Surviving Monday Madness

Top of the morning to you!! I documented the following insanity one overwhelming Monday. I thought I was heading for a breakdown, and couldn’t just lock myself in the closet, so I decided to write. It was amazing therapy, had me laughing about myself, and had me noticing the small, precious moments that are so easy to miss. It’s quite long, so feel free to skim, skip through, read the last part… and tell me about your own insanity!

I wake up at 4:30am to a snoring husband. My eyes are open. I’m awake. My alarm is set to go off in 30 minutes, but I know if I am lulled back to the wonderful world of sleep, 5am is going to hit me like a ton of groggy bricks.

I get up… and start my day.

Padding around the house in slippers and a robe, my hair an untidy mess and breath rank from slumber.

I pack lunches, tidy up the kitchen, and do laundry. Jump on the computer to write about a big barn open house a local alpaca farm is hosting. I stare at the screen… should write more, but my mind is blank. I check my emails; delete 20, leave 20 to be read later. I respond to a fellow Ebayer who has just purchased my daughter’s Adventure Time Converse. Mental note: package shoes. I acknowledge questions from parents about weekend basketball tournament. Mental note: call tournament director.

The hubster wakens, at least partially. He makes coffee, eyes half shut, and turns on the news. Blazers beat Houston, and Jack Ramsey died. Bittersweet day.

How is it already 6:45?? The hubster leaves.

I make the bed, get dressed, put my face on.

Lexi awakens, earlier than necessary.

I shut my door to read my Bible and get my daily dose of much needed bread. Good stuff. I get interrupted several times. I get to hear stories about last night’s dreams, and answer questions, that will no-doubt be asked again before the morning is over, about the day. I long for some quiet, one-on-one time with God, but hey, it’s good my kids are seeing me read my Bible, right?

I wrap up. Take my birth control… CANNOT forget that!! Eat some cereal… a sign of time crunch as I strongly dislike 99.9% of cereal.

Time to walk the youngest to school. The sun is out… it’s beautiful! Abby pees on everything… you’d think she was a boy.

Back home, I try to get a few minutes of writing in, and start shouting orders at my oldest daughter and my stepson, “feed the dog!”, “start the car”, “everyone ready?”. Crap… need to put the lawnmower away.

Drop the next two off at the carpool location and head to my new office- so exciting!

Work like crazy for four and half hours and rush out the door to pick up Lexi. I get home in time to kick off my heels, use the toilet, and run out the door to meet her. She is all smiles and the sun is still out.

We get back with 30 minutes before I have to leave to pick up Phoenix. I really want to take a nap.

Instead, I balance my checkbook… $.50 off! Unacceptable! Finally, it’s reconciled. I call and leave a message for the tournament director.

Clean the kitchen again… how is it already messy?

Head to the Middle School, grab the new PTSA membership forms. I grab Phoenix and her best friend for my leg of the carpool system. Give my stepson his basketball shoes, and we’re off again.

Drop off Maddy, wave to her mom, my friend I hardly ever get to see other than the quick wave at kid-drop off time.

Get home and think about that nap again. Nope, no time.

Input membership, and email a reminder about the meeting tonight. I text Angie, “Can I start referring to you as Mrs Secretary?”.

Check my emails… tournament was supposed to be two days, now it may be only one. Call the director again.

Dishes need to be washed, so I stack’em up and head to the bathroom. Interesting adventure, washing dishes in the bathroom sink. My kitchen sink is broke… going on five days. Plumber couldn’t fix it, so the hubster has been hard at work on it for the last two days. He’ll get it fixed, a little elbow grease and a little help from the big guy upstairs… I have faith.

I start shouting order again, “scoop poop”, “unload the dishwasher”, “pick up your backpack”, “who has homework?”.

Lexi starts panicking… the pad in the back of her tap shoes has come out.

We load into the car with an allotted eight minutes to get the Payless, and 12 minutes to get to tap class.

We make it to tap with nine minutes to spare. I kick Lexi out of the moving car (ha… not really. I’m not that crazy!), and speed out of the parking lot before she’s even in the door.

Head to Fred Meyers for a couple things, including a parfait for the hubster’s birthday lunch tomorrow, and maybe… just maybe, I can make it back to the dance studio with enough time to take a nap in the parking lot!

As I drive by the library, I mentally smack myself… forgot the book that needs to be returned.

I pull into the grocery store parking lot and mentally smack myself again… I forgot the knee brace that needs to be returned.

I grab a few groceries and am out the door in record time.

I make it back with plenty of time for a nap, but I really need to find a secretary for our PTSA. Angie’s a no-go. So, I start making calls. Get nowhere, still no secretary.

Lexi comes bounding out of class, all smiles. She talks non-stop all the way home, and can’t wait to show me her moves.

We pull into the driveway. I check the clock. Fifty minutes to get dinner made and into bellies. I prepare food and watch Lexi ‘tap tap tap’ across the floor in Nikes (she isn’t allowed to wear her tap shoes on the hardwood). I hate giving only half of my attention… but sometimes it’s half or nothing.

Time to start shouting again, “Phoenix, get dressed for practice!”, “Did everyone do their homework?”.

We spend a calm and enjoyable five minutes eating and visiting…

Then out the door with my oldest. Drop her at basketball practice, touch base with parents… tournament both days, and we’ll know time and location later this week. Yes, hard to plan weekend with no details about games, but it is what it is.

Say my temporary goodbyes, grab my membership binder and run across the parking lot to the PTSA meeting.

We chat, we vote, we get our updates, and an hour later, I’m heading back to practice.

My to-do list is completed for the day (other than finding a secretary). I breathe deep, a sigh of relief. Before the air is out of my lungs, I realize I forgot to package the shoes and make a Mary Kay order… oh well, not going to beat myself up over it… there is always tomorrow.

Practice wraps up, we head home. A little cleaning here; tidying up there. Take a shower. It’s almost bedtime, one of my most favorite times.

I lie down with Lexi and she tells me about the story she is reading, tells me about recess, asks me about tomorrow. We pray and stay goodnight. She tries to keep talking, but I gently shut her down in order to avoid pulling an all-nighter.

Next bedroom, next daughter. This kid is a toss-up. She’s talkative one night, and the next doesn’t have much to say (which always makes me worry that something is wrong). Tonight she talks of MSPs, basketball, needing a haircut, and the funny things her little brother is doing (half-brother, from her dad). I listen, and smile in the dark. We pray. I scratch her back. I fall asleep for a minute, and finally make my way to my own king-size comfort.

It’s 9pm, but may as well be 2am… I’m exhausted. I’m enjoying the view of the back of my eye lids before my head hits the pillow, and wll on my way to dreamland within 60 seconds.

I think I may have forgotten to say goodnight to the hubster… I’ll just have to make sure I say a nice goodmorning to him tomorrow. So glad he understands me.

It’s only you and God that truly know what you do, and what your mind spins around each day. Your husband knows that the house is clean, and his lunch is packed. The kids know that you pick them up, chauffeur them around, and make sure their clothes are clean. Your boss knows you work hard and take care of the office. But on one other than God sees the big picture. A little kudos and appreciation is nice every now and again, but that’s not why we do what we do.

Feeling inadequate? Unappreciated? Overwhelmed? Write about what you do… whether it’s a non-stop, packed day or a quiet day taking care of the home. You matter! We change the world! I want to hear about YOUR day!

Until we meet again…