Any Given Sunday

If you were to come to our house on a Sunday, or a Saturday for that matter...you would be horrified.  Aghast, even. I know I am!  The complete and utter annihilation of any sense of order or cleanliness is simply astounding to behold.  Based on prior experience, I know it's going to happen, but it still catches me by surprise every time - the destruction that is caused by five people hanging out and no one cleaning up the mess. 

Technically, Marc and I *do* pick up.  In fact, just yesterday, Marc kicked the laundry's behind - I came home from shopping and my heart skipped a beat at all he'd done in my absence!  But both of us work really hard all week at our respective jobs, and on the weekends, we like to relax a little bit, slack off if you will.  And frankly, I've tried keeping up appearances on weekends and it's proven to be a futile and exhausting pastime that only ends up in grumpiness. 

So we let it slide on weekends.  A lot. 

Toys everywhere, couch cushions missing....





Aha!  There are those missing cushions! Apparently a fort-building mission is underway.

You can bet your bippy the beds are not made.  And the laundry (while folded!) will not be put away until Monday.

Seriously.   Not one bed made.  Nope!

Breakfast dishes may be left on the table until lunch is served, and lunch dishes until dinnertime.  You don't even want to see what the kitchen sink looks like!

We might actually venture out to do some hunting and gathering, but usually only under duress. 
These bags are on account of a certain 8 year old bringing the same four books to 'free reading time' for the last two months.  (He's read them nine times each at last count)
It was time for reinforcements.
(Nate the Great, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Lemony Snicket, and Beverly Cleary to the rescue!)

You can bet that all SORTS of projects will be started.  Few, if any, will be finished.   Art for example.  Crafts of all sorts. 

Paper Airplane building (inside a reinforced bunker made of, you guessed it, couch cushions!)



And what else to do with all those empty couches, but turn THEM into forts too!



And the random snacking will not be curtailed either.  Children ripping through cabinets, shoveling in their mouths whatever they can find, with parents who are just taking a small break from having to say NO all day long.
(this particular concoction was dark chocolate peanut butter spread on potato chips)

Because, you know, it's HARD WORK all this No-Saying and Home-Keeping and Mouth-Feeding.  Neverending!  Exhausting!  And who could blame us for taking a break? 

Eventually though, usually around the time that Sunday supper needs to be prepared, we take a look around and GASP at the sheer spread of the disaster zone.  Our house is twice as big now, and the mess knows no bounds because it doesn't end until there's a wall to stop it.

It's embarrassing, really - I would be horrified if anyone came to visit.  Even the thought of a visitor is usually enough to make my stomach do flip flops...

....but not enough to get up off the deconstructed couch where I'm sitting in my jammies with my Parade Magazine and coupon circulars and cup of coffee!