Today was a lazy day. Usually Monday, my stay-at-home-mom day, is filled with errands, chores, swim lessons and playdates. The hours between when my children wake up (lately, 5am) and when morning rush hour dies down (the first reasonable time to go anywhere) is spent plotting the day. What can I accomplish before lunch time? What would be something fun and different to do with the kids? When was the last time I washed everyone’s sheets?

This Monday started out just like any other. I put in a load of laundry and then the three of us went to a local farm and picked berries. It was a hot morning and we didn’t stay long. We watched the animals, bought some corn, picked about two pounds of blueberries and were home by 10:30.

Then something unexpected happened. We filled up the kiddie pool, laid some blankets, and hung out in the shade for five hours. That’s not a typo. We literally remained in the same small bit of yard until mid-afternoon, my son and daughter wearing nothing but diapers and underpants, respectively.

At first, I hoped both children would fall asleep and I’d be free to tackle more projects, or, more likely, catch up on my Facebook feed. But, as my son slept on and off until lunch, my daughter and I talked, she rolled around, we splashed in the water. Being outside in the shade on this gorgeous sunny day with no plans was my only commitment. That and periodically dragging the towels out of the shifting sun.

When my son woke up, it was Popsicle time (“pop-a-cle”) and I enjoyed watching it melt in long streams of purple over his chin and down his belly. No need for cleanliness when you’re eating al fresco, after all. The three of us looked at books, attempted some puzzles (but failed due to the lack of a hard surface), and watched airplanes fly overhead. It was lovely.

Eventually, even the shade became uncomfortably warm and we headed inside. The cool, relative darkness of the house felt refreshing and well-deserved.

“Can we watch a Paw Patrol?” my daughter asked.

“Pa-po-po,” my son agreed.

I thought, why not, and set them in front of the tv in the basement.

My son fell back asleep and my daughter happily zoned out while I went back upstairs and was productive. I cleaned up a bit, dumped out the kiddie pool, and changed the sheets on everyone’s bed. I didn’t feel rushed or impatient. I felt lucky. Calm. Thankful for this very lazy, very sunny, dog day of summer.