Favorites Friday

It's cool and rainy here today. There's a chilly breeze, kicking the slightly colored leaves off their branches. It's the perfect day for a "jammy day." Jammy Day started when the gang was all very young and loved long Disney movies as a reward for great behavior or a treat to distract them on a rainy day. We'd all race up to our rooms, change into our jammies, grab blankies or pillows or cherished teddy bears and meet in the living room. I'd pop big bowls of popcorn (sometimes offering this as lunch), pop our Disney fairy tale pick of the day into the VCR, and pile on the couch for snuggle time. That's back when we all fit on one couch!

In recent years, with the arrival of the adolescent and pre-adolescent years, Jammy Day has evolved into a "laze around" and hang out day. Movie and popcorn optional. But still included is the elements of snuggling, blankets, and of course, the jammies. We often all read quietly or spread out through the downstairs of the house making blanket forts or building K'Nex. Crayons and coloring books sometimes replace Disney movies. Whatever the loose definition of Jammy Day has become, they are a necessary respite for the hectic and busy life we share. So, today's Favorites Friday is in honor of our family's tradition, no matter how it's changed over the years.

My Favorite Memories of Jammy Day
(recent and ancient)

• The first time we all watched the animated version of Charlotte's Web. Big eyes, tears brimming, and happy smiles. What more could a mom want from sharing her favorite story with her two precious boys?
• Laughing together with glee over the antics of Manny and Sid when we (finally!) got Ice Age on DVD. We still have some of the lines from that movie memorized.
• Warm little bodies crowded on the couch, wriggling and giggling and pushing and shoving to get comfy. Now spread out over two couches and sometimes the floor!
• Warmer little bodies, with eyes heavy and sleepy, lingering on the couch long after the movie is over. Soft, sweaty little heads in my lap begging "Watch it again, Mommy?"
• The peaceful quiet of pages turning and blankets rustling. The not-so-little bodies (mine included!) drifting off to sleep on the couch with no particular schedule to keep.

LadyBug's class is having a Pajama Party at school today, a reward for 100 Accelerated Reader points earned since school began. Baby Blue Eyes and I have been keeping a crazy pace since Sunday, out for something different every day this week and squeezing our Hooked On Phonics alphabet tapes in between our activities. I've had some really late nights and always too-early mornings; even the coffee isn't working some mornings this week! So today, I declare a Jammy Day here at home. Slower pace, quiet morning, and no where to go till later this afternoon.

Enjoy your Friday - I'm off to savor mine!