Pulled in All Directions

This morning I awake to my baby crying out for a bottle. I’m so tired that I try to breastfeed him. I suppose he didn’t get enough because an hour later he again awakes crying for a bottle. Ughh.

After another feed, this time a slightly more substantial one using the bottle he settles down for another brief period. I pray that he lets me sleep until 8:00am. Daryle kisses me goodbye as he heads off to work. Oh my, it’s only 6:30! Moments later Daniel, an early rising 7-year-old, comes in and asks me if he can play on the computer. “Yes, just keep the volume down.”

At 7:00 Andy no longer wants to sleep, he’s wide awake and ready to go. In his excitement to start the day the volume of his voice gets louder and louder until I can no longer pretend that I’m sleeping (desperately hoping this would make him think it is still nighttime so that he would drift off again).

Breakfast was a no-brainer. Just the usual cereal and a cup of tea. Now where should I begin tackling the day? I’ve got major, let me rephrase that, humongous, clothing issues to tackle. I need to fold and put away 5 loads of laundry, empty the clothes out of the boys drawers and cupboards that are too small, take the washed clothes that are either too big or too small for the boys downstairs, sort the clothes down there into sizes for storage or get them ready for charity, then bring the next size upstairs to be tucked away for them to use. I’m out of breath just thinking about how daunting a task this is.

Also, Daniel’s bedroom looks as though a bomb has hit. Together we need to sort through everything and organize the items he’ll be keeping. Have you ever tried to reason with a young boy about the merits of not keeping every single scrap of paper that he’s accumulated over the past year? He clings to things like pretty candy wrappers and computer print-out characters as though they’re his best friends.

Oh, and I mustn’t forget to phone and book his karate lessons, call his best friend’s mom to set up a playdate, call Grandma N to arrange a visit, and work on Andy’s busy book. Amongst all of this I’d like to get a little me-time in. Perhaps continue setting up my crafts room or lazily reading a book. No, I really should get some fresh air and work out in the garden. My beautiful, to my eyes only, garden. My oasis, my escape, my lifeline.

Knee-deep in weeds this year, it is showing a lot of signs of neglect. What with having Andy last October and not taking a break from work, I just haven’t had the time or energy to handle anything beyond the day-to-day chores around the house.

Well, I should get on with the day, whatever that will entail.