A Day in the Life of a Mom

If you are reading this post, odds are fairly good that you are a mom. And if you’re not a mom, then you know and love one. No two days of motherhood are ever the same, and most are filled with unexpected blessings and challenges. What follows is an absolutely true account of one such day last summer. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

7:25am-Sit down in the quiet and manage to take a sip of coffee while it is still, miraculously, hot.
7:30am-Children’s bedroom door opens…showtime for mom!
7:45am-Eat breakfast in relative calm and preview plans for the day: swimming and playing at friends’ house.
8:00am-Ask children to get dressed.
8:10am-Ask children to get dressed again.
8:15am-Ask children to stop bickering and get dressed.
8:30am-Yell at children (so loud the walls shake) to stop bickering and get dressed.
8:31am-Instantly feel guilty and apologize for yelling.
8:35am-Children still not dressed.
9:30am-Finally have all children plus swim gear/extra clothes/diapers/water bottles/lunch ready to go.
9:35am-Pause to return a phone call that “takes forever.” (Reality: phone call=3 minutes)
9:45am-Convince everyone to use the bathroom one last time.
10:00am-Lock door as everyone and everything are packed in the car.
10:01am-Realize both house and car keys are hanging from hook inside locked door.
10:05am-Hatch plan with husband (who really, really doesn’t want to leave work to rescue us) to break into house.
10:10am-Commence Operation Ninja Warrior: Child #2 climbs fence and opens gate to backyard so I can pop screen to kitchen window–oddly closed but not locked–allowing Child #1 to crawl through said window and unlock front door.
10:20am-Celebration of our total team effort ninja victory.
10:30am-Back in car to (finally) travel to aforementioned friends’ house.
10:32am-Turn around and drive home when discovered Child #3 not wearing shoes.
10:35am-Ready to leave (again) with shoes.
11:00am-Arrive the home of another mom in the trenches and have a lovely time catching up, swimming, playing in the sandbox. General merriment ensues.
2:30pm-Give children 5-minute warning that it’s time to leave.
2:45pm-Give children 2-minute warning.
2:55pm-See Child #1 carrying a crying Child #2 as I haul belongings to car.
3:00pm-Do triage on Child #2 who is still crying and now clutching her arm. Fear the worst.
3:25pm-Load tired, crying children and ice packs into car.
3:26pm-2/3 of children asleep in backseat.
3:55pm-Pull into driveway, planning to allow sleeping children to wake up gradually.
3:56pm-Everyone awake and crying again.
3:57pm-Realize Child #2 is still in pain and probably needs to be seen by a doctor.
4:00pm-Check in with husband and decide to take Child #2 to urgent care.
4:02pm-Discover closest orthopedic urgent care office closes at 4pm. Curse under breath.
4:15pm-Refresh snacks/water/books and drive out to after-hours clinic half an hour away.
4:45pm-Check-in at clinic and attempt to contain toddler Child #3 in waiting room.
6:00pm-Leave clinic with Child #2 sporting a new over-the-elbow hot pink cast. Realize kindergarten starts next week.
6:30pm-Scrap dinner plans and order take-out Chinese food.
7:30pm-Relinquish all bedtime duties to husband and call own mom…because she’s the only one who could possibly understand.

Like I told my children repeatedly that day, there may have been a lot of downs, but there were also a lot of ups. Sure, we got locked out of the house and someone broke an arm…but we also got to go swimming and eat fortune cookies.