Just breathe

Everyone has crazy days however it seems that adding children to the mix increases the craziness exponentially. Those of you with kids know what I am talking about. Let me just share the past 36 hours:

Get home late from airport Sunday night. Great trip but everyone exhausted.
Wow, house is hot and stuffy after 8 days closed up. Turn on A/C.
Carry kids from car to bed.
Unload suitcases from car (I swear they grew on the trip home).
Do quick inventory of food in house for kids' morning breakfast.
Send Sean to store for milk and breakfast food.
Get essentials needed for morning in laundry (Jake's blankie and kids' hoodies - airplane germs - yuk).
Pack Jake's bag for daycare Monday (clean sheets and blanket).
Find Luke's backpack and pack for school.
Lay out kids clothes for school.
Move wet clothes from washer to dryer.
Shower, put on PJs, fall into bed (sigh).
Wake up Monday morning - late.
Thank Sean for cup of coffee (what a guy).
Sean feeds boys breakfast (this guy's a keeper).
Shower and dress for work.
Tell kids to hurry as we are late.
Locate laptop and all cords, etc. Where did I put them?
Put Luke in shower.
No time to do hair…it’s a ponytail day.
Find Jake.
Get Luke out of shower and order into school clothes quickly.
Order Jake into shower.
Ask Jake if he forgot to wear his listening ears.
Put Jake into shower and pass Jake off to Sean.
Tell Luke to got put on his shoes.
Wait…where are my shoes?
Grab laptop, briefcase, cell phone. Where’s my purse? Right…forgot didn’t have purse on vacation so no purse is packed.
Throw wallet and chapstick in briefcase…that will be my purse today.
Hurry to car, get Luke buckled in and drive to school.
Drop Luke off at school and head to work.
Get to work….shipping container arrived while we were gone so must unload it ASAP or we will get a late fee.
Pull box from truck, put on pallet. Repeat 432 times.
Forgot to bring lunch. Forage in office freezer for food.
Pull box from truck, put on pallet. Repeat 589 times.
Check and answer work emails.
Verify server logs and backups.
Remember tomorrow is Luke’s snack day. Must remember 19 snacks!
Run inventory reports to prepare for morning inventory count.
Pack up and leave office.
Call Sean to see if he can pick up kids so I can go to grocery store.
Go to grocery store…make mental menu on the fly and purchase week’s groceries.
Decide grapes would be a great healthy snack for Luke’s class.
Get home and unload groceries.
Hug kids and kiss Sean.
Make dinner while kids play in backyard.
Put dinner in oven and read books to Jake on front porch while Luke rides bike.
Put dinner on table. Sit down with family, say a prayer and eat. Breathe.
Sean starts dishes.
Wash and cut up bunches of grapes and make 19 baggies of grapes for snacks. Maybe this wasn't such a good choice?
Run upstairs, unpack kids clothes from suitcases and start kids laundry.
Read stack of notices, newsletters, notes from kids’ schools.
Holy crud – tomorrow is picture day at Jake’s school!!
Herd Luke and Jake upstairs for homework. Luke has lots from vacation.
Sean heads out to mow lawn.
Get Luke started on homework.
Rummage through Jake’s clothes to find something for fall that FITS.
Get Luke started on next assignment.
Curse in my head that he has nothing that fits.
Try some of Luke’s clothes on Jake to find something that fits.
Start Luke on next assignment.
Explain to Jake that no, 3 year olds don’t have homework.
Find shirt and pants that fits Jake.
Make up homework for Jake so he stops crying about not having homework.
Realize Jake has no decent shoes for photos. Only his beat up Nikes and Crocs.
Admit I am a bad mother for not having decent shoes for my child.
Justify that tan Crocs will look just great in school photo.
Read notes from school in Luke's backpack.
Make mental note Luke's teacher conference is Oct. 16 at 5:20pm.
Realize I will undoubtedly forget the above.
Tell Jake we will read book after we are ready for bed.
Hug Luke for doing all his homework.
Pack Luke’s homework folder in backpack.
Lay out clothes for Luke.
Get kids in pajamas.
Tell Jake NO, he can't go "commando" to bed (commando = no undies).
Herd kids to brush their teeth.
Sean comes in from lawn mowing and asks if he can help.
Admit I "need a moment" so he takes over story time.
Put clothes from washer to dryer and start next load.
Unpack my suitcase from vacation.
Hint to Sean to wrap up story/game time as it is 9:10pm!
Kiss boys goodnight.
Pack gym bag for tomorrow's workout.
Remember to not forget Luke's snack's in fridge tomorrow!
Pack my lunch to take to work tomorrow. Don't forget it in fridge tomorrow!
Fall onto couch and turn on some mindless television.
Get ready for bed. Extra night cream on deepening wrinkles.
Did Luke put his tooth under pillow? Close call...that darn tooth fairy almost forgot!
Fall into bed.
Repeat.

And remember to just breathe...