Shoved to Them
I am a big believer in birthdays. I know it’s a bit superstitious, but a little part of me always believed that the way my birthday went was a harbinger for the year to come. If that’s really true then this year it might be better if I just never came out of my bedroom. Yesterday was rough, y’all.
My morning started out late, and you know how I hate late. The Computer Guy was nice enough to let me sleep in a bit and get #3 up and started getting ready for school. I love that man. I just didn’t stop to think about the fact that he doesn’t know our morning routine. I also naively assumed that he would be taking the boy to school. When my husband got into the shower at 8:00, I figured our son was in school. HE WASN’T!!!! He was sitting downstairs watching cartoons and reading a book. By the time I realized this, I flew out of my toasty bed and started yelling like a maniac. #3 had no shoes on, his teeth weren’t brushed, his hair was all awry…he was a mess. I rushed him through a routine which normally takes 15 minutes in about 2 and then drove like a lunatic to the school. The tardy bell tings at 8:10. We missed it by 1 minute. I had to take him into the office and sign him in tardy IN MY PAJAMAS AND bra-less. I was not pretty. OF course that’s the morning that I run into the teacher and the spec ed teachers standing there with my hair…..ugh.
Can I make a quick admission here? I’m unobservant under the best circumstances. I miss everything. I know my husband meant well when he set up a mini-scavenger hunt for me to find my birthday gifts, I love that he made the effort and really thought it out. I failed miserably. By bedtime he had to show me where the last two were hidden IN PLAIN SIGHT.
We took the 4 children who were home to the Natural History museum. The 3 year old wanted to show his dad the dinosaurs. The 1 year old wanted to run screaming through the near-silence of the museum. The Computer Guy looked and listened to everything the children wanted to show/tell him. I chased the baby who didn’t want me. He had tasted freedom and just knew that there was more of it on the other side of the barriers…probably close to the dinosaurs.
We went to Mass. My one moment of calm in my crazy day. I love Mass.
Then there was our birthday dinner. We went to one of our favorite restaurants. It was too loud to talk, the children filled up on bread before the food came and then they wouldn’t stay seated or quiet. The 3 and 1 year olds were just tired and wanted their beds. We had pushed them too far. They were done. We were done. #1 took them to the car when she had finished eating and my husband and I smiled across the table at each other. Next year, we’re going out alone.
This is just a brief synopsis and doesn’t include lost shoes, forgotten tuition payments, the realization that we were out of diapers once the baby was already leaking, mad dashes across town, and an exhausted flop into bed at night.
My prediction for the year? Complete chaos and I need to go to Mass more often.
This morning? Forgotten homework and a dash into the office without makeup on where I met the vice-principal I’ve spent the last 3 weeks emailing and trying to convince I am a sane but concerned mother. I’m not sure the toilet paper on my shoe made quite the impression I had in mind.
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