Love/Hate

Sundays. I have a love/hate relationship with Sundays now that I live in Germany. Saturdays too, really. It has been nearly 5 months and it really hasn't changed much. I thought it would. I thought I would appreciate it more by now. But it's hard sometimes. An adjustment. I am still adjusting.

The thing is, in Germany everything is closed on Sundays. I mean everything. The grocery store at the airport is open, most restaurants are open for at least part of the day, and I guess gas stations are open . The rest - shopping, groceries, etc. - closed. When we first moved here, I thought it was so perfect - it forces you to take Sunday and relax, not go out running errands all day, feeling like you have to be productive. But in doing so, it has turned Saturday into a clusterf*&k of squeezing it all in.

Today is Saturday, for example. It wasn't bad, really, but here's how it went:

7:30 - Wake up and feed Simon

8-9:30 - Clean the kitchen, play with Simon, feed Simon

9:30-11:30 - Simon naps, I go to the market, Martin cleans up around house

12-2 - IKEA (it's painful, but it has to be done sometimes)

2-3 - No idea - suddenly it was 3

3-5 - Met some friends for coffee (and to check their car seat!)

5-6 - Simon napping in stroller, we did our grocery shopping

6-7 - Made dinner

7-8 - Fed Simon and put him to bed

So, not a bad day, I'll admit. We are getting better at this. But nonetheless there is this constant stress hanging over my head on Saturdays. What are we going to eat on Sunday? Monday morning? The fruit-veggies shops and the butcher shops close by 2 or 3, so think ahead, way ahead. Want to bake a cake? Make soup? Better be prepared!

But then Sunday rolls around, and we can't go back to IKEA to return the defective pillow case (it's always something) and we can't go get Simon a new toy. And I can't make that soup because I don't have the beans and I can't make the cake because I forgot we are out of flour and eggs. So maybe we will just relax, organize the house, do some yoga. If it's not raining, we'll take a nice walk. Maybe Simon can even play on the swings. It's just that to get to Sunday, you have to get through Saturday, and it's not always pleasant. And on Sunday, you have to just let go.

But I am learning - it's getting better. There are a lot of new things here - a lot of adjustments to make. Some days it's easier to accept them than others. Today was one of our best Saturdays. We are still adjusting.