Weeks During the School Year

I love summers.  I get to be a stay-at-home Mama for a few months each year.  We go grocery shopping at 10:15 am on a Tuesday.  We'll wake up and decide to hit up the park in Reese and that will be the agenda for the whole day.  Or we'll just stay in our jammies and nap the day in shifts around the kids who never seem to nap simultaneously.  

And then the school year starts.  Our kids aren't even old enough to all be in school and after-school activities, but MAN, do things get busy.  

My week started at the grocery store on a Sunday morning.  We've been trying to figure out how to do church with our brood.  For a while, we had another family that would attend with us to help, but it made me anxious knowing another adult couldn't relax and hear the message.  Cause you know neither Tim nor I was hearing the message.  We would be fetching juice, wiping butts, carrying screaming children, wandering the halls, anything but listening.  

We've decided to start alternating church and take only Ainsley.  On this particular weekend, Tim was at church with Ainsley, while I got the privilege to grocery shop with the little two.  

Bring it. 

And they did.  While strolling the bread aisle, both kids began grunting and turning red.  They pooped together as we shopped for soup.  I was pushing a cartload of stinky filth past  innocent other shoppers.  There was no way I could leave a cart full of groceries to change their diapers.  How would I even change both of them in a public bathroom by myself?  Oh no.  They had to stew in it until we made it to the car.  

They don't even seem to mind. 

And that was the start of my week.  While we only have one child in school and extracurriculars, we do have 6 nephews/nieces who all participate in one thing or another.  Sunday was also a day we got to watch two of them participate in Powderpuff football.  

My gorgeous nephew.

 Sunday is also the day we do cleaning and laundry to prepare for the week.  I'll spare you my laundry picture as I'm sure you've seen lots of laundry.  I remember when Tim and I were first married and did perhaps three to four loads a week.

Those days are long gone.  We have three-four loads of just sheets now.  Laundry is the bane of my weekends.  Laundry and grading papers and entering scores and laundry and dishes and trying desparately to not be too busy to play with my kids.

Ugh.  I love summers.

Because Wrenn still isn't sleeping well through the night, there's no definitive separation of Sunday to Monday.  The alarm goes off at 5:45 am to signal I need to stop whatever I am doing and get in the shower.  But the time I'm out, usually all three kids are up and ready for us to begin serving their every need.

Try getting ready for work while holding a needy two year old.

Our amazing babsitters show up at 7 and Ainsley and I are out the door.  We shoot down the road, and Ainsley heads in to her school before the sun rises.

Waiting for the doors to open at daycare.

 At this point, "Mama" turns quickly into "Mrs. Roberts."  Grading papers, solving problems, trying to come up with creative ways to approach the material, trying to show the kids I care...all the while thinking about my three and what they're doing without me.

Working Mama.

Most days go by quickly.  Evenings are about dinners, watching nieces or nephews play ball or dance.

And baths.  I never realized how much of my adult life would be spent sitting next to a bathtub.  Right now we're in a spot where it really doesn't work to have any of them bathe together, so baths end up taking over an hour.

Good thing they're cute. 

 Book reading, Turtleman, Tigers, lesson planning, and bed.  Time to do it all over again.

You never know which one will be needy in the morning.  It's a good morning when it's just one that wants to be held and snuggled before Mama leaves.

Wrenn pretty much always wants to be held.

 Back in the car and back to school.  So far this year, I haven't been able to visit her classroom as a helper, but we do peek in the dark classroom when we arrive at the school every day.  

Ainsley poses next to the bulletin board outside her classroom door.

 And once again, it's time to turn on the entertainer.  Show the highschoolers that history is cool, ancient Romans are awesome, and then writing essays is SUPER FUN.  Show them that I want them all to love it and that they can talk to me when they have a problem.

All the while, thinking about whether or not my baby is crying or Ainsley is in time out, or Durham is putting up a fight about nap.

Working Mama.

Back home for suppers together as a family.  More baths and book reading and essay reading and laundry and dishes.

Just when I think I can relax for the night, Wrenn will have inexplicable anger and sadness.  Is she sick?  Is she over-tired?  It's these 2am moments when you start packing to take your child to the ER and check yourself into a psychiatric clinic when they finally fall asleep and relief washes over you.

See the tears from hours of crying?  

Time to sleep because Mama's gotta be on her game in a few hours, convincing kids that history is my life and that there's no other subject I'd rather be teaching or kids I'd rather be teaching or place I'd rather be.  

If only I could get ready without having the jockey for room in my own bathroom.

School and work and back home.  Time to negotiate with Tim over who takes the little one while the other takes Ainsley to her extracurriculars.  

Tim won Wednesday ballet and I won Thursday swimming.  

Eat and go, girl!  We can't be late!

She looks so scared.

 By the time we get to Friday, everyone is exhausted.  Did we remember orange day at school?  Did we remember the faculty meeting?  Did I respond back to all the parent emails?  Did Durham get enough practice using utensils?  Did I snuggle Wrenn enough?

So tired.

But Friday is the start to the weekend.  Stuff to do, kiddies.  Let's go.

To Reese again for Homecoming.  Ainsley and multiple cousins were in the parade.

Durham was TERRIFIED of the sounds coming from the firetrucks.  

Ainsley loved riding with the pommers.

Wrenn just sat back and watched.  

Durham felt better later while playing with his cousin. 

Family time.  It doesn't matter how tired you are, just do it.  We came home and guess what?

Baths and book reading and toothbrushing and spoon feeding and bottles and dishes and laundry.

By the time it was 7am on Saturday, Ainsley and I were at Meijer.  Grocery shopping.  Ready to start it all over again.

Meijer, 7:14 am, Saturday.