We've all heard it... families thrive with routines.
And yes, that is totally true. So like the rest of parents just trying to do the right thing, when a new week is starting, I make sure all their clothes are washed and folded and laid out for them on Sunday nights - I'm talking shirts, pants, underwear, socks, sweatshirts for colder days - all neatly organized into piles to grab each morning to make for a seamless transition from pajamas to outfits. I make sure Jackson always has something extra loose to wear on Wednesdays and Fridays because those are gym class days. I remember which days he has art so that his nice clothes won't get stained from markers and paint. Jase always has comfy cozy clothes ready because he is non stop running around and I want him to be comfortable. Jackson's lunches are made the night before with cute little notes reminding him how proud I am of him and how much I love him. Healthy snacks are always packed and ready. Water bottles are washed. Ice trays are filled (thanks to Paul). Breakfast is thoroughly planned and thought out on Sunday afternoon grocery store trips, to make mornings easy. Kids vitamins are easy to reach so they're never forgotten. I set my alarm extra early so my hair either gets washed on the mornings I have to go into the office and look put together, or I strategically have an outfit ready in mind that will pair well with the slicked back bun look. If it's a WFH day, I have my leggings and sweatshirt ready to go. I wake up in a good mood with the hopes of an easy morning and day. I open my eyes and all the tabs start opening in my brain, and I slowly remind myself that everything was set up the night before so we should be smooth sailing...
But what about when one or two little things happen, such as the boys jumping and dancing on their beds and laughing so sweetly until one of them falls or bangs their head and now the laughs have turned into cries, and then coming downstairs to the the discovery that the cats dumped their water dish (again) all over the bathroom floor and also threw up a lovely hairball that I stepped in, while holding a cranky toddler whose nose won't stop running and has decided he doesn't want to eat breakfast so he tosses it all on the rug secretly trying to feed the kitties... and oops, we forgot the Kindergarten "sight words" we were supposed to go over to prep for the quiz on Friday so now we have to somehow go through three nights' worth of words, I have to sign my parent initials and send the paper back in his folder to school. Ok let me quickly go get dressed so we can sit down and learn those words, but oh no! I forgot to switch the laundry into the dryer the night before because my phone rang or I got distracted by an email, so now I can't wear what I planned, and I accidentally dropped my bronzer on the floor into a million pieces and now the cat is eating it, my contacts are SO BLURRY (why the F do my contacts always give me trouble when I'm already stressed), and now I'm sweating, and it's also spirit week so Jackson has to wear red, sports gear, pajamas, a hat, crazy socks that feel so weird when he puts them on, and his sneakers are soaked because he jumped in a puddle the night before, and we ran out of orange juice and I forgot to feed the cats breakfast because I was cleaning up their puke, so I'm speed texting Paul about WHY ARE MORNINGS SO HARD, and it's snowing so I can't forget to start my car early and the kids look so cute on the couch watching the snow fall out the window and I should snap a photo but I sneezed so the picture came out blurry, and I hope traffic isn't bad because my boss has a deposition so I should really get there early but god damnit my gas light is on E - why didn't I just get gas last night?
So then I load the kids in the car white knuckling the steering wheel answering all the questions and playing all 10 favorite songs during the 2 minute drive to Jackson's school, fielding work calls, pulling into his school at exactly 8:25am, making sure to give him a huge kiss before he jumps out of the car with his backpack on that's half the size of his perfect little body, thinking about how I could have had so much more patience this morning and they're only little once, while listening to Jase scream BYE JACKIE, I LOVE YOUUUUUUU as he exits my jeep, then driving to my mom's and dropping Jase off and sneaking out quickly so he doesn't see me go, and tearing up while I drive away because I love these kids so damn much, so why in Christ's name is it so crazy just getting to this point each morning?
What about when all that happens? What about when the routine just gets totally derailed? Do you end up like me just so frazzled with overthinking it all that when you get to the speaker at the Starbucks line you drive right past it up to the window realizing you forgot to even order your coffee.... or are you normal?
Just curious :)
Love,
Holly
