Manic Mondays

Mondays are tough. I knew that long before the Bangles belted out their Manic Monday woes. 

As a high schooler, Monday’s were met with a mad rush to pack my back pack before the bus rolled up outside my house. As a college student, Mondays meant enduring hours of lectures before unwinding at 10 cent Buffalo Wing night. And as a young adult, Monday morning was usually the time when I realized that by sleeping until 2:00 p.m. all weekend, I had forgotten to pick up my clothes at the dry cleaners, buy something to pack for lunch, and get change for the metro.

But as my alarm clock buzzed I was accountable only to myself. Whatever I had forgotten or neglected only impacted me, and what I had thought of at the time as my crazy life.

Now as a wife and mother, the game has changed.

I am personally responsible for getting an entire house full of people out the door with matching shoes, winter coats, water bottles, school snacks, weekend homework assignments, pressed shirts (you’re welcome honey), all with as little screaming, yelling, and fighting as possible.

Ok, truth be told. The only one really yelling is usually me.

But, hey, I am the one with all the responsibility.

And to make matters worse, not one member of my family, myself included, is a morning person.

And yes, I am the one responsible for hitting the snooze button not one, not two, but three times, before realizing that we are all going to be extremely late.

And so Monday morning begins.

“Wake up, honey,” I say shaking Jeff’s sleeve.

“Grunt, grunt, grunt,” I hear in reply.

I then run through the kitchen, start my coffee, and head to the kid’s rooms.

“Wake up sweetie. Mommy loves you. Time for school.”

Next room.

Repeat.

Next room

Repeat.

Apparently, my kids enjoy sleeping as much as I do. So the cycle begins again. This time with less pleasantries.

“Wake up. You are going to get a tardy.”

Repeat.

Repeat.

WAKE UP!!!!!

WAKE UP!!!!

WAKE UP!!!!

As the boy’s precious, but groggy faces finally make their way downstairs, we start playing a fun Monday morning game which I like to call: “What did you forget you had to do/make/buy/build/create for school this morning?”

This morning was no different.

We played, “I Can’t Find My School Planner That I Must Have At All Times That I Took Out of My Bag to Look Up What the Super Bowl Roman Numerals Really Meant” Game.

Fun?

Not really.

And let me just add, that being late, or even close to late – DRIVES ME NUTS.

I am the type of person who likes to be EARLY. I enjoy having a cushion of time to spare.

I am realizing that with children, this is hardly an option.

Luckily, everyone got to school on time, albeit by the skin of their teeth, well feed, properly dressed, but without the aforementioned school planner.

That, I did not find until noon when I located it stacked in between the cookie sheets.

I’m not going to ask…..

at least not until Tuesday.