What a difference a day makes
I fully intended to write this week about going back to school, and particularly about the unanticipated complications of separating twins, but that will have to wait. Today I need to describe what happened yesterday.
I am not consistent about carrying my cell phone to my bedroom, which I really need to do in case our babysitter calls out for the day. If the phone is not by my bed, I won't get the message until my husband and/or I are ready to walk out the door to work. Yesterday morning, my phone was on the nightstand. This was, perhaps, the most fortuitous circumstance of my day.
Though I could weave an entertaining story about yesterday's events, in the interest of time (I have very little) and sanity (I have even less), I will let the story unfold through the events as they happened in real time.
Wednesday, the second day of the first week back at school
4:37AM My brand new babysitter, who had spent the last few weeks learning the ropes and transitioning care from our former nanny so that my return to school would be seamless for the kids, sends me a text that says, "I'm not going to be able to come in today. I'm sorry."
6:00AM I wake up early, check the phone next to my bed to find the text from my sitter. "Crap," I think. "It's the first week back at school." My next thought is, "crap, I have cramps." I whisper to my husband, still sleeping beside me, that the day is off to a great start. Rather than taking another catnap until the kids wake up, I get out of bed and hit my computer, pounding out some work before I lose the rest of the day to unexpected child caring duties.
6:45AM It dawns on me that the text is extremely vague and that I might need to find child care for Thursday and Friday, two days I must go into the city during this first week of classes. Is she sick? Was there a death in the family? I text her to ask her to let me know, when she is able, what is wrong so I know whether to secure child care for upcoming days. No response.
8:00AM Begin morning routine of breakfast, etc. Things run smoothly. I call my mom to complain about losing my sitter during this first week of school. I vent because she didn't give me a good reason. Inside, I know something is majorly wrong because this nanny prided herself on never missing work, even when she was sick.
8:30AM I call chiropractor because daughter hasn't pooped in a week. And because my back is hurting and I had to cancel my acupuncture appointment because my nanny called out without a good explanation. I make appt. for 11:45
9:00AM I turn on TV for kids while I finish some work. They happily sit. Daughter flits in and out of my office, but I manage to get some work done.
9:50AM I take kids upstairs so I can change for gym workout. I intend to leave by 10:15 so I can get a 45 minute workout before chiropractor appt.
10:22AM I finally pull car out of driveway.
10:40AM I get happily on the elliptical machine, after having dropped the kids in the gym day care.
10:47AM Gym babysitter appears on the floor in front of me. "Your daughter had an accident." I climb off the machine and change my kid's underwear and pants.
11:25AM I check iPhone for email. Invitation to speak at a conference in Indiana brightens my mood.
11:30AM I leave gym for chiropractor. Somehow I lose 5 minutes on the trip, and I arrive 5 minutes late. Adjustment goes smoothly. Back feels remarkably better. Daughter leaves office smiling.
12:15PM Kids buckled into seats. I pick up phone to check for messages. Still hoping to hear from sitter. New email from sitter. It says she is quitting and her last day is next Wednesday. The message contains more information on why she needs to leave (her husband's promotion), but I can barely read it. I'm trying not to hyperventilate in front of the kids.
12:17PM Call husband. I'm panicked. He's cool. We decide I will call him back after I get the kids home and feed them lunch. I start driving, trying hard not to break down crying since I know from my NET therapy with chiropractor (http://www.doctorredmond.com/) that my reaction to the situation could give my kids neck pain when they are thirty-something. I pull it together and take care of my kids.
1:30PM Kids in bed for nap. Husband and I make plan of action - he will call one of the other girls we interviewed for the position a few months ago. Daughter decides not to take a nap. She is showing signs of pooping. I give her juice and water. She spends the rest of the afternoon and evening running to the potty and squirting enough in her undies to require a change (at least 6 pairs). I spend in-between times repeatedly calling my mom to try to catch her and find out her schedule for the upcoming weeks and cleaning/setting up for the volunteer meeting that I am hosting at 7:30PM, one that has been planned for months.
3:15PM Daughter waddles around room, and I take her to potty. She sits on potty, passing a monster poop. In the process, she arches up and shoots pee all over me. I think that it is a fitting addition to this dreadful day. I clean up mess on potty while she dances in the bathroom begging me to call Dr. Jenn and tell her that she pooped. I text the Dr. and change my clothes, putting my soiled ones in the Oxyclean bucket with all of my daughter's underwear. I make a mental note to run a "personal stains" cycle on my wash tonight.
6:00PM We have secured grandparents to cover the days I absolutely cannot stay home in the next few weeks. Husband worries because girl has not returned his phone call. He calls again. He emails.
6:45PM I realize I am in sweat shorts and crabby t-shirt and go to change for the volunteer meeting. I help husband get kids in bed.
7:30PM Volunteers begin to arrive for meeting. Nanny girl calls husband back, and he has good conversation. He begins calling references.
9:00PM References have all given positive reviews. Husband pokes head into volunteer meeting, and I tell him we will talk later.
10:00PM Volunteers have departed, and I talk to husband. We agree to hire nanny girl. I head back downstairs to clean up from volunteer meeting.
10:40PM I head to bed, ready for my alarm to ring at 5AM to head to the city for my first day of classes. Crises seemingly averted.
-
I am not consistent about carrying my cell phone to my bedroom, which I really need to do in case our babysitter calls out for the day. If the phone is not by my bed, I won't get the message until my husband and/or I are ready to walk out the door to work. Yesterday morning, my phone was on the nightstand. This was, perhaps, the most fortuitous circumstance of my day.
Though I could weave an entertaining story about yesterday's events, in the interest of time (I have very little) and sanity (I have even less), I will let the story unfold through the events as they happened in real time.
Wednesday, the second day of the first week back at school
4:37AM My brand new babysitter, who had spent the last few weeks learning the ropes and transitioning care from our former nanny so that my return to school would be seamless for the kids, sends me a text that says, "I'm not going to be able to come in today. I'm sorry."
6:00AM I wake up early, check the phone next to my bed to find the text from my sitter. "Crap," I think. "It's the first week back at school." My next thought is, "crap, I have cramps." I whisper to my husband, still sleeping beside me, that the day is off to a great start. Rather than taking another catnap until the kids wake up, I get out of bed and hit my computer, pounding out some work before I lose the rest of the day to unexpected child caring duties.
6:45AM It dawns on me that the text is extremely vague and that I might need to find child care for Thursday and Friday, two days I must go into the city during this first week of classes. Is she sick? Was there a death in the family? I text her to ask her to let me know, when she is able, what is wrong so I know whether to secure child care for upcoming days. No response.
8:00AM Begin morning routine of breakfast, etc. Things run smoothly. I call my mom to complain about losing my sitter during this first week of school. I vent because she didn't give me a good reason. Inside, I know something is majorly wrong because this nanny prided herself on never missing work, even when she was sick.
8:30AM I call chiropractor because daughter hasn't pooped in a week. And because my back is hurting and I had to cancel my acupuncture appointment because my nanny called out without a good explanation. I make appt. for 11:45
9:00AM I turn on TV for kids while I finish some work. They happily sit. Daughter flits in and out of my office, but I manage to get some work done.
9:50AM I take kids upstairs so I can change for gym workout. I intend to leave by 10:15 so I can get a 45 minute workout before chiropractor appt.
10:22AM I finally pull car out of driveway.
10:40AM I get happily on the elliptical machine, after having dropped the kids in the gym day care.
10:47AM Gym babysitter appears on the floor in front of me. "Your daughter had an accident." I climb off the machine and change my kid's underwear and pants.
11:25AM I check iPhone for email. Invitation to speak at a conference in Indiana brightens my mood.
11:30AM I leave gym for chiropractor. Somehow I lose 5 minutes on the trip, and I arrive 5 minutes late. Adjustment goes smoothly. Back feels remarkably better. Daughter leaves office smiling.
12:15PM Kids buckled into seats. I pick up phone to check for messages. Still hoping to hear from sitter. New email from sitter. It says she is quitting and her last day is next Wednesday. The message contains more information on why she needs to leave (her husband's promotion), but I can barely read it. I'm trying not to hyperventilate in front of the kids.
12:17PM Call husband. I'm panicked. He's cool. We decide I will call him back after I get the kids home and feed them lunch. I start driving, trying hard not to break down crying since I know from my NET therapy with chiropractor (http://www.doctorredmond.com/) that my reaction to the situation could give my kids neck pain when they are thirty-something. I pull it together and take care of my kids.
1:30PM Kids in bed for nap. Husband and I make plan of action - he will call one of the other girls we interviewed for the position a few months ago. Daughter decides not to take a nap. She is showing signs of pooping. I give her juice and water. She spends the rest of the afternoon and evening running to the potty and squirting enough in her undies to require a change (at least 6 pairs). I spend in-between times repeatedly calling my mom to try to catch her and find out her schedule for the upcoming weeks and cleaning/setting up for the volunteer meeting that I am hosting at 7:30PM, one that has been planned for months.
3:15PM Daughter waddles around room, and I take her to potty. She sits on potty, passing a monster poop. In the process, she arches up and shoots pee all over me. I think that it is a fitting addition to this dreadful day. I clean up mess on potty while she dances in the bathroom begging me to call Dr. Jenn and tell her that she pooped. I text the Dr. and change my clothes, putting my soiled ones in the Oxyclean bucket with all of my daughter's underwear. I make a mental note to run a "personal stains" cycle on my wash tonight.
6:00PM We have secured grandparents to cover the days I absolutely cannot stay home in the next few weeks. Husband worries because girl has not returned his phone call. He calls again. He emails.
6:45PM I realize I am in sweat shorts and crabby t-shirt and go to change for the volunteer meeting. I help husband get kids in bed.
7:30PM Volunteers begin to arrive for meeting. Nanny girl calls husband back, and he has good conversation. He begins calling references.
9:00PM References have all given positive reviews. Husband pokes head into volunteer meeting, and I tell him we will talk later.
10:00PM Volunteers have departed, and I talk to husband. We agree to hire nanny girl. I head back downstairs to clean up from volunteer meeting.
10:40PM I head to bed, ready for my alarm to ring at 5AM to head to the city for my first day of classes. Crises seemingly averted.
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I am exhausted just from reading about your day and admire your ability to hold it together in front of the kids. You're doing an excellent job!
ReplyDeleteWow! Glad it worked out. Good job Mama Turner.
ReplyDeleteI second Dawn's comment! Super mom more accurately? ;)
ReplyDelete