Well, October is almost over and I have been so busy, I almost let the month go by without a post. ALMOST. I have to warn you, I am in a very silly mood tonight. Almost slapstick...probably because it is almost midnight and I have been awake for a very long time.
So, since this seems to be my place for griping and introspection, let the griping begin! Why in the world do the powers that be in the beautiful city of Raleigh, NC think it is a good idea to get preteens up at an ungodly hour to go to school????? Seriously! Skyler has to catch the bus at 5:45 am. Which means I have to wake her at 5:00am. Which means I have to set my alarm for 4:45am. Yes, you read that right. 4 stinkin' 45 in the morning! Ok, before you even ask me why I have to get up 15 minutes before she does...or why I have to get up at all...let me explain something about my daughter. SHE IS NOT A MORNING PERSON. Sky follows in her mommy's footsteps. She hates the morning. She does NOT want to get up. It doesn't matter what time she goes to bed the night before. It doesn't matter how many hours of sleep she has gotten. It doesn't matter what kind of alarm we set....she will not hear her alarm! She will not wake up! It will wake her brothers in the next room before it will wake her!
So I get up (after hitting snooze at least once) and I wake her. I shake her, I tickle her, I bounce her...somehow, someway, I manage to get the child to open her eyes and look at me. Then I do it again. And again. And again. Until she is finally coherent enough to understand that she is going to miss her bus if she doesn't get her butt out of bed. Luckily, she still likes school and doesn't want to be late! So she gets dressed and trudges down the stairs and looks in the pantry...and the fridge...and the feezer, before announcing that there is absolutely nothing to eat. Even though I have just gone food shopping and bought everything she asked for...apparently, what she wanted yesterday is no good today. I should know that, right? Note to self - yesterday's preteen wants are today's waste of money and tomorrow's garbage. OK, got it!
So finally, we are out the door, after getting the bookbag and the purse and the key and the phone and the drum kit (yes, she is the coolest of the band geeks - a drummer) and the lunch box (which is too big and too red)....and now we are on the front porch where she promptly asks me to drive her the one block to her friend's house "because it's too cold, mom!". And of course, being the loving mommy pushover that I am, I give in. I drive her one block (remember it's 5:30am, I don't want to be awake either!). And then do I get a kiss goodbye? Do I get a hug? Do I get any acknowledgement at all that I am even alive???? Do I really need to answer that?
Now that she has been safely delivered to her friend's house (whose mom is nice enough to walk them to the bus stop and wait for the bus with them so I can get back home to the boys) I can return home to walk the dog, walk on the treadmill (wishful thinking) and get my first cup of coffee! AHHHH the smell of hot coffee at 5:45 in the morning...did I mention I do NOT want to be awake???? I am about as pleasant as Skyler at this point...which is usually when Aiden comes bounding down the stairs ready to take on the day...can you tell that Aiden IS a morning person????
Would any of this scenario be different if I wasn't a single mom? I doubt it. I don't think I would be getting to sleep in. I don't think I would be staying home warm and snuggly under the blankets while he took her to the bus stop. I doubt that any of this would be different, certainly not her attitude, that's typical preteen...vintage, even. No, it wouldn't be any easier. And even if it was....it wouldn't be a reason to stay.
