Fridays

Friday is my day off.  I truly LOVE and HATE this day.  Mostly I love it.  But sometimes it stresses me out.  It is the only weekday that I get to be a stay-at-home mom.  My kids look forward to it every week.  And to top it off, every Friday night we let the kids stay up for "smoothie night."  We pick a movie, pop popcorn and make fruit smoothies.  It started off with just Caleb for smoothie night, but we've let Angie stay up a couple times too, and now I don't think she'll let us go back.  Since she's been asking me EVERY DAY "Is it smoothie night?" 

Anyway.  Friday may be my day off....but it's also my busiest day of the week.  I wake up normal time because Caleb still has school....although I don't usually finish getting myself ready like on other weekdays, because I get to go back home after I've dropped him off.  After Caleb is taken to school, I usually spend another 30 minutes at home doing my makeup and eating breakfast.  Then I pack up Angie and Garrett and head to the grocery store.  I also run any other errands that need done at this time.  Stops to the bank, trips to the DI, paying of bills, and so on.  Usually we're in Twin until about 11:30.  When I get home I bring the groceries in and then put Garrett down for a nap and then fix lunch for Angie and I.  After lunch, sometimes she gets a nap.  But if I have too much to do, it doesn't happen because GETTING HER TO SLEEP, usually takes at least 30 minutes.  Sometimes it's less, but sometimes it's more too.  She's a stubborn little thing, and I usually have to lie by her and scratch her back and tell her A MILLION TIMES to stop talking and go to sleep.

If she does go to sleep, I usually have about 1 hour to get some chores done before it's time to get Caleb from school (because every Friday is early release).  Most of the time the bathrooms need scrubbed, or the floors need mopped.  VERY RARELY do I get these things done before it's time to get Caleb.  If the kids are still asleep when school gets out....I leave them at home and drive the 2 blocks to the elementry school to pick up Caleb.  (Insert appauled and shocking gasps here for being a bad mom who neglects her children for 5 minutes while they sleep.  I really don't care.  Angie always sleeps for an hour and a half.  Don't worry.  If they're awake I'll bring them along.  I just don't see the point of interrupting PRECIOUS nap time (that in many cases took SO MUCH TIME to achieve in the first place) just for a quick trip to the school.)  ANYWAY! 

After Caleb gets home, he usually runs over to the neighbor's house and plays for the rest of the afternoon.  Honestly I hardly ever see him till dinner. There are 3 houses on our street where he can go and play at any time.  And he does.  During that time I am usually running FRANTICALLY to get the house picked up and my little chores finished before Parker gets home.  Because my one day as a stay at home mom is not the day my house is the CLEANEST....but the day my house is the MESSIEST.  I've resorted to deep-cleaning (such as toilet scrubbing and floor mopping) AROUND the mess of toys....because I've learned that there WILL ALWAYS be toys and clothes on the floor.  And they get picked up every evening.  But every day they're back.  So if there are other chores to be done.....the house goes to pot while I get those other things done.  Cuz if I picked up the house first...I'd never get around to anything else. 

Parker gets home, and I usually try to have an early dinner, so we can get the movie started so it won't end too late.  Most of the time Parker drinks his smoothie, and falls asleep on the couch before the movie gets over.  Half of the time one of the kids is sitting in his lap and falls asleep with him.  It's pretty cute actually.  I rinse the smoothie cups, throw away any excess popcorn and old-maids and then crawl into my queen-sized bed by myself.  I stretch onto Parker's half and doze off with a lamp on incase he decides to mozie-on-in during the night.  I'd say about half the time he does.

I love my Fridays.  Sometimes they stress me out a little.  The house is always a mess, but it's my day to feel like I'm doing what I love.  My greatest desire is to get to stay at home with my kids every day.  Unfortunately it's not possible at this time.  But Friday it is.  And I love getting to be who I always wanted to be, and doing what I love more than anything else.....for this one day of the week.