VACATION DAYS AND WHAT THEY DO TO US

When you are "just a mom" everyday is the same routine. Get up, feed my army, get everybody dressed, have some kind of a catastrophe to clean... not even 9am yet... get the older kids off to school. Finally 9 o'clock. Get the exercising out of the way, shower if I am lucky, do some house work, make lunch, clean up whatever the two year old has destroyed while the cleaning was happening, work on any sewing orders I have to fill, get after a dog or two, pick up the kids at school, do homework, do taekwondo/diving lessons/dance lessons/scouts/whatever else has been penciled in, throw together dinner, get the army in bed, spend a hour or so with my husband, and then off to sleep. Repeat for at least 5 days every week. Finally the weekend comes. I take an hour to read in the morning, do yoga/exercise with the kids, forget about the housework, and live for fun. Weekends are my release from the week.

I like my rough and tumble routine. It is chaos, but chaos is a near and dear friend of mine. I have a great relationship with chaos. But, what happens when my routine is interrupted? What happens when chaos takes a nap? What happens when there isn't any school, no activities, no homework, just an empty day?? Today happens...

No alarm was set since the kids have the day off from school. I seem to wake within minutes of my kids everyday. Little did I know they were in no rush to wake up. They slept until 10am... and I know I shouldn't be complaining... but, I am already hours behind. Instant question: how I am going to fit in everything. I talk myself into the idea that it is okay. All I really want to get done is my yoga, and the kids can do that with me! Maybe a trip to the beach. We will have fun. I had no idea how it was really going to play out though...

The fighting begins before I make it to the kitchen. Number 2 and 3 just can't co-exist today, number 1 wants to defend whoever she decides is right, and number 4 thinks it is all very funny. I entertain the notion that I am raising animals.

I tell them if they want to fight with each other I am not getting breakfast for them and they are on their own. BACK FIRES!! The older two tell me they will make breakfast. Instead of being satisfied to be off the hook I find that I stalk out of the room. I can still hear the arguing. I go back to my book I started. I mean, really... you would rather fight than have breakfast with me? Fine!

I start reading, they eat, my cell phone rings- a lot, my house phone rings- a lot, but of course I can't find the dumb thing, I get a few emailed responses to the New Year email I sent out- of course they come to my cell phone, and I finally decide to re-emerge from my room.

What do I find? My youngest has been in the clean laundry and dumped it all on the floor. Then I notice it is wet. I would like to believe it is only water, but can't tell for sure. I decide its not worth the risk and put it in the washer just to be safe. Then I ask if chores are done, knowing from the sink full of dishes that they are not. Numbers 1thru 3 tell me they are, and I have to start counting to get them moving and everything done. After all, they know if they don't do their chores they get to do some of mine. They don't want that.

I am thinking about working out so that I will feel somewhat okay for the rest of the day when my husband calls and wants us to meet him for lunch... in ten minutes. Okay. Get everybody dressed, hair brushed and into hair ties, shoes, diaper change, and out the door in 3 minutes. Drive to pick him up and have a nice lunch at Chick-fil-A. Get a phone call at lunch... playgroup moms want to do dinner tonight at 6. Have to tell them I am only a maybe since my husband is at work till 7. On the drive home I am promising myself I will work out when I get home. Should have time. I know I will feel better, more centered, after that.

Come home to a huge mess the dogs made with the trash. Clean up the easy stuff and clean the floor with straight ammonia since something sticky and stinky just won't go away. Ask kids to take out trash and get the, "MOM!! This is our day off. Why to we have to work all day??!!"... what I really want to know is: WHEN IS MY DAY OFF? I would settle for an hour off really. Beyond that where did my exercise time go? I almost respond, but get distracted.

Knock on the door. Answer while shouting at dogs to stop barking (where did that spray bottle disappear to) and hurdling over tantrum engulfed 2 year old. He needs a nap. Talk to the neighbor getting back to me about spraying the yard for fleas. Ask number 1 to put number 4 down for a nap. I watch her slump away with him. I know; its the end of the world! Plan a time for the neighbor to come back, and close door. Look at my house in complete disarray and surrender fully.

At this point I am going to do some light housework, a hour or two of sewing- number 3 and I do need new aprons, chalk the day up as a partial loss/complete adventure, and debate dinner options.

Tomorrow may or not be a loss, but at least I will be getting back to my routine!