Typical Morning Schedule

Family Weekday Morning Schedule

(in Note Form):

5:45a.m. Youngest son comes downstairs awakened from alarm clock.

6:10a.m. Get youngest son back to bed.

6:10a.m. Wake up oldest son for school.

6:10a.m. Husband tells me that he has made arrangements for me to have the car today. (Our other car is broken down in the driveway until we have enough money to get it fixed). He has already arranged a friend to drive him to work if I can drive him halfway. I explain that oldest son needs to be at bus stop by 6:45 and how am I supposed to get him to said friend before oldest son (who is needed to watch younger kids) gets to bus stop? He shrugs his shoulders. “Aren't you happy I thought of you today? I thought I was doing a good thing,” says husband. 

6:15a.m. I recall that youngest son has swimming in Physical Education (don't dare call it “Gym”). I can't recall where his bathing suit could be....

6:22a.m. Get youngest son back out of bed, put in car. Get daughter out of bed, put in car. Tell two older sons that I'm taking Dad to meet up with friend for work ride, need to get selves dressed and eat breakfast, older son go to bus stop on own. I grab my coat and throw it over my pajamas and get in the car next to my very thoughtful husband.

6:55a.m. Drop off husband with friend. Call home; oldest son has gone to bus stop. Second son eating cereal. Drive back home. As I've just finished online book proofreading project, happily realize I can now use the car to meet up with running group this morning.

7:30a.m. Get back home. Put dryer on again. Get cereal for youngest son and daughter. Get lunches ready. Find bathing suit for youngest son's Physical Education class rolled up in a petrified ball in bottom of summer swim bag. I smooth it out and spray it with air freshener. Remind self to wash and pack away summer clothes.

8:00a.m. Second son and daughter go out to bus stop.

8:20a.m. Youngest son brushes teeth, puts on clothes including bathing suit, says it stinks, and begins to panic about swimming in Physical Education class.

8:25a.m. Youngest son refuses to go out to bus stop due to having to go swimming in Physical Education class. Says he is dizzy.

8:30a.m. Youngest son thinks he will throw up and pass out on way to bus stop due to swimming in Physical Education class. Bus comes. He goes on the bus, breathing in through nose, out through mouth. I give him a big “thumbs up” as the bus drives away.

8:40a.m. Go back inside house. Oldest son's voice is talking on answering machine from high school Nurse's office. Nurse says on phone that son is not feeling well--dizzy, headache, stomach ache—has had over ten kids leave school already with same thing. She thinks I need to come get him.

8:50a.m. Email “running group” and tell them I cannot meet up with them. “No problem,” says one runner, “it's cleaning day”. “Mine, too,” types another.

8:55a.m. Scrounge up change to get gas to get to the high school. (Emergency money stash was used for gas yesterday). $5.00 in loose change found in cushions.

9:10a.m. Get in car, get gas. Realize I cannot go in to pay as I still have pajama shirt on, no bra. Ask driver of another car to please bring in my wad of loose change for gas.

9:20a.m. Get to high school. Son not coming out of high school. Realize I cannot go into high school in pajama shirt without bra.

9:30a.m. Random student passes by on the high school sidewalk. Honk horn at random student and roll down window. Ask very startled, random student to tell my son and the nurse that I'm outside in car, waiting. Student nods at me, then rolls eyes.

9:40a.m. Son comes out of high school, checks his “look” in the car window, opens car door, says, “Mom, what took you so long?” Slides into car but looks pale, grabs second son's football shoulder pads and practice shirt left in car from last night's practice and promptly throws up in them. Mortified, son yells, “Drive away, Mom!”

9:45a.m. On the road, I realize that I feel dizzy myself. Wonder if I'm getting sick!!?? Realize that I've had nothing to eat yet. Realize that youngest son also felt dizzy and nauseous. Feel guilty about putting youngest son on bus to go to swim at Physical Education. Hope youngest son is not throwing up in pool...

9:55a.m. Get home, send oldest son up to wash off his face, change his clothes, get in his bed. Take second son's football pads and shirt out of car. They smell like vomit and stinky feet all wrapped into one. While holding breath, hose off pads and shirt. Lay pads and shirt in the grass to drip-dry a while. Go inside and turn on dryer again.

10:00a.m. Go check on son. Come down, make self breakfast. Son comes down and says breakfast smells good! Now he wants to eat.

10:20a.m. Check answering machine to see if youngest son's nurse has called. No call, yet.

10:30a.m. Email husband at work. Apologize. Tell him how thankful I am that he did arrange a ride for work today so I could have the car. Tell him I love him.

10:40a.m. Decide it seems like a good day for cleaning...and laundry...and packing away summer clothes...after all.