It's Thursday again. I'm not sure how that happened.
So, this morning I was completely wiped out by the time we left the house. I've gotten Emma to take a shower every morning for a few weeks now. I wake her up and turn her light on when I go in to take my shower, then I get her towel and clothes in the dryer to warm them up. I stand outside the shower to make certain she washes her face, fetch her towel when she's done, and then stay in the bathroom to remind her to put lotion on her face and other places (she gets eczema easily). When we get downstairs I have a list --take my meds, get vitamins out for everyone, make Rob's lunch, make Emma's lunch, get my breakfast into my purse (a bagel I toast in my office), fix my hair and slap some make-up on. Remember a lanyard, my iTouch, my laptop if I need it that day. Emma has a list too, but I still have to remind her of most things --is your homework in its folder and in your backpack? Do you have your book for silent reading? Your water bottle? Finally, she gets her teeth brushed and we're out the door. Except that she almost always has to go back in for some critical thing she has forgotten. It's often a stuffed animal. I know she should probably be making her own lunch, but then we wouldn't leave the house until 10 a.m. The girl has a very fluid sense of time.
Emma has had two three-hour rehearsals the last two weekends, and this weekend are the two performances. Rob and I have tickets for the first one, on Saturday evening. The performance is at 7:30, with a 6 p.m. call time. Then she does it again, Sunday afternoon. She has a speaking part, but not one of the major parts. The dialog is very funny (I've helped her learn her lines) so I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Then Halloween, Monday night. That will be mostly Rob's responsibility --such a relief.
Next weekend we're finally going to go see my parents --we'll drive all day Friday (which reminds me, I need to find a sub and create an in-class assignment for my class that day), visit on Saturday, and then drive all day Sunday to get home. Why does the U.S. have to be so big? If we could just get rid of Chicago, or Lake Michigan, it would save us hours of driving!
This afternoon, as I was driving to pick Emma up from school, the sun was shining on so many bright yellow and red leaves, and I was thinking how lucky I am to live some place that can be so beautiful. It was a nice, peaceful few minutes of living in the moment.
One of my girls has a very fluid sense of time too. I make both of them pack about half of their lunches before they go to bed (everything except sandwiches and drinks, which we do in the morning) and shower too. I also insist that their backpacks be ready on the bench by the door and that their shoes/coats/etc. are in the hall closet. Otherwise, we'd consistently miss the bus every day.
ReplyDeleteI hate that fall is so busy because it's my favorite season and I never seem to have enough time to enjoy it fully.
Oh, Jen! You shame me as a parent! But I still like you :-)
ReplyDeleteHeck, with 3 boys I feel like a drill sergeant every morning of my life. "Fluid sense of time." THat's now my favorite phrase.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for taking a few moments to admire the leaves. Those moments are necessary for sanity.
ReplyDeleteAnd, oh, the part about warming up the towel just made me feel all cozy. You could charge money for that service.
My 12-yr-old has that same 'fluid sense of time'. Who knew it could take 40 minutes just to eat breakfast, brush teeth & hair, and put on shoes?