Here are the plans I had for today, as the busy and productive mother of three:
After jumping out of bed right on time, my husband and I would seamlessly get our three children bathed, dressed, fed and school lunches prepared. By the stroke of eight (a.m.) my boys would be standing by the front door ready to go for their day.
Then, I would make my own breakfast, play with my daughter and begin to work on researching content for my husband's company website. Once my daughter grew tired around 10 or 10:30 I would put her down for her morning nap and do some serious article writing for two hours, catching up on my work for the company AND earning the money toward my son's June preschool tuition.
At 12:30pm, my newly awakened daughter and I would happily drive to retrieve the preschooler at which point we would go to the park or come home and practice riding bikes. (He's determined to get rid of his training wheels, wanting to be like his big brother.) We would play like this until the time arrived to collect their big brother from kindergarten.
There you have it... the ideal morning I'd planned. At some point we might even have done some grocery shopping or made a library run. It's a gorgeous day outside - sunny and bright with blue skies and a nice temperature. We could even have stopped by the beach!
* * * * *
Here, however is what actually happened this morning:
- I woke up to the sound of a thick, hacking cough. 'Who IS that?' I wondered aloud.
- I entered the main room to find not one, but TWO of my children sitting at the breakfast table coughing up a storm. Not good.
- My husband and I, after a brief discussion, decided that a cough alone was not serious enough to merit keeping our younger son home from school. Bathtime rapidly ensued.
- "Mommy, I don't feel well enough to go to school today. I'm sick!" announced the middle child.
- After fumbling in our bathroom cabinet I located the ear thermometer. "98.1!" I pronounced triumphantly. "NOT sick. Time for school!"
- 8:03am... my husband left to take our neatly dressed younger boy to school - monkey lunchbox in hand.
- 8:04am... I breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to take our elder son to kindergarten.
- 8:10am... There came a knock at the back door. "Honey?" I called out, "Is that you?" / "No mommy," a small voice replied, "It's me. Daddy couldn't take me to school today because while we were driving my tummy felt sick."
- I opened the door. Standing before me was our three year old - still holding the monkey lunchbox - with a big wet stain all over the same green shirt that was tidy just seven minutes earlier. "Your tummy is sick?" / "Yes," he replied gravely. "I spit up my breakfast all over the car."
- 8:11am... "So where's your father?" I asked. / "He's out cleaning up my vomit from the car seat!" the three year old replied cheerfully. "It's full of Cheerios!!!"
And there you have it... the undoing of an entire morning plan in just seven minutes. My coughing, vomiting child was officially obliged to stay home from school, thanks to the "No attending school within 24 hours of fever or vomiting" rule. That said, just one hour later he seems to have boundless energy and is busy peppering me with questions and requests.
He's just sick enough to need to stay at home, but not nearly sick enough to actually rest.
Even better... now that he's home my daughter has zero interest in napping. No way, why would she nap when she could be playing with her big brother??? She laughed uproariously at the sheer absurdity of my suggestion. "MEME NO NAPPPP!!! NOOOOO NAAAAAPPPP!!!"
Here is a brief summary of our last hour then...
"Mommy! Can you fix the training wheels on my bike?"
"Mommy! I'm hungry. Can I have some pancakes? I'd like more jam."
"Mommy! I need to use the potty. Can you turn on the light for me? And the water when it is time to wash my hands?"
"Mommy! Can you show me the pictures I gave to you for Mother's Day?"
"Mommy! I built a castle! Come look at it!"
"Mommy! My sister is hitting me! Can you please come and tell her to stop?"
(Sudden screaming from an incensed two year old sister who rushes into the bathroom to yell at me - "MAMA BRUDDA HE HIT MEME!!!")
"Mommy! Can you put on my Superman cape? And can you put on my sister's princess hat? LOOK! We're Superheroes!!!"
"Mommy! Look! Here's the GUNNENBALL! I mean, the cannon ball. Don't EAT it, Sister!"
"Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!"
As you can see, I've been getting a lot of excellent quality content writing done...
This is the real life of a parent, and I don't think it matters one iota whether you are a stay-at-home mother or a working dad. This is the kind of life we live now ~ a life where plans and schedules are more like hopeful wishes sent into the world with the silent prayer that you *may* actually be able follow through on them.
"Lunch? Sure! We should definitely get lunch on Friday to talk about your great business idea."
(Day of lunch: "I'm so sorry, my child actually has lice today. I won't be able to make it.")
"Golf? Absolutely! I'd love to play a round with you!"
(Day of golf: "I'm so sorry but our babysitter canceled five minutes ago and my wife is out of town, do you know if the range allows small children?")
"Radiohead is coming to town? Fantastic!!! Let's splurge and get tickets! We deserve to have a little fun!"
(Facebook Status on day of Radiohead show: "Um... Does anyone want to buy two Radiohead tickets at face value? Our children have suddenly come down with the chicken pox. Bummer.")
And so it goes...
Having small children teaches you not to become too attached to any kind of plan, but just to appreciate the moment at hand.
With that in mind I'm off to help my children 'build' something with their plastic socket wrench and screwdriver kit ~ still harboring the small, secret hope that at some point today they may surprise themselves (and me!) by falling to sleep for a single hour so I can complete even a fraction of the work I'd planned.
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