I realize what I’m about to say will make more than a few brows furrow, but here it goes… I Like Monday Mornings.  There.  I said it.  I’ve always liked Mondays.

Maybe it’s a maternal thing.  You know, the whole renewal, birth-of-a-new-week philosophy.  A chance to get it right.  Learn from the things I didn’t do well last week, and incorporate the things that did go well into the new plan.

This particular Monday morning was good.  I got enough sleep, had the laundry caught up, and my hair looked decent straight off the pillow.  (This last thing is important, because it determines if I’m going to run errands on my way home from carpool.  Good hair=getting things done.  Bad hair=coming straight home.)  Sounds vain, I know, but it’s how I roll.  So the extra time I took de-frizzing it yesterday paid off this morning.  I fixed my son a proper breakfast (it’s standardized testing this week…) fed the fish, cleaned a bathroom, and watered the plants between my first and second cup of coffee.  After making my morning loop, I stopped at the grocery store, meal plan for the week in hand. 

The grocery store is nice on Monday mornings.  The floors are clean, the shelves stocked, and the employees are in a better mood than usual.  I got a good parking place and didn’t have wait in line to check out.  Evidently there aren’t a lot of us “Monday People” out there.  So I pretty much have the place to myself.

So here’s my Monday Morning Reality Check:

Lessons learned from last week

• My friends don’t care if my house isn’t spotless.  They will come over if I invite them.  So I’m going to invite them more often.
• It’s worth the effort to cook dinner.  (This one blew even my mind, and I can’t believe I’m putting it in writing.)  But a busy evening doesn’t get any better with a pizza box on the counter.  I’m going to reserve my dining dollars for times that I can actually enjoy it. 
• My kids can be more independent than I give them credit for.  I shouldn’t hover so much.
• I should never be too busy to stop and ask a friend how her day is going.  I will make that phone call.  I will put the card in the mail. 

Things I will do better at this week:

• Not let laundry pile up. 
• Spend more time with friends. 
• Clear away the clutter in my kitchen.
• Get to bed on time.

If I can finish the week with this much energy and optimism, there’s hope for me yet!