....because women...especially mothers...don't really need anything that measures time. Our days are long and jam packed whether or not we know what time it is.
Friday began in the normal fashion. Woke up a bit before 6am and got up and let Monty out of Teddy's room and locked him in my room so I can let Sasha out of her crate so she doesn't eat him. It's these gestures that make me PETA spokesperson of the year. Anyway, off to read email in peace to find out if the world exploded during the night.
In my email I learned that the Canteen was short a helper so I sent a response offering a hours worth of help with Tessi in tow. Then I have get the kids up and start breakfast. By starting breakfast I mean actually telling them to eat. By telling them to eat I mean, "Go to the table. Eat your breakfast. No eat now. Sit down. Eat" I say this every damn morning. Then around 8am my neighbors kids show up. My neighbor just went back to work so I'm walking her kids to school too. Not a problem but that means I have to make some breakfast for them and yell at them to not mess up the girls room...again. Re-checkemail only to be shocked and learn that my offer of help was accepted. Apparently pesky rules regarding work in the Canteen with preschoolers will be pushed aside on the busy Friday afternoon when short on help.
We get to school. Go off to Canteen. As I am Mother of the Year I gave Tessi a paddle pop (chocolate ice cream popsicle) at 9:30 in the morning so I can help prep the food for cooking. Sigh...it went as well as could be expected but Tessi was never one to sit an color calmly. Tanya, the Canteen Manager, was a good sport but we all spent more time diverting Tessi rather than cooking.
Then off to Penny's as I haven't seen her in a while and let the girls play. She takes her hubby to the train only to return with her oldest son who is sick. So much for either of our afternoons. I run to the shops while she stays with the children and then I stay with her son while she takes the girls to choir and then switches off the different kids to different activities and then back home for me to watch the remaining children while Penny does some quick grocery shopping.
After that Teddy and I head home. He's annoyed because we're leaving his friends house and I'm annoyed because it's hot and I've gotten nothing done for the the house showing I have tomorrow and the Thanksgiving dinner for which we're making the turkey. Then Teddy gets an invite to go swimming and then the girls come home. The first fight comes about 10 seconds after the front door opens; obviously. Then we order pizza, drive to get it and then wait for Ted to come home. Then I spend the evening ignoring the fighting and calling friends and settling potentially hurt feelings and continuing tomorrows plans.
Now I sit here and type this while watching, "Sense and Sensibility", drinking wine and ignoring the cleaning up that needs to be done before 2 different 8 am cricket games, one damn turkey to be cooked and of course, the laundry...the never ending laundry.
The sad part is that while today was busy - it was not insanely busy. This is the life of a mother. See what I mean, time truly has no meaning. I get up - and I spend the day putting out fires and not all of them are metaphoric ones. Sometimes I wonder why I wear a watch. Really, does it matter what time it is?
An American family living in Australia. While we all speak English here, I wouldn't say we all speak the same language.
