Saturday, January 30, 2010

Weekends aren't what they used to be....

It's amazing what my weekends have become. I used to look forward to weekends as "me" time. Have a few drinks with friends...do a little dancing at the bar...hang out in a coffee shop reading a book and sipping a latte...catch the newest movie in the theater. Boy, have times changed! I honestly do not even remember the last movie I saw in the theater.... though I am sure Pixar was somehow involved. So...let's take a look at THIS weekend as an example of what weekends look like in my world now.

Friday....the start to the weekend....TGIF...time to get the party started. So, I got off work at 1pm. Drove home just in time to say goodbye to my partner as she heads off to work. Fought for about 5-10 minutes to get boots, coats, hats, and mittens on the little ones (why we ever moved to Minnesota, I have no idea!)...worked up a nice sweat doing that. Then buckled them in and headed off to to pick up Lucas from school. Waited in the hallway for Lucas' class to come downstairs, all the while trying to corral the screaming, running preschoolers I have with me. Then it's off to my uncle's house to pick up my nephew so I can babysit him while his mom and dad go to the doctor. The whole time I am in the minivan, I have a running monologue in my head about what I am going to have for lunch....when I finally get to have lunch at 2:00. I had $10 in my pocket. Noodles & Company was calling my name. That damn linguine! I finally gave in and picked up noodles on the way home, with the understanding that I was completely detroying any chance of a moderately decent weigh-in at my 7:00am Weight Watchers meeting the following morning. Oh well.....so is life. The evening consisted of folding monstrous piles of laundry (everyone had run out of underwear....I had no choice), piddling around on the computer (with a 3-year-old in my lap who wants to move the mouse for me...not very effectively, I might add), cussing as I step on the 10th Lego of the day, and throwing around empty threats (and by the way, my children are WELL AWARE that I don't back up my threats. Though I employ the "empty threat" as my parenting technique of choice, I don't recommend it). Dinner consists of a gourmet collection of cereals. Lucas chooses Trix Swirls. The little ones want Cracklin' Oat Bran...? FINALLY, bedtime arrives. Sophie screams that she doesn't like me because she just "CAN'T" go to sleep. She is standing in the corner of her bedroom screaming that she can't sleep and has YET to actually climb into her bed. I made a comment about how only horses can sleep standing up...that didn't go over well. She cried for 20 more minutes because momma called her a horse. So....struggled with her until I finally broke her spirit and she drifted off to sleep. I am struck by how breathtakingly beautiful Sophie is when she is asleep....and silent. Lucas couldn't sleep because Nicholas was playing in their bedroom. As a big 7-year-old, he does not like sharing a room with his pesky 3-year-old brother. So I took Nicholas upstairs with me and he feel asleep in my bed...he's such a sweet little cuddler that I don't mind. Ruanita came home and got in bed around 11:00pm. I was already snoozing hard. She moved Nicholas to the chair in our bedroom. At about 2am, Ruanita woke me to say she was moving to the couch. Apparently, Sophie the thrasher had come to our bed at some point during the night.....

Saturday...family day...relaxation day....perfect movie day. Overslept for my Weight Watchers meeting this morning. Jumped up. Skipped the shower. Threw on the dirty jeans I wore yesterday and a t-shirt from the closet and ran out the door to my meeting. Decided to just weigh in today and skip the meeting since it was well under way. I somehow (through miraculous intervention, I am convinced) lost 2 pounds this week. Woo-hoo! Four weeks of losses (albeit small losses) in a row. I feel very accomplished. Stopped at Lund's and picked up donuts for the kids. Celebrated my weight loss with a 3000-calorie Mocha Joe from Burger King and a chocolate long john donut. Then it's home to deliver the donuts...snuggle the kids for a few minutes...talk to half-asleep, fully grumpy Ruanita....then it's out the door. I am working from 9-12 today. This afternoon, we have an appointment to the oil changed on our car...which by the way, is a brand new 2010 Toyota Camry that is included in the big Toyota recall. So...apparently, I have dying in a blazing crash to look forward to when the exelerator sticks. Fun stuff. After that, I am off to the grocery to pick up a few things for dinner tonight and to hold us over until my next big grocery trip. Tonight, I am making turkey enchiladas and corn casserole for dinner. All three of my kids will refuse to eat it and a large amount of it will go into the trash can. I will make a speech about wasted food and children in places like Haiti and China and West Africa who don't get nutritious food to eat, which the kids will completely and totally tune out. Then after dinner, all of the kids will get a bath and we will begin our nighttime routine of bedtime stories, piggyback rides, kisses and hugs...followed by begging, threatening, cajoling, reasoning, and finally...utter exhaustion. When the kids are finally asleep, Ruanita and I plan on celebrating with a couple of beers, some chips and queso from our favorite Mexican restaurant, Saturday Night at the 70s on the radio, and a rousing game of Rummycube. Do we live on the edge or what?! That is...if we can stay awake until then.

Sunday...the Lord's Day...the day of rest. Being the heathens (aka disallusioned Catholic, and ousted Southern Baptist) that we are, we don't do church on Sunday mornings. Sunday will begin with Ruanita and I reading the paper while the kids watch cartoons in the morning. Actually, Ruanita reads the paper...I scan the advertisements. I love a good Kohl's sale. Of course, I never have the time to go to Kohl's. I just live vicariously through the ads. Then it will be cleaning day....strip the beds...do the laundry...finally make the boys find somewhere to put the piles of unplayed with Christmas toys in their room. Then who knows what...the Grammys are on tomorrow night. Ruanita loves the Grammys, so we will probably watch them. They just make me feel old. I look at Lady Gaga and think...oh, poor girl. She's going to catch a chill in that...someone get her a sweater! See...I am channeling my grandma. I already have her excess elbow skin....I don't need to channel her voice too!

Oh well.....so that is my weekend in a nutshell. Then Monday comes and it all starts over again. The fun never ends. I may sound sarcastic, but in reality, I realize that I have exactly what many people search for their entire lives. I have a partner who genuinely loves me and doesn't try to change me...I have three kids who are healthy and beautiful and bright and sassy and articulate (though I wish they'd articulate a little less, sometimes). I have a nice comfortable house that feels homey and warm. I have a job that allows me to work part-time and be with my kids the rest of the time. My days may feel like a nightmare at times, but I know in my heart that I am living the American dream.

1 comments:

Jen said...

YES YOU ARE! I LOVE IT!!!

Shannon... I didnt know you were so FUNNY! You cracked me up through out this whole post! Enjoys these years, they go by way too fast..........

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