Tuesday, February 06, 2007

A Typical Start to the Day

My Mom used to wake up at the crack of dawn and put on the music to "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and blast it through the house. She'd whip up peanut butter toast and hot chocolate for me and my brother Joe and then sit with us and help us with our home seminary. I know I was cranky and moody with her on more than a few occassions and Joe. . . well, he just slept through most of it. But I never remember her being anything but happy and chipper. When I was even younger and all eight of us were still at home, she'd get the kids off to seminary, go walking with the neighbors, be dressed and ready to recieve all of her preschool children, get us sent off to school ON TIME, and plow right into preschool all before 9 AM. Again, I have no memories of her being grumpy or short with me. Just always happy.

In an attempt to be like my amazing mother, I have tried getting up early to do all sorts of productive things like exercise, fold laundry, clean the house and write in my journal. But every time I do, the kids decide to wake up early as well and that, my friends, makes my long days even longer and only aggravates me. So I don't wake up early. Nope. I lay in bed like a big lazy good-for-nothing until I absolutely have to get up. And then we rush around shouting at the kids to do this or that faster and almost always end up running up to the school only to be handed a tardy slip. And that's the way it is Monday through Friday, always.

Today was no exception except that even before I got up I didn't want to. I had a feeling it was going to be "one of those mornings" and I really wanted to hide under the covers and pretend it was still the middle of the night. But I forced myself up and got the big boys dressed and off to find their shoes. By the time I got downstairs we had fifteen minutes til it was time to go so I threw some toaster strudels in the toaster. Yesterday I made oatmeal for Noah when he really wanted Cream of Wheat. So I had promised him that I'd make him Cream of Wheat for breakfast the next day. Noah reminded me of that and even though he was severely disappointed, he didn't fuss. I passed out the strudel and proceeded to look over Hunter's homework. He made a mistake on one of the four problems on his math worksheet. The question was as follows: "For the drive you use crews of cowboys. One crew has 12 cowboys and the other crew has 14 cowboys. How many cowboys in all?" Hunter's answer: 39. The following conversation ensued.

"Hunter, what's 12 plus 14?"

"26."

"Then how come you wrote 39?"

"I thought it said you use your crew of cowboys."

"Oh yeah," I said. "How many cowboys do you have?"

"Eight."

"Hmmmm. Well, what's 26 plus 8?"

"32."

Then Noah, staring glumly at his strudel, in a depressed voice sort of resembling Eyeore's, says, "34."

The boys begin fighting over who's right and at that point I say, "No Hunter. Noah is right." Then being as impressed and proud as I can I say, "Good job, Noah!"

I sign Hunter's homework, making a note that we failed to do reading (thanks to last night's potato fiasco) and shove it into his folder. It's then that I notice Noah has eaten one bite of his strudel and it's time to go. I immediately lay into Noah about how he needs to eat and how he's got to stop waiting so long to eat and blah, blah, blah. I force Noah to take a bite and run to get my coat. When I return I give Noah another bite only to find his mouth full of the last bite. So we abandon the strudel and run out the door and the entire way Noah refuses to talk to me. Finally we get to the school and I threaten Noah that if he won't talk to me and tell me why he won't eat his breakfast that I'll take away his game time. He waits till our kissing goodbye point and then mumbles something about he doesn't like toaster strudels and heads off down the hallway to his class. I return home and head straight back up to my bed. I knew I should have stayed there in the first place. Instead I just added to Noah's miserable life and let him down once again. Phooey! If I'd just get myself out of bed a few minutes earlier each day Noah could have his Cream of Wheat and maybe, just maybe, the kids would remember their mother the way I remember mine. . . happy and glowing. . . always.

posted by Shana  # 1:50 PM

Comments:
I too remember mom always being chipper/happy. Instead of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, however, Aaron and I got "Getting Ready" on the player piano. I remember Aaron yelling at mom to "Stop singing so early in the morning. I can't stand it!" Thus began the player piano. Aaron and I both admit, to this day, that the only thing that got us out of bed was our feet tapping to the music.

I bet you a million bucks that mom can remember numerous occassions where her temper fell short with us in the morning. We don't remember, but I'm sure she does. Your kids won't remember either. They'll just remember the "lost temper" instances where you swore there were no towels in the drawer...and then proved yourself wrong by actually opening it.

# posted by Blogger Kathy : 1:42 AM

 

Okay, what you're forgetting is, by the time Mom was getting up and greeting the day all cheerful with you two, she had several mostly-grown kids and no babies in the house. When I was going to seminary, I got up by myself, fixed myself breakfast in the dark, and called up the stairs (where Mom was still sleeping), and maybe I got a groggy goodbye. When she had little kids in the house she was not all sunshine and light. But we grew and life got easier. So... just hand in there. The boys will grow and life will get easier, and before you know it, Noah will be able to fix his own cream of wheat whenever he's got a hankering for it.

# posted by Blogger Christine : 1:58 PM

 

Your morning rush sounds familiar to all the rest of the world.

I don't know what I would do without toaster strudels somedays though especially when I run out of bread for PB & J's. I'll heat a strudel for her lunch for 1/2 the normal time and by lunch time it's soft and just the right temperature for kids to eat for lunch.

Like Chris said. Soon enough he will be able to fix his own.

Hailey and sierra typically make their own breakfast they thow a frozen waffle in the toaster /or a studel, or make a bowl of cereal. Then I push them along the rest of the morning until we are at the school's door. Sure wish there could be a nicer way to do everything.

# posted by Blogger Devanie : 10:12 PM

 

Yes, oh yes...Chris is absolutely right! I sent her off to seminary from bed...I stayed in that bed as long as I could. She hit the nail right on the head. (Sorry Chris...really!) I remember my mother telling me that she used to have all the laundry and housework done by 9am everyday, and I used to rag on myself for not being able to do that! It's the way we mothers are...I can't wait to hear what your boys say about you when they are older. I feel so sorry for their wives who will feel like they have to compete with their husbands wonderful memories of life with mom.
Grandma Stout

# posted by Blogger eCarolee : 10:08 PM

 

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