As a single working mom of a teen and a toddler, my days are interesting…

2:14am – Hearing my two-year old call from his room.

5:40am – Listening to the alarm ringing.

6:10am – Showering in the dark because the bulb blew and I don’t feel like going to the basement to get the ladder.

6:35am – Waking my thirteen year-old.

6:42am – Making lunch for my toddler to take to daycare.

7:34am – Telling my daughter to “get down here NOW” for the third time b/c her father is outside waiting.

7:42am – Negotiating with my son to trade Dora the Explorer fruit snacks for a breakfast of banana “cake” (bread).

7:43am – “Noooo! Pease Mommy pease, Dora pease.”

7:46am – Getting out the door after several rounds of Diallo buckling his legs under him rather than standing to walk out the door…gotta love age 2.

8:15am – Finally out of traffic- for no good reason- on the freeway.

8:30 – 8:35am – Strolling down the block talking to the birds and saying hello to every passerby.

8:40am – Recognizing the savory yet pungent smell of cumin that has been absorbed by my jacket while dropping off at daycare.

8:41am – Admiring the ticket on my windshield for parking in my usual block and not seeing the temporary/paper emergency no parking sign.

8:50am – Pulling into the parking garage annoyed that I am late.

8:52am – Taking off my jacket trying to let it air out before the 10am staff meeting.

9:17am – Still perusing the week’s worth of emails (about 500 which is oddly low perhaps the out-of-offfice assistant deterred repeat offenders) received last week during my vacation.

11:17am – In the meeting hearing the voicemail message tone for the second time from my office.

11:51am – On a meeting break, learning that I have to pick up my son by 2pm from the daycare.

1:29pm – Leaving late to pick up my son.

2:24pm – Running into the house to get my son set up and prep for a 2:30 call.

3:15pm – Wrapping up the call, connecting to my remote desktop.

3:32pm – Negotiating a fruit roll up for Easter basket candy.

3:38pm – Inputting edits for responses to Congressional testimony questions.

3:58pm – Taking my son upstairs for a nap after confiscating one blue, one green colored pencil that he used to perfect his mini mural on the wall in the foyer.

4pm – Exhaling.

4:05pm – Prepping and eating lunch.

4:07pm – Returning to the computer to finish the edits.

4:42pm – Finishing lunch.

5:13pm – Opening the back door for my daughter (my mom picked her up so I wouldn’t have to criss cross town again). Thank God she had McDonald’s on the way.

5:58pm – Giving my son a requested hug while he shakes off his nap.

6:14pm – Finishing the edits and emailing to a colleague.

6:17pm – Texting my girlfriend while she is in class b/c I didn’t get a chance to edit her paper that is due momentarily.

6:19pm – She responds saying that she can turn it in until 8pm.

6:21pm – Asking my daughter to please turn off MTV videos and take her brother upstairs for a 1/2 hour so that I can review Auntie’s Cry’s paper.

7:19pm – Emailing the edited paper. 

7:21pm – Running bath water for my son as he sings and waits while sitting on the potty. Asking his sister to watch him while I start his dinner.

7:23pm – Putting chicken tenders and waffle fries in the oven for his late dinner.

7:25pm – Putting clothes in the dryer.

7:27pm – Returning upstairs thankful to find my daughter giving him his bath.

7:29pm – Sitting on the couch admiring the black Sharpie designs my son lovingly scriblled there the day before.

7:43pm – Reminding my daughter that she has a remaining online assignment to complete tonight.

8:05pm – Another requested hug for the fresh-smelling boy.

8:12pm – Delivering dinner to my son, finally.

9pm – Watching LOST.

9:32pm – Putting my son to bed during a commercial break.

9:40pm  – Enjoying the quiet of my children in bed.

9:45pm – Eating a mini ice cream sundae which I have no business doing, especially this late.

10:29pm – Turning off the t.v., lights and activating the alarm.

10:40pm – Reading a few more pages of The Lovely Bones.

~11:05pm – Falling asleep with the book in-hand.

5:45am – Alarm sounds.