Rainy Days and Mondays

That old song by the Carpenters..."Rainy days and Mondays always get me down..." is so melancholy and sad! "Hangin' around, nothin' to do but frown..." Is that the truth? Is there really nothing to do but frown on days like today? Sometimes it sure feels that way, but it doesn't have to be the case.

How do you spend a rainy Monday? Since I am a homemaker and mommy, I usually spend it at home, doing things such as surfing the internet and letting the kids watch too much TV. But, at the end of the day, that doesn't seem to be a great use of my time...and it is kind of leading me to frown now that I regret the way I've spent this time. After all, maybe I could and should look at this type of day as a gift, a time to do things that are out of the ordinary, and not the usual run, run, run day that is typical to most of us? So, is surfing the net and watching movies really a productive way to spend it?

Since we are all recovering from recent bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis, getting out and running around in this type of weather is not the best idea. So, stay at home we must. And, maybe I should have been motivated to do some things that are more productive, such as clean out closets, cabinets and refrigerators. But, no, I was not motivated to do such things.

However, here at the end of the day, I do feel that I'm missed a really good opportunity to connect with my children on a day like today. So, as I sit here, I have become motivated to put together a "Rainy Day Treasure Trove" - a box full of games, crafts, recipes, and ideas for things to do with my children on future days such as today.

This treasure trove is going to include things as elaborate as planning our next trip to Disneyworld together, to things as simple as building a tent indoors to climb into and read books together.

Do you have a "Rainy Day Treasure Trove"? What are some of your favorite ideas and activities? I'd love to hear from you!