The Days When Nothing Happens

This morning I called my best friend Jen to see if she was still alive. From the news reports I've been seeing, you'd think that all of Arizona was underwater. Jen is originally from Minnesota, and even though she's been in Arizona since she was 16, she still thinks that all the news coverage any sort of weather gets in AZ is hilarious. It is sort of hiliarious, actually. Any rain at all is a huge news event, but when I looked at a home page from one of the local news stations in AZ this morning? They were referring to what is happening in Flagstaff as a "snowpocalypse." Ok, they've gotten five feet of snow with a couple more on the way. The town will shut down for a while, sure. But I'm reluctant to think that the end times are upon us just because Arizona is receiving their yearly rain/snowfall for the entire year in one week. Because people? It's a desert. They only get 5-7 inches of rain during a year.


After we discussed the weather, we talked about our kids. She has two teenage boys, one sixth grade boy, and an adorable 4 year-old daughter. Since we are both stay-at-home moms right now, we talked about sitting around in our pajamas until noon, which, what can I say? It happens. Especially when your best friend calls and you end up talking for two hours.


Here's the thing with me. I get up at 6:30 every morning to drive the teenager to school. I pull on my boots and a jacket, and get on the computer until she arises from her dungeon (the basement) around 6:50 and tells me she's ready to go. You're probably wondering why she doesn't take the bus. I asked her. She said buses are "gross." I could say to her, "Look, you're taking the bus whether you like it or not." Then she would invariably miss the bus, and I'd have to drive her anyway. Making her walk if she misses the bus is not an option, because of the distance, and this time of year, the weather. Let's just say it's a battle I've chosen not to fight. My older two kids went to a charter school for elementary school, and I had to drive them every day. I'm used to it.


So I'm home around 7:15, and the 1st grader doesn't get up until 8am, because they don't start until 9:05. If I were smart (and that's a BIG if), I would use that 45 minutes to shower and get dressed. If I am showered and dressed by the time the little one gets up, my day is much more productive.


However, what I normally do between 7:15 and 8:00? Email. Facebook. Read blogs.


Kylie gets up at 8. I make her breakfast, pack her lunch. She gets dressed, does her hair with a little help from me, brushes her teeth, and then can do whatever she wants until her friends get here around 8:45. At 8:55, I send them packing out the door, as the school is practically right behind our house.


Talking to Jen, both of us felt like we had accomplished nothing today. So I thought, hey...I'll make a list of what I've actually done today, and see if it's worth anything.


1. So first, as I've already mentioned...successfully gotten two children to school.
2. Unloaded dishwasher
3. Put breakfast dishes in dishwasher.
4. Went down to basement, started a load of laundry.
5. Noticed the basement was a mess (as usual) and decided to clean it up. This is supposed to be the teenager's responsibility because it's her room(s), but honestly? Once in a while I just get so sick of looking at it, I clean it. I'm guilty. You probably are too.
6. Fed teenager's rabbit.
7. Back to main floor, pick up a bunch of Kylie's stuff and take it up to her room.
8. Made my bed.
9. Sat on my bed in front of my laptop for two hours while talking to Jen on the phone.

While on the phone:
1. Played Scrabble on Facebook with husband
2. Told Jen about Scrabble on Facebook, started game with her.
3. Harvested an entire farm of grapes. ( I know!)





4. Plowed entire farm.
5. Replanted entire farm
6. Fed and brushed various animals







7. Watered all my flowers on Farmtown. (Not to be confused with FarmVILLE, above.)
Yes, I know I need help.
8. Wondered why husband wants to keep playing Scrabble with me, when I keep kicking his ass.
9. Sent email to my mother, thanking her for sending us a big box of my brother's 30 year-old Legos for Kylie to play with. Hey, she loves them and those things are expensive!
10. Finally got off the phone.
11. Went down to basement again, put laundry in the dryer, and paid some attention to the poor rabbit.
12. Starting around noon, had the following text conversation with the teenager:

"I think you should come get me, I'm having stomach issues."
(This is the status quo for her, texting me with some ailment and wanting me to come get her.)
I give her my standard reply:
"Go to the nurse."
"She can't do anything."
"Well, then neither can I."
"Well I don't wanna be at school it hurts."
"Cramps?"
"Ya"
"Go to the nurse and get some Tylenol. If she says no, call me and I'll talk to her."
"I want to go home though."
"Just go get some Tylenol and you'll feel better."
"Mom."
"Shannon."
"I'm gonna die."
"Well, you should definitely go to the nurse then, because she's closer to you than I am."
"Mom!!!!"
"This is my last text. If I get a call from the nurse saying to come get you, I will. Otherwise, quit bugging me."

That was the last I heard from her. I'm so mean.


13. Took shower (finally)


In about 10 minutes, I have to leave and go get her, and the bitching will commence. Yay.


Things I haven't done yet, but will.


1. Pick up teenager from school.
2. Pick up 1st grader from school.
3. Make dinner that probably no one but me will eat.
4. Be taxi driver for whatever Shannon is doing tonight (Hey, it's Friday, and she will totally feel fine by then. Trust me.)
5. At some point, get laundry from the dryer and put it all away.


And here I think I didn't do anything today.


Husband has had two interviews this week, and one set up for next week. Please keep your fingers crossed!