I've been whistling this classic from the Wizard of Oz all day long -- with a skip in my step and a smirk on my face no less.
Lately, I've been feeling even more scattered then usual. My addled mind cannot
seem to remember the smallest of details (which my kids take immense pleasure in reminding me, over and over again) Focus has been non-existent, as well as planning, cleaning, cooking -- you get the idea. I was beginning to wonder if something was seriously wrong with me.
Then today, like manna from heaven, a beautiful gift dropped from the sky. When I saw the sign at the Little Stinker's preschool announcing their "Lunch Bunch" I almost knocked the other moms out of the way to sign up.
Whoever came up with this little perk was a bonified miracle worker. They sure didn't have it when my older kids were little. Basically, instead of rounding the little guy up after the whopping 2 1/2 hour session is over, he gets to stay for lunch and play with his friends. The result? Five glorious hours to myself.
I haven't had this much time to myself since school started. Come to think of it, I haven't had this much time to myself since I had my little guy. I ran errands, did chores around the house and even went for a run with the dog. I was quick, efficient and productive. Its amazing what a block of time without any interruptions will do to you.
Its during this time of uninterruped thought that I had a personal epiphany. I CAN think. I CAN concentrate. I CAN accomplish something . OK enough of the CANs -- I'm having visions of the Little Engine That Could. And that can't be good!
Whoops, I digress. Back to my point. I realized today that I don't have ADHD or Alzeimer's afterall. I just have kids. And the four of them have a way of distracting me into oblivion.
So for all those days when I wondered where my brain had gone, I realized it was here all along. Just like our friend the Scarecrow. I just needed a little peace and quiet to coax it out of exile. Way to go Lunch Bunch. And to my much maligned mind -- I look forward to seeing you again next week.
In hopes that some free time would soon be there;
The children all nestled in classes where they read,
While visions of peacefulness danced in my head;
And me in my sweats, ready for a lap,
Had first settled down for an overdue nap,
When out from the house there arose no clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away down the stairs I flew like a flash,
I tripped on the cat, and stepped on the trash.
The sun shedding light on the orderly show,
Gave the lustre of midday to the neat scene below:
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But the kitchen still clean, and a floor that was clear,
No toys on the counters, no arguments to fix,
I knew in a moment something must be amiss;
Then quickly I remembered, and smiling went to work,
And mastered the laundry; fixed every little quirk,
And putting make up on, sporting a pose,
I gave a quick nod, sad the day would soon close;
I got off my feet, to my dog gave a whistle,
And away the hours flew like the down of a thistle.
As I leave you today, there’s just one thing to say,
"HAPPY SCHOOL YEAR TO ALL, AND TO ALL ENJOY YOUR DAYS!"
It seems a few of you are curious as to how I ended up with four children at four different schools. Funny I keep asking myself the same question -- over and over and over again. What was I thinking?
I wasn't. This was not the grand plan I had in mind. Not even close. Just last year I had it all. My three older kids went to our neighborhood K-8 school (School #1). They even took the bus, so I didn't have to worry about that. There was just one slight problem. We loved the convenience, but we hated the school. So early last year we began our quest for a better option.
After many, many open houses, we decided on a charter school (School #2). Unfortunately we weren't the only family smitten with this particular institution, making it EXTREMELY hard to get into. Feeling lucky (this coming from the person who has never won a single thing in her life!), I took a chance and tried to enroll my kids anyway.
As it turned out, the twins got in, but my oldest daughter did not. However, she was 11th on the waiting list, so I still held out hope. Silly me. Here we are, on the second day of school and I'm still waiting. Hence, she remains at School #1.
In the meantime, another little issue cropped up. School #2 literally panicked when they found out my son, who has some special needs, was on an IEP. I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods, but here charter schools can deny entry if they feel they can't meet a child's needs. As for the schools in our district who said they could -- well, lets just say I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than place my child at one of them.
Luckily we found another charter school, this one specially geared towards kids who "learn differently." Its a great model and perfect for my Pond Boy, and that's how we ended up with School #3.
As for the Little Stinker, he's in preschool (School #4) and will be going to a program at a local church three times a week. I guess I could have kept him at home another year, but considering my youngest doesn't have any playmates under the age of 10 and currently roars at people he wants to meet, we figured the socialization would do him good.
So that's the long and short of how I got myself into this mess. If you were a compassionate bunch, you would just shoot me now and put me out of my misery. But since I don't think that will happen, I guess I'd better buck up, fill up and get driving.
It was a nice dream. A pleasant dream. A peaceful dream. The details are kind of fuzzy, but I do remember being on vacation -- I think it was the beach. Oh, I love the beach.
Then, like a tsunami hitting the shore, I was jolted out of my fantasy world by my oldest daughter.
"Mom! Mom! The dishwasher's leaking and there's water all over the kitchen."
Still in my relaxed state I tried to ignore the interruption.
"Mom! Mom! There's water everywhere. Its dripping from the basement ceiling."
That got my attention, but I was still a little slow.
"Moommm! Did you want all those photos? They're all wet."
That did it. I love those photos. I had them safely tucked in a corner of the basement so the kids wouldn't get to them. Now came panic time.
Running down the stairs my daughter turned to me and said, "By the way, did I tell you there's water squirting from the washing machine too?"
Its official. I hate my life.
Our dishwasher woes started a few days ago when the old one broke. We couldn't afford a brand new one, so we bought a new-to-us dishwasher off of Craigslist. Never one to pass up a bargain, I've been a big fan of the online marketplace. I'm now rethinking my position. The new dishwasher ran fine last night -- no leaks, no worries. Too bad the water supply never turned off. Water ran all night as we slept. No wonder I dreamed of the ocean.
As for the washing machine, we sprung for a front loader a while back. With six people in the house, it made total sense. There's just minor one problem. Our particular model has this pesky habit of eating socks and other small objects, eventually lodging them in the water pump. Every month or so, my husband is enlisted to drain the pump and rid the washer of all the odd items so we can enjoy clean clothes once again.
Flash forward to today. I've spent most of the morning on the phone trying to figure out how to rid the basement of the 6 inches or so of standing water. My husband tackled the washing machine and we've got towels everywhere soaking up the spill. All the while, I've been trying to steal away for a little nap. Maybe, just maybe, I can get back to my dream. And then I can have some peace.
