My 6 a.m. alarm goes off. I’m so tempted to hit snooze. I close my eyes almost drifting back to sleep and in my mind I picture a beautiful, graceful fairy waving her magic wand getting the kids out of bed, breakfast on the table, consent forms signed….but whoa….back to reality.
Why am I so tired?
I think back to the days when I had babies and toddlers, waking up in the middle of the night pacing the halls when those dreaded double ear infections would strike, or the monotony of washing bottles, sippy cups and plastic plates that had divided sections for just the right amount of vegetables and meat.
I didn’t think I’d be this tired.
I think back to hoisting a kid on my hip and carrying them around while making dinner, my back completely out of alignment. I remember taking them to the grocery store, giving them a cookie to munch on while I shopped with that cart that resembled a car, and I almost broke my back trying to steer it. I remember breaking up the monotony of the day by taking a walk with all three of them. One always wanted to ride their bike, and you learn as a mom to pick your battles, but inevitably their legs got tired and they just couldn’t go another inch. Those were the days of carrying a tired kid and a bicycle as we made the long trek home.
I’m so exhausted.
There were those weeks when my husband travelled and I couldn’t wait for daylight savings so it would get dark early. I would close the blinds in their rooms and put them to bed…it might have been 6, and they would probably wake up earlier, but it was worth the gamble. I’d grab the last load out of the dryer, sit on the couch with my wine and fold those little Hanna Anderson and Gymboree outfits. At 7:30 I was done.
Let’s fast- forward a decade. It’s 7:30 and I’m just about to get in the car to drop my 14 year-old at basketball practice until 9. My 18 year-old is working on calculus homework that, to me, looks like a foreign language. I got word from my oldest that there’s a team picture tomorrow and his uniform from the day before has to be washed so he can take it to school. I had already picked up one kid early from school for a orthodontist appointment. I attended a morning committee meeting, I booked a hotel for an upcoming college acceptance reception, and the list goes on and on.
