The Patriotic Peacock

I’m sitting here, feeding my 4 year old a lunchable, and my 1 year old oyster crackers and apple sauce for breakfast.  We went grocery shopping yesterday and somehow managed to forget cereal, bread, waffles, and anything else that resembles American breakfast food.

We spent the last 6 weeks in Virginia, visiting family, and now the reality of a Monday morning has heavily laid its head on my shoulders and I have already failed at Mama task #1…feeding my litter.

I also have a son who, despite the cough medicine and humidifier, managed to cough all. night. long.

This is the cough that started almost 6 weeks ago.  Everyone is over THE COUGH.  The cough that follows us around like a spooky shadow, showing its head at the most inopportune times…for example, the middle of the night when we all want and NEED major sleep.

So, here I am.  The grumpy Monday morning Mama.  Lacking sleep, groceries, too many brain cells to really estimate.

I’m also the Mama who is staring the clock down, waiting for exactly 8am to strike so I can call the doctor and hopefully get Caleb in for a “sick” appointment, just so we can go sit on the sick side of the doctors office and more than likely pick up a virus or a good stomach bug on our way out.

Then, I will morph into the crazy preschool Mama who has, for many reasons, waited too long to register her child for preschool.  So now I will be racing across town to hopefully grab that last slot for my child.  I don’t even believe in preschool, but I am racing across town to register my child for “the best” preschool I can seem to find.

Everything in me protests how early we send our kids to school, and how much longer we all must go to school.  An undergraduate used to be a huge accomplishment, but now a Masters and a Doctorate seem to be the new norm.  I just want to wake up whenever we want and plan our day out however we want for the rest of my children’s little lives.

Once this “school” thing starts, it takes over your life, your plans, your schedule.  I am a free bird.  I like spontaneity.   I want to take a vacation in the middle of September, and visit family in the middle of March.  I want to sleep in on Tuesdays and go to bed late on Thursdays.  The words “school night” make me sick to my stomach.  You know, the school night where you have to have your homework done, bath taken, teeth brushed, and in bed by 8pm.  That kind of school night.

Some of you are thinking I am crazy.  I know all you educators and Type A personalities are rolling your eyes.  My Type B parenting, I am sure, confuses you.

Then there are those of you who agree with me, and probably didn’t send your child to pre-school.  Maybe you homeschool.

Right now I know two things to be sure sure sure.

1.  Caleb will THRIVE in preschool, and he will LOVE it!

2.  I would make a HORRIBLE homeschool Mom.

Right now. Right now. Right now God has not given me any kind of a peace about going against the grain and not enrolling Caleb in pre-k, just like I have no feelings whatsoever that homeschooling would be a good decision for us.  For many families, homeschooling works and I admire those families, but I know my son and I know myself and the mixture would not make for a good homeschooling environment.  A good Art class? YES!  But that’s about it

So, here I go.  Starting this Monday.  I will find my good attitude, or as Caleb calls it, “Happy Hour”.

I will have “Happy Hour Attitude” today.  I will find it.

Somewhere between a hot shower and my second hot cup of coffee.

So, raise your coffee mugs, and toast with me if you are a crazy Mama, a tired Mama, a Mama who just can’t get it together today.

You are not alone!

I hope you can find your “Happy Hour”….and maybe a nap