6:30 AM The alarm goes off. I'm a bit foggy. Last night, trying to get a handle on laundry and dishes, I finally went to bed at about 1:00 AM. I take a minute or two to get my bearings in the dim light of dawn, stretch, and crawl out of bed. Luckily Gandalf (our new-ish kitten) did not feel the need to lick my nose between 4-5 AM as he has the past two nights.
Jesse's alarm went off at 6:15, Gavi's and Keren's go off at 6:32.
I stumble (I am NOT a morning person!) to Gavi's & Keren's rooms; turn on their lights by touch through squinting eyelids, and then, holding on to the banister tightly with a second hand on the wall, I feel my way down the stairs to Jesse's room. This morning a miracle occurred. Jesse was out of bed, saving me 1/2 flight of stairs. Jesse wakes up poorly, but if well rested, once up is wide awake and annoying to all.
By now, the lights have started to turn on my brain. I walk back up the stairs better than I went down. I check in with Gavi, who sits up, smiles, and says, "HI!" (Sometimes I love this- like this morning. Sometimes my fuzzy morning brain cannot deal with his morning person personality, a personality he shares with Sean). I say, "Get dressed, and brush your teeth," and I move to Keren's room. Keren, like me, is not a morning person. I pull back her blanket, rub her back, and tell her it's time to get up. In order to speak with Sean each morning, she's waking up 1/2 hour earlier than normal. I half dress her each morning. Once she's standing, I return to my room to throw on some clothes.
Dressed, I return to the kitchen, and turn on the computer to get iChat going. Sean usually beats us to it. We connect. The kids slowly come in. Jesse, now awake, is loud and annoying. He manages to annoy his siblings, at least one cat, and usually me before he even gets his t'fillin on. He davens in no time flat. I get lunches together, boil water for instant oatmeal, and defrost a good NY bagel for Keren.
"Go pack your bags!" It's a phrase I repeat at least three times to each kid, sometimes many more. "Where are your shoes?!" Each child is supposed to have bags packed and shoes on before joining Sean on the computer while they eat breakfast. Gavi is having oatmeal and hot chocolate. Keren is having earl gret tea with milk and sugar and a plain onion NY bagel. Jesse is whining about putting in his contact lens, but when he finally does, he eats oatmeal. 7:40 AM arrives. Jackets go on. Sean says goodbye. Gavi starts each day with "I miss you Abba." This morning he forgot. "Don't forget to tell Abba I miss him," Gavi said as I buckled him into Lindy's car. (Lindy is am amazing friend who drops the kids at school on her way to work.)
I go back inside to catch up with my husband for a little while. The little while usually stretches to about forty-five minutes. This morning I finish after twenty minutes with plans to daven eat breakfast (yesterday I ate a banana before a 4.5 hour morning of chores). Breakfast is two eggs with some cottage cheese, flip through four days of newspapers (I hate throwing them out without a glance, but haven't managed to read a paper all week). I read a few articles, but am too tired to focus. I consider saving a few sections, but give up the ghost and toss the pile in the recycling.
Suddenly I realize it's 9:47. Shoot, I have to be at the kids' school at 10:30, and it's a half hour away. I jump into the shower, and out- literally 4 minutes. I towel off, somewhat blow-dry my hair, toss on a skirt and sweater. I put on my dolphin pin from the submarine service (it's three dolphins joined in a circle representing the submarine service- gold for the officers, silver for the enlisted, and, on the bottom of the circle supporting these two, a bronze dophin representing the families) and my poppy (with my dog tag given to me by the Marines for being a Key Volunteer and L.I.N.K.S. spouse mentor). I'm in the car by 10:07. I arrive at RHA at 10:33. Parking is a problem, but I find a spot, practically run to the school, and slip in a couple on minutes into the introduction. Jesse sees me. I wave.
The Remembrance Day ceremony is "Songs that Fought the Wars". They do a lot of American songs. The ceremony is all about WWI and II. There's no connection to anything after. I stand for "Anchors Away." I spend much of the ceremony biting my tongue to keep from crying. I mentioned before- I'm a weeper, and I cry every year. This year was harder. The ceremony is over by 11:30.
Just the right amount of time to get to the RA meeting. I arrive just minutes before it starts, two hours of meeting, lunch, catching up with a few colleagues. I run home, in fifteen minutes I pack up dinner in a bag for karate class, and back out the door. Back to school. I arrive at 3:15, fifteen minutes early, set my cell phone alarm and try to catch a quick nap. I doze in and out, and am surprised when the alarm rings. Down to the school entrance, I catch up with a couple of friends, fill them in on Sean, get a hug. Keren and Gavi come out to play. We've got about twenty-five minutes before Jesse finishes. It's a beautiful day, and Debbie also stays while the kids play. Jesse arrives and we head off to karate.
Once there (4:35 PM) we grab knapsacks and karate bags. I head to the post office and buy a coffee to keep me up today. I meet the kids at the dojo. Keren & Gavi have a quick snack. Jesse and I review the laws of Nisuin that Jesse missed while we were away. Jesse and I eat dinner. Tonight it's tuna and crackers with cut veggies. Gavi's and Keren's class passes quickly. It's Jesse's turn for class. Gavi and Keren change, and come sit with me. They do their homework and eat dinner. Five minutes before Jesse's class ends, Bev arrives to pick up her Gavi. We have plans tomorrow. We check in. The kids run around. Everyone packs up, and out the door.
7:05 PM we're in the car, music is on, and everyone is singing. It's actually nice. We get home by 7:40. Backpacks and lunch boxes are unpacked. Karate uniforms go into the laungry. Gavi still has homework to finish. Jesse plays on his computer. Keren is tired, and goes to brush her teeth and get ready for bed.
9:00 Gavi is finishing his homework. I tell Jesse computer time is over. I go to sing Shema and B'Shem HaShem, and the Tequila song (The kids' stuffed animals "dance" to the music at bedtime). Jesse is not off his computer, and the next thirty minutes are spent arguing/debating/demanding computer time is over. Jesse has lost his computer privileges for the next week. He is surprising unperturbed. Gavi is in bed by 9:20. His light will turn out at 9:30. I check my email and my FaceBook, and finish up in kitchen. At 10:05 I shut the basement light. Jesse's light is actually out. It's incredible. I grab the laptop and head up to bed. I get ready for bed; catch up with my shows (on tape- VHS- the old-fashioned way), and start to write this blog entry.
It's now 12:02 AM. I'm finishing up Glee and this blog entry. For the last hour Gandalf has been sitting on my feet and licking my hands. He's clearly feeling neglected. I'll rub his belly while Glee finishes. Then lights out and sleep, until 6:30 AM tomorrow. The laundry and the challah didn't happen tonight, but somehow it'll all get done.
Lila tov.
