ROBIEWANKENOBIE

10-12 the night before: obsess about upcoming work day. fold laundry. knit a bit of sock.

6:00: hear radar growl. push leon out of bed to deal with early waking child. hit snooze. wake up. grumble. bathe. wake up second. bathe child *cough* that peed in his bed. brush teeth. get dressed. skirt #1 is okay. but no shirt to match. shirt #1 is presentable, but slightly lumberjacky. search for shirt to match skirt #1. give up. put on lumberjack shirt and all purpose pants that, well, serve a purpose. put on totally comfortable, but not stylish shoes to complete the comfort theme. look in the mirror, decide that good hair day will trump all. encourage children to pee (in the potty), pick out clothes, and get dressed. say encouraging words to the leon about their likelihood of doing so. make breakfast for family. make leon’s lunch. pack my lunch. locate glasses that aren’t in their place. locate keys that aren’t in their place. bring in dogs.

7:00: leave the house. count schoolbuses (slow day. only three). count city busses (only 1!). add them together. play math games while smart enough to play them (before calculus kicks in). sing the beatles. get kids out of the car and into work. deliver them to appropriate classrooms. sign them in. put away extra clothing “for accidents.” drive to work.

7:45: coffee. coffee is a good thing.

8:00-5:15: work on getting magazine out the door. have two very helpful co-workers. get most done. sigh of relief. try to decide if taking meat off a free sandwich is gross. burn part of lunch. peel meat off sandwich and eat. make soup. add fritos because soup sucks. decide never to eat this brand of all natural organic soup because it naturally sucks.

5:15: drive to daycare. gather coats and kids (this takes longer than you would imagine). pop in the beatles. sing very loudly. laugh at kids singing in the back. the very back. because they have decided that i’m a chauffeur. or a pilot. depending on the day.

6:30: take disabled dog to pee. put other dog out on lead. make food based on whim and what i’ve thought up on the ride home. get kids set up with an activity so that i can cook without a child hanging from each elbow. probably playdough. dough dough mountain is the playdough activity of the moment. try to figure out one thing kids can help with so that they feel “vested” in the meal. set the table and try to get kids to eat without resorting to bribery.

draw a bath. add bubbles so that kids will smell bubblelicious. get the kids to put clothes in hamper and shoes in the shoe box. sneak away to knit a few sock rows. countdown the minutes until bath termination. encourage them to get stepping by promising them three books if they hurry. figure out whose bed we read on last night. read three books. put second in his room. tell him special quick story based on something outrageous that has happened to second. go to first’s room. read a more advanced book. leave light on. go knit a few more rooms while counting down to lights out.

8:00: hope hope hope that leon comes home early from class so that you can leave him with the dishes. and have him tape american idol. while you go knit with the ladies. and laugh. and laugh. and laugh.

9:30: go home. watch idol. try to key down from day. attempt a stab at something housecleany. put glasses in glasses place. put shoes and coat in shoe place. put keys in key place. vow to go to bed early this time. fail.

way too late: snuggle in with husband. feel lucky. settle down to sleep.