The Most of Weekends

It seems to me that quite often, when I talk about my weekends, what I talk about is how much or little got done. Whether I caught up successfully, whether the apartment was cleaner when I woke up on Monday than when I got home on Friday, whether we banked a little extra sleep, whether we are prepared to face our week.
 
I read the "Spare Times" section of the paper every Friday. I am well aware of how many shows and museums and events are available (and possible, now that my kids are old enough to enjoy a variety of things). But when we arrive home on Friday night, it is as if something changes. The goal is less "go do," and more "get it done." Get homework done, so the next week might be a little easier. Clean up bathrooms and kitchen, so we will at least start from clean. Pay the bills and make the calls and do the errands--all things that are just impossible during the week.
 
Now, as a person who values accomplishment, I am pretty pleased when, come Sunday night, I can look around and see that we've made progress. I just wonder if we are missing out by not doing more family explorations and cultural events each weekend. Would my kids feel more like a team? Would we be more educated? Would we be happier at the end of our weekends? Or would we just be exhausted?
 
Every week, when I read that "Spare Times" section, I am struck by how much there is to do. And when I read about other families field tripping it on their Saturdays and Sundays, I am definitely impressed. Perhaps there is a happy medium that we haven't quite reached yet. Or perhaps the unlocking of our weekends involves making adjustments to our weekdays.
 
But this discussion will have to continue another day. I've got laundry to do.