Running Me

There's a line in a Lady Antebellum song, "I run my life. . . or is it running me?"  More and more often, I'm finding that no matter how hard I try, my life is definitely running me. 

I've pretty much been having "that" day since Friday.  Like every weekend, we were over scheduled this weekend.  KJ and Sweet Pea had gymnastics, hockey and a birthday party to attend all on Saturday.  On Friday night, KJ got sick with what we thought was an ear infection.  So between gymnastics and hockey, I squeezed in a visit to the pedi.  He did have an infection. . . in each ear.  But the ear infection symptoms quickly turned into flu-like symptoms and before you know it, we had a miserable little guy who couldn't keep any food down. 

Sweet Pea, meanwhile, went rouge on the potty training.  Once a happy potty-going girl, she now is not only not telling us she has to go, but is taking off her diaper because it's yucky.  Yucky for her, yes.  But even yuckier for me to have to clean it up.   Between the vomit and other stuff, my washer pretty much ran from 6 am yesterday until the kids went to bed. 

While we were managing all of that, Husband was trying to fix our fence, which has apparently rotted in two different places, causing two entire sections of the fence to almost fall over in a recent wind storm.  While not an emergency, the strain from the broken parts on the rest of the fence meant that it needed immediate attention.  So, while I was primarily taking care of the kids, Husband was outside, trying to drill rotten wood out of concrete some 18+ inches in the ground. 

And then there was this morning.  Just in case I thought Monday might bring me some relief from the craziness that had been our weekend, I got on the train this morning only to learn that all of trains on my line were "substantially" delayed due to a fire in an engine on an earlier train.  Normally, I take delays in stride.  But today I had court.  So I had to call around the office to see who could cover my court call in case I didn't make it in time.  Thankfully, I did make it in time.  But ironically, the judge wasn't sitting today, so my motion was continued to another day.  And when I reported this to the partner, he was irritated at me because the next court date was so far away. 

 And it goes on.  I have no hope for the week getting better.  KJ is still sick.  Husband is home with him today.  My work week that had been free of deadlines now has three separate Friday deadlines for involved, complicated matters.  And we're trying to squeeze in a visit to my in-laws who we haven't seen since Thanksgiving and who have been too sick to travel to see us.  It's pretty much a mess. 

 I don't how I can change things to make our lives more manageable, but I can tell you that I cannot continue on this pace.  I'm exhausted and pretty much at the end of my line.  Adding in things like travel to see the in laws (who deserve a visit and are wonderful to our kids) and I start to feel like I just can't do it all.  We aren't really living our lives right now, we're rushing around from one thing to the next.  What I need more than anything is to slow down for just a minute, and enjoy the moment, even if it involves vomit.  But with all of these obligations, I just don't know how I can afford to do it.  Any advice from you other working moms out there?  How do you make it happen? 

What Do You Want For Christmas?

Yes, I realize that it is November and Christmas is right around the corner (less than 47 days!) but I am not ready. My in-laws were in town this weekend and my mother-in-law (MIL) asked me what the girls wanted for Christmas. (I thought about blogging on the in-laws' visit, but I am still too traumatized to re-live it!)
If you were to ask A & B what they want for Christmas, they each would have a list a mile long, with little duplication. And every time they see a new toy on TV or we walk through the Barbie aisle at Target, another item is added to the list. But do they really want all of that stuff? Or do they even remember what they wanted the day before? No, with the exception of a Scooby Doo game or a trip to the Caribbean (yes, Mommy wants that too!).

So, of course, I couldn’t answer my MIL. And then she asked what the girls needed. Now I was definitely not an English major, but I do know the difference between want and need. And I am one of those spoiled children who received fun Christmas gifts when I was younger, not socks or underwear. (Thanks Mom!) However, my MIL is not on the same wavelength. So with a heavy heart, I mentioned that the girls needed winter dresses, heavy tights and cute winter shoes and boots.

And surprisingly, she seemed excited at the prospect at this answer. However, I soon realized that this excitement was merely at having a concrete answer, rather than an “I have no idea.” Yep, as soon as she looked at the girls’ closet, she noted that it was jam packed with clothes. And that is true – it is stuffed. However, you must know that A & B share a closet that no wider than a closet door (not a double door closet/closet with sliding doors) nor is it deeper than 3 feet. Pretty much it is your typical hall closet (or maybe smaller). And 2 girls share it! The closet currently holds fall outfits, skirts, jackets, and 3 (yes 3) long sleeve dresses.

So, as soon as she saw the closet, I knew my hopes of having the girls receive cute dresses from their Grandma C were long gone. So, I really hope she finds cute underwear and socks for them! And I hope that A & B have learned my fake smile!

Jean Anne

P.S. I still have no idea what Mommy and Daddy are getting A & B for Christmas. Can’t I just make it through Thanksgiving first? Although, I really like the Caribbean trip idea!