Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Mama Slade's Epic Day Off!

Monday is one of my days off. I work part-time at the church a couple of mornings a week. Sometimes my Mondays just fly by and this Monday was one of those. About halfway thru the day, my mind wandered, thinking "This is a day of rest"! Days off speed by VERY quickly for this busy mom of three. Here is a peek into my Monday. Come along for the ride! ;-)

6:00 am- I sleep in on Mondays. (Yeah!)  Bowen brings coffee to me in bed. (World's best husband!)  I have my devotion time for 30 minutes.

7:00 am- Up and at em'... Oh wait, Tommy wants to snuggle for "5 more minutes". A year from now he may not want to, so I grab this moment, him in my arms, and enjoy.

7:15 am- Breakfast for the boys is on the table. Tommy has attention issues so it takes 30 minutes to get him to eat, and that's on a good day. This next hour is one of the most pressing times of my day. Keep in mind that backpacks are pre-packed the night before and clothes are picked by him. (2 options) Lunches are as ready as possible. All he has to do is eat and get dressed. Today it took 48 minutes.

7:50 am- Dad and Ethan leave for patrol duty. I throw my hair in a ponytail and decide to skip my date w/ the bridge as the day is looking REALLY full already.

8:00 am- I load the car and take Tommy to school. Because of his disability it is dangerous to let him out in car line, so every day we walk him in. He really wants to be a big boy! The last couple of weeks he argues daily with me that he is big now and can walk in himself. If he ends up being a lawyer, I would want him to represent me. He sure can argue his case. But this mama wins this one ;-)

8:30 am- Run back home to eat breakfast, pay bills, balance check book, grab returns to go in town. I loathe the driving but do all of them at once to limit drive time. It's 25 minutes to Michael's, Target, and the Dollar Tree. Oh, and I grab the dog to take to her to the vet for MY first haircut w/ her.
Getting this all ready to go took an hour and a half. I managed to throw in  a few loads of laundry while home, too.

10:00-10:15 am- HERE IS WHERE THE FUN BEGINS.... Petunia LOVES to run errands with me. Keep in mind, I have never taken her "out" of the car. So we get to the vet for her haircut, and I jump out of the car. (Ponte Vedra Animal Care) Out she jumps behind me. Then, as I open the door to the vet everything changed. She made a mad dash between the cars. YES!!! By now, I am frantically trying to catch her as she is sliding under and around cars. The next thing I know she is in some older man's car. Did I mention it was a beautiful Mercedes? YEP! Jumped right in and wanted him to rescue her. He is laughing hysterically at the sight of me. (I can't even imagine how hysterical I must have looked!) He then manages to inform me that "a leash would help you keep her put"... No kidding! I did not say this, but it definitely ran through my mind. Instead, I stammered "I am new to this dog thing. Thank you for the advice." I look up and the vet office staff girls are cracking up at the whole scenario. Note to self: "Go to Target today and get a leash"! I finally get Petunia in and settled with the groomer and am off to town. Worship music blaring (OF COURSE!)... Thinking "what have I gotten myself into".

11:00-1:00 pm- I get to the Dollar Store for the thrifty side of me to buy tissue, tape, boxes, bows, ribbon, treat boxes, etc. They will all be picked over in a couple of weeks. I buy now, to avoid traffic and driving... Next stop: Michael's. I have a rare (very rare) desire to be crafty. I saw this great time out jar and went to get the supplies. Check out my facebook page from earlier to see what I did. Next stop: Super Target. I didn't forget a dog leash (how could I?!) comb and brush. She was matted and we needed a brush to use with her daily. On the way home I grabbed Bowen's shirts at the dry cleaner. I'm glad I had a coupon and it was only $8... Oh happy day! I then hit up the post office. The debit card machine was down. Bummer! They only took checks or cash. Remember earlier I said I paid bills? Guess where my checkbook was? Not in my purse. I paid $2.35 in change... The looks I got from the VERY long line left my mind pondering the people around me. I run into Tuesday Morning next, since I did not have kids and never go in there.

2:00 pm- I get back to the house and have lunch. My prayer partner called and we hit the ground catching up and praying. I love this woman of God. She knows me, believes in me, prays for me, challenges me, provokes me, and know how to speak tenderly but honestly. We understand and know each other's hearts, desires, and convictions. The next thirty minutes were a treat in the midst of the busyness..

2:30 pm- Another friend calls and offers to grab Ethan. Thank you, Jesus. I was trying to figure out how I was gonna be at Landrum for 3:00pm pick up, at Rawlings for Ethan at the same time and home for the bus at 3:15pm. Moms: Let me know if you figure out how to be multiple places at once!

3:00 pm - I pick up Beth from after-school practice for Florida Junior Thespian Practice. Districts are in one week! Now I am rushing back to the house in hopes of grabbing a shower before having to be at her Science Fair Awards Ceremony. Beth is rambling that they did not place, so maybe we should skip.... I am thinking awesome thoughts, obviously! Then, I am reminded that her partner SAVED the project last week. Beth forgot a deadline and was sick. It happened to be the day of Bowen's 50th party. It was a mess. Ugh! Beth wanted to skip, she was sure that they were not gonna win. In between the school and home, I got gas, prayed for a friend, and had some "quality time with Beth" (NOT).

3:15 pm- Just as I am jumping in shower the phone rings--- Petunia needs picked up in 15 minutes. So much for a shower. Off I head to grab "precious". I arrive to find that the vet has yet to see her. Stuck for 20 minutes waiting....Hmmm.. how will I clean up and get out the door to be presentable with all the other PV moms? I get home and have 25 minutes to get us back to Landrum.

4:45 pm- I decide to hide my hair under a scarf/headband. Now you all know my secret. (A scarf means dirty hair). I throw on a cute pair of skinny jeans, ballet flats, and a fun shirt to go support my oldest.

5:30-6:00 pm- Socialized with other parents and was blown away with the project and all the kids competing.

6:00- We grab the last seats in the auditorium with some other families from church. Beth whispers "We can leave after my category". She was pretty confident they would only get an honorable mention. I have to say she almost looked shocked when they didn't get that. When they called the name of her and Emily, we all were speechless. Of course, I was proud of her! We just did not think they would place. There were 62 other REALLY good contestants. By this time, she is starving and I am too. I have no dinner in the fridge, so we leave.

6:55 pm- Home-sweet -home- I order a Brucci's special for $8. Beth whips up a salad and I sit down for 25 minutes while Bowen gets pizza. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, I am off to my last errand at 8:00pm at night... Publix for my final things for Thanksgiving.  NO WAY am I going after work tomorrow. While at the Publix a stranger says to me " Twice in one day- Did you catch your dog?" This was a bystander who watched my chaotic dog-catching in the parking lot... A stranger.  My reputation is now marked forever. LOL.....

So how was my day off today? A busy celebration as a mom of the details that matter to my kids.  Although I am hoping my sleep is multiplied...Was it restful, relaxing, me-focused?  No... But I would not trade being mama Slade for anything in the world.

Being a mom is full time job and I love it with all my being.
So how was your day?