at 8:17am | IP Logged
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Karen E. wrote:
I recently realized just how important this family time has become to our kids when our oldest had the chance to join a young adult choir at church with her best friend, but said to me, "They meet on Sunday! What about our family time?!"
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 Beautiful!
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~Maddie~
Wife to my dh and Momma of 9 dear ones
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Karen E.
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| Posted: Oct 19 2006 at 7:34pm | IP Logged
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Oh, thank you, Maddie. I have to admit that it brought me to tears.
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God bless,
Karen E.
mom to three on earth, and several souls in God's care
Visit my blog, with its shockingly clever title, "Karen Edmisten."
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Sundays at your house
