I just looked back at two recent posts, and I seem to have gotten into a Style and Steph rut.

So. This post will not contain anything related to me or my style.

Wait. It WILL be related to me. But I won’t SAY my name or the other “s” word.

Back to business:

Today has been a whirlwind, and I’ve only been up for 90 minutes.

6:30: Get up to find son working on his research for a report. Research that is due today. Research that he didn’t tell me about until 8:30 last night. Feel very little sympathy. Avoid pointing out on computer screen the OBVIOUS presence of the info that he needs for his notecard.

Dang. Forgot to make coffee. Set up coffee pot with – the horror! – the last of the coffee. Plus a little decaf. Just what I need today: half-caf coffee. Notice headache coming on. Resolve to get Motrin next time I’m back in bedroom.

Greeted cheerfully by “morning person” daughter. Break up fight between her and “not morning person. at all” son. Tell her to make her own breakfast as I have now been sucked into son’s online research. After much whining that she CAN’T, she actually does it. (Mental note: hand over breakfast-making.) Leave son with strict instructions to KEEP WORKING.

Wake youngest daughter. Technically – TRY to wake her. Threaten to pick out her clothes for her (this always works). She asks ME to. M’kay…

Get her out of bed by asking if she’s found her fluffy pink slippers for “Slipper Day” at school. Search with her for slippers. Fruitlessly.

Feed youngest. Talk to son. Alternate between lecturing that he’d better not do this again and encouraging that it’s not worth throwing up over. Send son to shower.

Help girls brush hair. Give allergy meds to everyone who’s sneezing. Which means: everyone. Remind girls of chore charts. Three times each.

Pour two cups of fresh-brewed coffee. Take cup  to husband who’s in bed watching GMA. (Grrr…) Forget to take even a sip of my own coffee. Also forget to take Motrin.

Yell to son to get out of shower. Lay out fresh clothes so he doesn’t just put on what he was wearing before. Including the underwear. Ugh.

Make mental note that once they’re at school I can breathe.

Greet husband as he walks through to laundry room. Apologize for no clean workout shorts. Feel bad for not doing any laundry yesterday. Listen to him tell me he had to wear sweats to work out yesterday. Wonder to self why he didn’t mention this YESTERDAY.

Show admirable self-restraint in not yelling at husband.

Notice parallels between son’s procrastination and mine. Feel twinge of sympathy for son and conviction for judgmental attitude.

Convince youngest that her Scooby-Doo slippers will have to do. Tell her she can make it funny since she’s worried that kids will laugh at her. Smile to self when she asks, “So they can get their laughs out?”

Yes Sweetie. We all need help getting our laughs out sometimes.

Encourage girls to gather up backpacks, slippers, and jackets ALONG WITH the four stuffed animals (EACH) that they plan to play with during the five-minute drive to school.

Remind son to include his research note cards as he packs up. Watch him stomp off to get them, grumbling that I didn’t remind him BEFORE he closed his backpack. Manage to laugh at him with straight face.

In car rider line, confess to son that I have also messed up and missed deadlines. Including today with the workout shorts. Wonder to self if I’m doing a good enough job balancing encouragement with accountability.

Come home. Decide to make master “must do” list for today. Forget about coffee cooling on counter. Notice son’s math homework on kitchen table. ALONG WITH THE INVITATIONS FOR HIS PARTY IN THREE DAYS.

Sigh heavily. Going to store and school later anyway to drop off snack for kindergartener’s class. Which I noticed she was signed up for yesterday afternoon. Right after I got home from the store.

Decide to take son his invitations. Not math homework.

Sit at computer to write to-do list. Get involved in venting first, which becomes this post. Figure I might as well post about to-do list too.

To Do Today:

1. Get dressed and put on makeup. Tidy kitchen. Empty and then refill dishwasher. Grab granola bar for breakfast.
2. Go to Publix for meat for tonight’s dinner and Abby’s snack. Drop off snack and LC’s invitations.
3. Home again: Inventory birthday gifts. Wash load of laundry (Yes Honey, workout shorts).
4. Go to Target for last-minute gifts and party supplies. Look for cheapest nail polish for Hannah’s spa party. And something for goodie bags? (Side Rant: I hate goodie bags. When did this become a birthday party requirement? Certainly since I was a kid.)
5. Go to Petco for dog food since we’re out and dogs don’t eat regular found-at-Target-or-Publix dog food. Elitist dogs.
6. Go to lunch appointment made two weeks ago and already rescheduled once. (But I’m looking forward to it cuz it’s about editing for someone’s ministry at church.)
7. Home. Move laundry to dryer. Maybe have time to pee.
8. Meet kids at bus stop. Go directly to dentist for checkups for LC and Hannah. (Yeah. I KNOW. Six months ago this didn’t seem like a bad week to schedule them.)
9. While LC and Hannah are being checked, drive with Abby to Starbucks to get ground coffee. Since we’re out. (Notice pattern – we seem to run out of everything at once. Wonder if we’re out of toilet paper yet.) Purchase venti java chip frappuccino. Resolve to reexamine budget re: Starbucks coffee and fancy dog food.
10. Consume frappuccino back in dentist’s office while reading Highlights magazine with Abby. Not a fan of the Highlights.
11. Home. Run dryer again since its “drying sensor” is usually sadly mistaken.
12. Skip choir because, hello? Busy enough this week without being at church from 7am to 12pm Sunday. Feel sad about missing monthly chance to sing.
13. Think about doing other chores like cleaning, tidying or folding laundry. Instead fall onto couch and surf Internet and watch TV with Charlie till bed.
14. Go to bed WAY too late again. (Okay, this is not a GOAL. More like a prediction.)

.

Sigh. Only yesterday I was feeling so glib about this week. At least I can check “post to blog” off today’s list.

Notice that it is now almost 9:30. Gotta run. Pray for me!