Yesterday was one of the really exhausting days. The craziness of getting 5 people out the door and to our 3 respective locations by 7:30am is no small task. Doing this 5 days a week takes craziness to a whole new level. Oh, how I wish I was a morning person!
Had I looked ahead at the weather, I would have dressed more appropriately than 5'3" in flats and dress pants with the hem dragging on the wet, rainy ground. But alas, it was a soggy start to my long day. Teaching 23 chatty, active, and outgoing kindergarteners was actually the easiest part of my day. I love it and it doesn't seem like work at all. And I certainly don't take the opportunity for granted.
8 hours later, school ended and I stayed for a meeting that also enjoyably flew by and felt more like a date with friends. My phone buzzed alerting me I now needed to pick up my son from high school in addition to my daughter from her after-school practice. Hating to leave the meeting, I packed up myself and my kindergartner and trekked back outside onto the soggy ground to rush to get my two oldest kids. I was driving the hubby's truck since our old van has decided to no longer age gracefully. Did I mention I hate driving his big truck? I do. With 3 kids now in the truck, I headed to daycare to pick up the fourth and final peep.
Since nothing ever goes quicker than expected for a messy mama, I was now running late enough I had to drag my entourage along with me to my meeting with my college professor. Yes, I'm still trying to figure out a way to return to college and finish what I started before marriage, babies, and the progression of mamahood. Dreams don't die. We just suppress them as life twists and pulls for our attention.
The big truck is not an easy beast to park on the street of downtown Hagerstown, so after 2 laps around the square, I pulled into an open spot and managed to scrounge up a dime and several nickels to buy me 25 minutes of parking. My teenager decided to stay in the truck hooked up to music. So mama and the 3 girls head for the meeting. My youngest managed to fall out of the truck and land in a puddle along the street. No time to stop and assess the damage, so she and I both walked with a squish to our steps.
Arriving at college and checking in with Security while your peeps parade behind you must be a bonus jewel in that heavenly crown. Don't ya think? Smh. They stayed in the lobby while I took the elevator up to finally meet with the professor. The same professor from the fall who worked so hard to get me into college and the perfect classes. The same professor I had to contact to inform him that life was just too big to squeeze college into last fall. But I'm going to try again.
He was so very gracious and helpful and in a matter of 15 minutes I had my college course options laid out for me for the spring semester. We parted ways and I rushed downstairs to collect my posse of children. Hurrying to get coats on and rush out the door since the parking meter would soon be flashing "loser" in bright red, I was stopped by the Security guard asking me to sign out of the building. As I did so, he smiled with a tenderness to his eyes and let me know how well behaved my children were. I smiled and thanked him (before I could confirm he had me confused with another mama) and we all headed out to the wet sidewalk leading to the big truck.
We drove home with a quick stop at the store for ingredients to make spaghetti for dinner. Who says MeatlessMonday has to be on Monday? In under 40 minutes, we were home and everyone was sitting down for a hot meal. The first non-fastfood meal of the week. Don't judge. I promise I judge myself harder than you ever could. Lesson plans, homework, baths, and bed. Oh, and a quick trip to the other end of the county to pick up a vehicle I could drive until our geriatric van will be drivable again.
Finally at 10:45pm I lay my head down and set my alarm for 5:30am, because I don't know what the next day is going to require, but I know the adventure awaits and messy mama will find a way to keep her head above the water (but probably not the hem of her pants).
