An Average of 1 day off every 7

As a general rule Dr. J get's one day off in seven.  There are those blessed ambulatory months where he will get two, but those are few and far between and by law he only has to be given an average of one day off in seven, and it's an average, so sometimes he works fifteen days in a row and then they give him two.  But usually they try to give them one in seven because residents get stinky if they don't have a day every once in awhile to wash their clothes and they get skinny if they don't get the opportunity to buy more milk and cereal for early breakfast and late dinner.  He doesn't get to pick when those days off will be and for that I'm grateful because a couple days ago I realized I wouldn't want it to be on Sunday.

The Pro on the Sunday off-
The nice thing about Sunday is if he has it off he gets to come to church, and after not coming in weeks the man usually misses church.  It's nice for our ward because they realize I actually have a husband.  It's nice for our children because they are home and get to see their dad most of the day.  It is nice for me because then there are two extra hands at church and our services are long...not Amish long, but at three hours definitely not short, and for an hour and fifteen I'm trying to entertain four little kids by myself in a meeting absolutely not geared toward them.

The Cons on Sunday off-
A few weeks ago I had just had it.  I mean the kids have been home and crazy all summer.  Dr. J was busy.  I felt like with the nursing baby and demanding toddler and the oldest child who always needs a little extra security that I was always been touched, demanded on, physically drained.  Dr. J got home a little early one night and said, "What can I do for you?  What do you need?  Do you want to go out?"  "Yes," I said, "but not in the way you think."  And so I left the house, kid and husband free.  I went to Goodwill to get some tins for a project I'm doing.  I went to Walmart to make a return.  I went to Sam's club to pick up some things.  I called my mom and said, "I'm in Heaven."  And so here is the thing about Sundays off.  Days off on Sunday mean no mowing lawn.  No projects done.  No cleaning help.  No babysitting kids so I can run errands.  They mean no going out as a family.  They mean no dates.  They mean no dentist, eye, or doctor's appointments.  They mean no shopping trips for new pants and sometimes pants are falling apart.  They mean no movies, no temple trips, no help with grocery shopping, no parent school plays, no help at parent teacher conference, no trips to the pool, no book group, no girls nights out.  It wears on you after awhile.   So every once in awhile I Sunday off is a treat, but more often then not I'd just as much take a Tuesday :) It might sound silly, it might sound worldly but that's just the truth of how I feel.

This Sunday daddy was working.  He had the Saturday before off and we went to the fair.  Sunday he was on short call so not off until nine.  Because the hospital is often slow in the evenings he called and asked if we wanted to eat dinner with him.  I packed up the kids, some pork ribs, and the best mash potatoes I think I've ever made in my life.  We invaded one of the nurses break rooms.  We tried to watch what would have been our only viewing of the Olympics.  Nothing events were showing because they were covering the shootings at the Sikh temple.  I was sad about the shooting but I'm probably a bad person because I was also sad about not getting to see any events on the one day I might have.