A Week in My Life is an experimental series I’m working on this week based loosely on the popular “A Day in the Life” photo diaries in which I plan to chronicle what I’m doing throughout the day, all week, with six kids in tow, flying solo while my husband’s away at school. I hope you’ll decide to drop in every-so-often during the day to see what I’m up to, and commiserate with me while I manhandle it all by myself!
Psst.. send coffee and chocolate – STAT!)
Tuesday, April 27th 2010
6:25am – Alarm sounds. Oh dear God, please don’t let today suck.
6:50am – Oldest is rushing to get things done I normally would take care of. I thank her but ask that she stop rushing. Because she was rushing and not double-checking, she almost sent her siblings off to school with incomplete lunches and her sister to school with no sandwich. She gets upset at me and stops helping altogether, like a two-year old temper tantrum. Nice.
7:15am – We’re on our way out the door by the skin of our teeth. Oh God, I hate early mornings.
7:29am – Both my oldest and I smelled gasoline horribly in our car while on the way to school. I figured it was the car in front of me. I keep an eye on the gas gauge anyway.
7:40am – It becomes apparent my gas gauge (Miles to Empty digital meter) is showing I’ve traveled 20 miles when I’ve only traveled 4 according to the odometer. This could mean it was indeed my car leaking gas. Greeeat. Called to cancel my doctor’s appointment at 9am this morning.
8:02am – I pull up to the car repair shop we go to and explain our situation. It’s right outside the gate, 5 minutes (driving distance) from our house, so I take out my Graco double stroller, give them my cell phone number, and walk home.
8:11am – Called husband to tell him about our gas-leaking, walking-home incident. He doesn’t believe me. Well, he does, but he doesn’t believe the horrible luck I constantly get when he goes away. I think I made a believer out of him now.
8:20am – Look like the biggest freakin’ idiot walking up to the check point while others were driving to get to work.
9:15am – I get home. Holy freaking crap, over an hour!? Really? Oh my goodness, the walkways are HORRIBLE here. I can’t walk back with this God-forsaken stroller.Will have to walk back with my jogger. Holy crap! What a workout that was navigating this thing up and down the walkways.
9:15:10am – Make a mad dash to the restroom to pee. Holy smokes, was I ever regretting 2 cups of coffee and a glass of water before an hour + walk.
9:30am – Water plants and clean up front yard, because that’s exactly what anyone does after having to walk home from the car place.
9:45am – Drank a Spirutein shake (despite eating breakfast at 7am, I was starving after that walk) and pump more coffee in me. My elbows hurt from navigating that damn contraption. And I get to do it all again to pick up the car later, too. That is, if it’s ready today. {Gulp}
10:26am – After much caffeination, bed-making, change of clothes (I walked home in pajamas and flip flops), and a couple poopie diapers to change, I called the shop and got the good news that they could find no leak whatsoever. Now comes the task of walking back in my jogger to go pick it up before the heat of the day hits. Crap.
10:54am – Laundry folded, another load in. Dishes loaded, but washer isn’t full. Kids fully dressed, juice and water bottles made. Time for yet another lack-of-car related walk. Yippee! /sarcasm
12:15pm – I’m home. Only 45 minute walk this time, went a different (and obviously quicker) way. Awesome. But oh, so smoked. Baby Sis fell asleep, so I didn’t get to go to the store. Going to make lunch and hopefully join her.
1:00pm – Ate reheated lunch with Baby Dude. Am about to pop a boob in his mouth in hopes he’ll nap, and then I’ll get to nap? Yes?
1:12pm – Nap time! Dude is down, Sis has been down, Mom is going down, too! Wahooo! (For a nap, that is. Get your mind out of the gutter, people.)
2:25pm – Damn alarm on the phone. Too bad I had to get up. That nap was delicious. Off to begin my pick-up kidlets from school afternoon routine. Must. Have. Coffee. Now. kthxbai
2:28pm – Just realized I gave Baby Dude my keys to play with earlier, and now I can’t find them #momfail
2:31pm – Whew! Found them. As if I needed more car issues today.
2:37pm – Sweet FedEx dude just delivered my box to me through my car window. He spotted me walking today on the other end of the housing area. When I told him about my gas-smelling suspicions, he began inspecting himself. He even inquired if my husband had found a car yet (had given us advice on where to shop). Not all things are bad at this post, and this lovely delivery man is one of the many bright spots here.
3:25pm – Back from picking up children, and holy smokes, could I ever use a nap. But no, kids need to eat snack, straighten up their rooms, and off to the grocery store I go. But not without me restarting laundry, changing diapers, and cleaning out the microwave. A mother’s work is never done.
3:56pm – Beginning preparations to load up my kidlets into the car to take ALL. SIX. to the commissary. Please don’t let them act like heathens. Please don’t let them act like heathens. Please don’t let them act like heathens.
4:40pm – We survived! Commissary was a bit of a crazy town, though. But we made it! Now to go scrub toilets, unclog a sink, straighten the bathrooms. Fun times friends.
6:00pm – Wow, so um, these new heavy-duty toilet products aren’t working out so well with our brown water situation here. Nor is the drain cleaner for the kids’ bathroom sink. I’m hoping Ami (My New Savior aka Cleaning Lady) has some ideas for me tomorrow. In the meantime, must get the nachos in the oven.
6:15pm – Hey, do you know what’s made of awesome? When your older kids are with you at the store, and they’re all like “Hey mom, don’t we need this?” and I’m all, “No, guys, I made the list and double-checked everything, this is all we need,” and then you come home and notice that they were @#($*&@#$@# right? Cuz yeah, that’s pretty friggin’ awesome. Only not.
6:30pm – STOP THE PRESSES. My 9-year-old changed Baby Dude’s poopie diaper. Whoa.
7:15pm – Dinner is final-friggin-ly ready. Oh my word, dude, what the heck, it’s freakin’ nachos, one of the easiest recipes ever. What gives?
7:30pm- My daughter is a starving artist. Literally.
8:05pm – Hubby calls. Unbelievable how much I miss him. Kitchen clean up while talking, woo!
8:30pm – Holy crap, 9-year-old is changing poop again. Wow, she’s so hired.
9:30pm – Oldest son comes to tattle on kindergartner that he didn’t shower. Again. Why do they wait until bedtime to do this?
9:45pm – Kindergartner’s bathed, dressed, and three youngest are looking to wreak havoc. Baby Sis has had two bowls of cereal since nachos didn’t interest her, and Baby Dude is following me around practically chanting “boob” until he gets it. Only, he can’t say it, so he’s repeating my name so much, I want to change it to Guido.
10:00pm – I turn off the lights and grab the “mote” and sit with the two littles, since kindergarten-dude is already asleep. Please oh please, let them go to bed without a fuss. It’s already late.
10:15pm – How do ya like that, no fuss. Sweet!
(Annnnd onto Day 4)
Here’s the link recap from previous days:
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