Does anyone else ever feel like the pace of life that surrounds you is a bit frantic?  Like technology is sort of creating more noise, and not necessarily making our lives easier.  I love my cell phone and the convenience that it provides, but sometimes I think about what life would be like if I did not have that little thing with me at all times. Perhaps I would enjoy the car ride a little more if I wasn't multi-tasking and returning phone calls as I drive.  

I find that I am often moving at a very fast speed and hurrying my children along.  Even when it is unnecessary. Say, for example, we are on a walk and my kids keep stopping to collect berries and to pick up leaves and look for non-existent rolie polies in the grass.  Without meaning to, I hear a voice coming out of me saying, "Come on guys.  Keep walking.  Come on.  Let's get to the park..."

Why?  We have nowhere to be.  There is nothing that I need to rush us through the experience for.  In fact, inevitably, what is waiting for me at home, at the end of our outing, is bickering over toys.  But, I think that because rushing has become a part of daily life, it now is my baseline.  It is really hard to slow down.

Not today.  Today was declared "Jammies Day" and we all stayed in our jammies until 2 PM. We ate our breakfast slowly.  We left our dishes on the table and moved to the floor for board game after board game.  We made letters with our bodies.  We pretended to be lions (simba and nala and pumba - yes, I know pumba is not a lion, but they like to pretend he is) under the dining table and meowed at each other for about an hour (and, yes, I also know that lions do not meow, but I was not about to encourage growling when meowing is so much quieter in a confined space, so I went with the creative expression).  

It was such a refreshing day.  I hereby declare that we should all have a Jammies Day once a week.  

Have a great weekend.  And, go slow.

-Ali Bray