Weekends are for___________ (fill the blank)

Adam has an amazing repertoire of bedtime delaying tactics. He has just come to tell me, with great dramatic effect, that HE CAN’T HOP ON ONE FOOT!! I told him to hop right back into bed or else I am calling his father. Yes, I handle discipline by avoiding the issue and making Marko the bad guy.

Speaking of my dear husband, Marko and I are frighteningly alike in many ways. People often remark how amazing it is that two such anal people who were from completely different backgrounds managed to find one another. Appropriately enough, we met at a bar.

Have I ever told you that Marko doesn’t drink? He drank when I met him and gave up three weeks later. I think that could be construed as false advertising.

Anyway, as I was saying, Marko and I are a lot alike about a lot of things. But we are very different when it comes to other things. Like weekends, and how they should be spent.

Marko feels that weekends are about chilling, watching TV, sleeping in and cuddling. In other words, being lazy relaxing. I believe that weekends are for getting up early, doing a load of washing, spring cleaning the study, sorting out the toy boxes, sorting through the old clothes, tidying up the cupboards, doing all the chores, fixing up what needs to be fixed up, returning emails etc. In other words, getting things done. 

I do realize that perhaps there is a small chance that my view on weekends might be marginally annoying, and so I try to pencil in some cuddling and quality time between 8 and 8:15am. On a Saturday. Weather dependent.

What are your views? Do you and your partner agree? Complete the sentence:

Weekends are for _____________?

Comments

[blackbird]

K believes weekends are for getting up early and getting things accomplished.
It's only taken us 25 years to balance that with my idea which is to sleep late and read the paper.

[Kathy B]

I am totally with Marko!

[sarahs]

spending time with my husband, cleaning or cuddling.

[JuliaKB]

Completely depends on what the week before was like and what the upcoming week is brining. Sometimes you just have to sleep in. Other times, if you don't get shit done, you will be drowned in it before the next week is done.
This weekend, I am mostly in bed, but that is the fault of the damn virus that has been kicking my ass since Wednesday.

[Emma in Amsterdam]

sleeping in and making my boyfriend do the cleaning :-)

[Brainy girl]

I am definitely a "getting things done" on the weekend kind of gal. How in the hell else does anything actually get done??? Impossible to do it during the week with a full-time (plus) job, a toddler, and an infant. Husband believes weekends are for recreating (i.e. having fun) and catching up on work tasks. He'll do errands, but the types of things that I feel need to get caught up on (e.g., laundry, cleaning, basic chores and maintenance) aren't even on his radar... sigh.

[gem]

I can't remember back to when we had a choice about weekends. Now it's a question of swimming lessons, birthday partys, rugby training etc. Having said that we do try to keep Sundays for family actvities like walks, or entertaining friends with kids the same ages as ours so that we get to sit around and chat (and drink wine) while the kids are playing. So basically combination of getting things done but down time for everyone too.

[Orange]

Doing as little as possible.

My husband drives me bonkers trying to clean the house on Saturday mornings. "What is this? Can I throw this away?" No. Now quit stressing me out by demanding answers from me. Leave my stuff alone and clean where you're not bothering me, all right? Or wait 'til I go out to the movies, and clean the house while I'm gone. Win-win situation.

[Beth]

Tertia, I desperately need you to come to MY house for a weekend! All those things you listed--and more--need to be done, and I unfortunately have serious problems with time management.

Not surprisingly, I'd say weekends are for accomplishing exactly none of the things you had planned on doing!

[kate]

Weekends are for changing sheets, washing, mowing lawns, swimming lessons, organising the shed, cleaning out the kids' clothes, running hardware shop errands, grocery shopping, getting a week's supply of baby veggies mashed, and scheduling 15 minutes to read the paper.
I'm clearly with you Tertia.

[Donna]

Mostly- relaxing, sleeping in, spending time with the family.
Occasionally- getting things done.

[Flicka]

Sleeping in, playing games, kintting, reading, napping, snacking...almost anything but work! I'd rather use my weeknights or mornings before I go to work to straighten up the house and do the laundry. That way when the weekend comes, it's me and my bokkie (Mel taught me that word!) in our pajamas, just relaxing together. Ahhh...

But if you run out of stuff to do at your house and want to come over, please feel free.

[abs]

Last weekend we: sat around and did nothing but visit with family.
This weekend we: pulled weeds, spread fertilizer, cleaned out the flower beds, washed our car, and cleaned the garage.
It is all about balance for us, although I tend to be the one that wants to get more stuff done on the weekend. So we compromise.

[Andria]

Like the above comment, it's all about balance for us too. Usually, we do some work, and then go out to eat. Like today, we did yardwork, and then had some yummy Mexican food.

[Jenn]

We do one day of getting things done, one day of having fun. Seeing as the kids still thinking sleeping in is 7 am -- we've lost the ability to enjoy that one. One day maybe?

[Dona]

My husband and I like to start our weekends off by having a quick fight around 11:00 a.m....that is about the time I have been up just long enough to find his morning accomplishments annoying, and he to find me a complete lazy slob who is only making a mess...

It's only when noon rolls around (what was it you said??? something about Boeing?) After we've had a nice lunch/drink, then we can tolerate each other and he knows I might possibly give in to a nooner...

Yeah, weekends aren't always relaxing around here either.

['wishIknew']

Tertia,

Weekends are for catching up on sleep if at all possible. Dh and I take turns letting each other sleep in and it really helps us get through the week.

Projects can be good. Family time taking a nice walk together and playing at the park is great.
I think balancing both work and play is probably the 'winning' ticket. Some friends of ours used to make a list of projects and a list of fun ideas and then chose items off both lists. I have found it does help to have a plan. (I hate planning though so it's a challenge for me.)

I'd say, let Marko relax and recharge and if you want to do projects and recharge that way - go for it. (hopefully you can both cross over into each others plan sometimes too)

'wishIknew'

[Anna]

Before children- weekends were for: sleeping, long walks on the beach, lots of sex, good eating, movies, theater, art shows and going out in general. After children- weekends are for spending time with our girls- since we both work during the week- going to the playground, the zoo, birthday parties and buying loads of diapers.
I am looking forward to a time when they will be old enough to enjoy traveling!

[Sister Mel]

......Feeling very sorry for her brother-in-law. In the words of Mom, That man deserves a medal!

[Kim]

Ha ha ha Mel.

[Kim]

Can you let him sleep in for a bit and then get him to take the kids somewhere - like a playground, somewhere where there's lots to do - whilst you rush around cleaning and doing your stuff etc and then when he gets back you can relax a little.

[Boulder]

Sleeping in, lounging by the pool with a book, THEN doing the shopping, errands, etc. Followed by a nice dinner in or out, and the loading the dishwasher and washer up to start loads before bed, hoping that I can get at least one load of laundry done while I take a shower or a bath and climb in to bed to try to get some sleep. Some variations apply. I am apparently 1/2 Tertia, 1/2 Marko.

[denise]

we are like you all...but reversed
i like to do as little as possible on the weekends and my husband likes to get things done (he's out shopping as i'm sitting here typing)..
so, i let him do what he needs to do and i relax...as much as i can, considering i have (almost) 2 year old twin boys and a 10 yr old boy...but when nap time comes i try to do as much of nothing as possible!

[Melody Brown, Cape Town]

Totally getting things done. AND THEN sleeping and cuddling.

Work = reward!!!

[Tinker]

I'm stuck between the two. My weekends are most often for *agonizing* about all the things I *should* be using my weekends to do.

[Organising Queen (Marcia)]

Tertia, I'm like you on Saturdays and Sundays I do NOTHING. We go to church Sat night so Sunday I sleep late, get up to get food, back into bed and READ.

Generally, a very lazy day unless my hunger propels me into the kitchen to make some food :)

Fortunately my husband is the same. Although he'd prefer to relax more on the Sat too :)

[V]

for me for relaxing.

For my DH, for getting things done!!
Obviously we both have to compromise sometimes and he does often do the lazy thing if he has a hangover, which I love as then I don't have to feel bad when I lie on the bed and read!

[SCY]

For me weekends are about relaxing, cathcing up with family and friends and just getting over the week...

For DH it is about pottering around the house, garden, washing cars etc...

I don't mess with his system and he doesn't mess with mine - it works for us :)

[victoria]

We just had the best weekend ever. On Saturday morning, my husband brought me a cupof espresso in bed. Then I took the dog to the dog park to get him some exercise. Then we both took the dog to the (very nice, high quality) kennel), dropped him off, and we went into the city.

We saw the Roman Art From The Louvre exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum. Fabulous! Then we went to a truly awesome tapas bar. Tiny, bite-sized portions of incredible, delicious, fresh, interesting dishes -- each tasting completely unlike the others. With lovely, ice-cold cocktails, of course.

Then we saw The Bank Job. Not a bad movie. Then to another bar. Then to a hotel. ;-)

Then we got up on Sunday morning, went out to Sunday brunch at a great little French bistro, picked up the dog, and went for a long walk in a seaside park.

Inspired by the incredible tapas restaurant, I made my husband a lovely dinner from some of our tapas cookbooks.

My child-free life does have its perks. :-)

[nikki]

Weekends are for both. We usually spend one day goofing off and relaxing and the other day to catch up on some housework.