working girl

forgot to figure in things like end of school mania when I started a new job. Thankfully they are very flexible and understanding of things like Publishers Parties. So for anyone not keeping up, I did 165 lbs of laundry on Saturday. That is no an exaggeration. I filled to capacity 4 30-lbs washers and one 45 pounder and unless my math is off….that’s a whole lotta socks. I was pretty behind, but I also felt like I wanted to get it all the way done given what I was staring down. Bear in mind that everyday I am hoping that Scott doesn’t wake up with his stomach in his throat (literally) in pain. If that happens than I have to run the dog, make breakfast, shower and get professional, get the kids up and dressed, maybe fed and in the car BY 7:15. That assumes that I’m driving everyone to their two stops. If I only have the twins, it’s an extra 15 minutes. Even then sometimes they end up with apple slices and waffle sticks in the car. Now insert “End of School” week, a $55 million follow-up proposal (b/c my firm is on the short list) and a grant for the start-up non-profit who would be over the moon to have 1/10 of 1% of that $55 million. I digress. So after three hours at the laundromat, I figure “at the very least they all have socks”. Here’s last week’s line-up:

Sunday: Father’s Day

Monday: Aidan & Noah had their End of the Year celebration. Decked out in their Easter Suits. Sammy and I have fantabulous muffins at Sweetness 7 on Grant – yes, Buffalonians – Grant STREET on the West Side. We follow that with the twins end of year performance and to quote my (unbiased- ha ha) mother, “That was the best hour and a half I’ve ever spent. They were in matching suits in the front, together, singing their hearts out. One of the songs was “What a Wonderful World”. During the line that is “friends shaking hands, saying how do you do. They’re really saying, ‘I love you’”, Noah reached over, twirled Aidan around by the shoulder and shook his hand only to follow that with a hug for “I love you”. This was totally spontaneous and just smushed me. Then he turned to his other neighbor and gave him the come-hither eye for a hug. Gina leaned over to me a said, “no way, dude”. The little 5 year old eyes were hilarious! And then there was the Chicken Dance…nuff said. Then I was off to work, then pick up the kids, drop them with dad, back to work.

Tuesday: Sammy had a Publishers Party where they read the books they “published”. They could write about whatever they wanted. Sammy’s was in an instructional manual on how to make Grampa-Style Pancakes. The former stay-at-home mom, non-purchaser of loads of processed foods, altogether fan of cooking with kids was *really* flattered not to mention oozing with pride. There is a book with drawings to go with this. But it is too late and I’m too tired for visuals. Then I was off to work, then pick up the kids, drop them with dad, back to work, then on to the Spirit of Buffalo to meet other Board members as they asked me to serve on the Board of Directors.

Wednesday: work, school, soccer, bath, bed

Thursday: work, school, baseball, bath, bed, finish grant

Friday: work, shop for and get ready for my Dad’s surprise retirement party. After 37 years as a teacher, my dad retired at the youthful age of 60. This is what you get after having been a public servant for nearly 4 decades and having started you family and by extension, career earlier than most do now. I got all of my men there clean and largely well behaved for 3 hours while we got to congratulate my dad on a good life.

And each of these mornings was met with Violet and I running around South Park.

And now I’m wiped out, though in possession of a husband but not his gall bladder but not in possession of the puppy b/c being the smart girl that I am, I remembered to schedule her spaying appt and did it to coincide with the surgery so Scott can recoup in the day. And also no longer in the possession of the paper portion that will help determine our fate on the fatty proposal in the field of 5 others…..and got a very nice compliment from my boss today.

And we made it. This seemed like a week that not only wouldn’t end, but also one that was rife for confusion. But I missed nothing and each of my boys saw Mommy, Daddy, Gramma & Gina and Pop and Grandma Marcia cheering them on. These buildings could sink into the ground but nothing would make me miss almost kindergarteners doing the chicken dance or my baby reading a book he wrote about the breakfast that I’ve made him on 90% of the mornings of his life. So that, to follow up, is why this mommy is so very proud.