Happy Friday!

There is nothing more peaceful to me than a Friday evening. I am very careful not to plan much, if anything, after school ends - and I am delighted to let my children come home from school and tune into the t.v. or wii. Our weekends are remarkably busy; between basketball games, Irish Dance parades, birthday parties and religious ed there is not much time left over for just hanging out. So, Friday has become the evening that we all hang out.

The perfect Friday follows a very specific format - on our way home from school the kids and I stop to pick up a frozen pizza, the kind doesn't matter much. Once home we grab snacks and head for our current relaxation vehicle. Their relaxation is electronic (Zack and Cody vs Mario Cart) while mine is more escapist reading!

I remember coming home one cold Friday afternoon, pouring a glass of red wine, grabbing my book and cocooning myself on the couch. I didn't move until someone begged me for food. Because on that day there are few external demands on my time, on Friday I can immerse myself in the context of my reading - and I actively resist leaving that comfy space.

The Friday night coming home ritual has become an important part of recentering myself, removing the vestiges of the school week, and allowing myself to really refocus on home. I know that I have an intense commitment to my work, and at times I have to coach myself to provide my family with the attention that they need and deserve. Coming home on Friday afternoon to a glass of wine, a comfortable couch, and a good book gives me the space and time to decompress from the week, so that Saturday morning I can jump into the weekend's activities with total focus.