As we turned out of the subdivision, I declared, "Okay, we need an efficient drop-off, Leatherkids," and then added, "because Mommy's solo today." I was solo. Dan had an audit up in Wisconsin and had already left to get there, not in time, but without having to sit in too much traffic.
My use of the term "solo" threw the kids for a loop. They bombarded me with questions about it. "What did you say, Mommy?" "What does that mean, Mommy?" "Are you dropping us off by yourself, Mommy?"
"Alone," I responded, now at school and scrambling to get myself and my kids out of the car. "Solo means alone. By myself. Without Daddy's help."
It turned out to be an efficient drop-off. Cal raced in with a friend of his (Mahima), and this made for a quick reaching of his drop-off classroom. Ella took her jacket off as we walked and hung it up right when we got to her cubby in her classroom; and then she and I headed to the drop-off classroom where Cal was. I gave them each a kiss and Ella a hug; and then moved out the door where I turned toward the window to give Ella a "high five in the window."
We started this high-five-in-the-window thing at school. It's now rampant. Everyone's doing it. Unfortunately, we can't not do it -- Ella insists.
I raced to train via the route that we've found is the most reliable -- low traffic and good, responsive lights. Up the 6-lane highway and turn into the mall before hitting the construction that's been wreaking havoc on commutes for the past couple of years. It involves a shopping mall, a plaza, a townhome subdivision, some ignored speed limits and a u-turn and is topped off by a back-in-the-spot parking spot in the boonies of a massive commuter parking lot. I made it in time.
Work was no less busy today than it was yesterday. I swear, it has been the perfect storm of things to do and think about this week. At work, there's... well... a crapload of work to figure out how to get done between/during/after back-to-back meetings, topped with 8 interviews to fill positions on our associates' board and goals to construct on which my year-end review will be based. Outside of work, our school is celebrating the Week of the Young Child, where every day is a theme day that involves something to do and/or remember. Then there's this art appreciation thing that I volunteered to do for Cal's class, one that requires I do some studying of impressionism and prepare a 20- to 30-minute presentation/activity to teach the kids about it. It's not this week; but it's top of mind, and I do need to contact Cal's teacher and set up a day to do this before the month ends. I have to exercise every day, a commitment I made to myself a couple of weeks ago when I was feeling not so good about myself. I have to write a blog post every day this week only because I said I would. And could the kids possibly bring home any more paper through which to sort?!
I had the kids home in just enough time for Cal to take a few shots at the basketball hoop, change into his swimming trunks, and down a bowl of cereal (yes, cereal for dinner tonight -- I did not make any nof the meals on the week-of-meals plan) before he needed to head back out for his swimming lesson. It was Dan's turn to take him, so that meant Ella and I would have some quality Mommy-and-Ella time together.
Going into it, I expected to watch Ninjago and fall asleep with Ella in my bed. (Yes, Ninjago -- I told Cal that he has the coolest sister since she watches Ninjago.) That's not how it turned out. Instead, Ella asked me if I'd shoot hoops while she, wearing her flip-flops, watched me. We have a rule that one wear running shoes while shooting hoops, a rule born this past weekend after she tore up the skin between her toes while shooting hoops while wearing her flip-flops. It was a painful shower that night as the water ran over the blistered skin.
So we shot hoops until 7pm and headed inside where I gave her a treat before heading upstairs to get ready for bed. At this point, I knew Ninjago was out of the picture; but I didn't tell her. She took a shower -- solo -- as I made the kids' beds. Ella had pulled the sheets off of hers this AM when she saw that her Frozen sheets were clean; and Cal's... let's just say they needed to be changed... again... ugh.
As she showered, Ella sang Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off." It was great. I peeked in on her occasionally, and she was always doing something productive in the shower. First, I saw her rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. Second, I saw her lathering up the soap on the rag. If only Cal did this -- he just likes to stand in the shower and let the smoking hot water roll down his body as he flings it at the shower walls (and over, which annoys me to no end).
She took the no-Ninjago news pretty well. By now, Cal and Dan were home; so I told Ella I'd put her to bed solo to finish Mommy-and-Ella time while Dan put Cal to bed solo. Ella chose two books, one for her to "read" and one for me to read... which we did. And then I lay with her in her bed where we proceeded to fall asleep together. Thankfully, I woke up 45-ish minutes in and got up to finish this and prepare for tomorrow.
It was another good, albeit crazy busy day.
Work was no less busy today than it was yesterday. I swear, it has been the perfect storm of things to do and think about this week. At work, there's... well... a crapload of work to figure out how to get done between/during/after back-to-back meetings, topped with 8 interviews to fill positions on our associates' board and goals to construct on which my year-end review will be based. Outside of work, our school is celebrating the Week of the Young Child, where every day is a theme day that involves something to do and/or remember. Then there's this art appreciation thing that I volunteered to do for Cal's class, one that requires I do some studying of impressionism and prepare a 20- to 30-minute presentation/activity to teach the kids about it. It's not this week; but it's top of mind, and I do need to contact Cal's teacher and set up a day to do this before the month ends. I have to exercise every day, a commitment I made to myself a couple of weeks ago when I was feeling not so good about myself. I have to write a blog post every day this week only because I said I would. And could the kids possibly bring home any more paper through which to sort?!
I had the kids home in just enough time for Cal to take a few shots at the basketball hoop, change into his swimming trunks, and down a bowl of cereal (yes, cereal for dinner tonight -- I did not make any nof the meals on the week-of-meals plan) before he needed to head back out for his swimming lesson. It was Dan's turn to take him, so that meant Ella and I would have some quality Mommy-and-Ella time together.
Going into it, I expected to watch Ninjago and fall asleep with Ella in my bed. (Yes, Ninjago -- I told Cal that he has the coolest sister since she watches Ninjago.) That's not how it turned out. Instead, Ella asked me if I'd shoot hoops while she, wearing her flip-flops, watched me. We have a rule that one wear running shoes while shooting hoops, a rule born this past weekend after she tore up the skin between her toes while shooting hoops while wearing her flip-flops. It was a painful shower that night as the water ran over the blistered skin.
So we shot hoops until 7pm and headed inside where I gave her a treat before heading upstairs to get ready for bed. At this point, I knew Ninjago was out of the picture; but I didn't tell her. She took a shower -- solo -- as I made the kids' beds. Ella had pulled the sheets off of hers this AM when she saw that her Frozen sheets were clean; and Cal's... let's just say they needed to be changed... again... ugh.
As she showered, Ella sang Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off." It was great. I peeked in on her occasionally, and she was always doing something productive in the shower. First, I saw her rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. Second, I saw her lathering up the soap on the rag. If only Cal did this -- he just likes to stand in the shower and let the smoking hot water roll down his body as he flings it at the shower walls (and over, which annoys me to no end).
She took the no-Ninjago news pretty well. By now, Cal and Dan were home; so I told Ella I'd put her to bed solo to finish Mommy-and-Ella time while Dan put Cal to bed solo. Ella chose two books, one for her to "read" and one for me to read... which we did. And then I lay with her in her bed where we proceeded to fall asleep together. Thankfully, I woke up 45-ish minutes in and got up to finish this and prepare for tomorrow.
It was another good, albeit crazy busy day.
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