I really enjoyed the kid's winter break. Most parents were happy to see their kids go back to school - not me. It was glorious. No waking up at 6 am, no making lunches, no battling afternoon traffic from the middle school, no reminding the kids to do homework, go to bed, brush their teeth..... Didn't care.
As the break came to an end, I was not feeling happy about it. "I'm thinking about homeschooling the kids," I told my husband. He looked at me like I was insane. I clarified, "I don't actually want to teach them anything, I just don't want to wake up at 6 am anymore."
The day before the kids went back, my husband had to leave for another work trip. The night before, he finished packing his bag and we had a chat about his flight. "I'm going to need to be at the airport at 5:30," he said.
"What?!?!?! In the morning?"
"Yes. I had to book that flight because....something about Chicago.......I don't remember -I wasn't paying attention.
"Can't you take an Uber?" I asked.
"No. It'll be fine. I'm going to get up at 4 and get ready."
He was sounding like this was okay. I was very confused. "Well, we will need to leave at 5:15 so wake me up at 5:00."
We agreed to it and we went to bed.
The next morning, I was sleeping soundly when my husband nudged me. I opened my eyes slowly and he was standing over me, grinning. "Hey honey, wake up. I made you breakfast." I turned and looked at the clock. It's bright red numbers glowed 4:45."
"I thought we agreed on 5:00," I whined.
"But I made you breakfast," he replied.
"I need a few more minutes."
He went downstairs and I rolled over to fall back asleep. Then, my phone rang. I opened my eyes. It was 5:52. It was my husband. I picked up my phone.
"Why are you calling me?" I asked, annoyed.
"Because I made you breakfast."
"I thought I was going to get to sleep until 5:00."
"NO. You said that you needed a few minutes, and I gave you a few minutes."
I hung up on him. I groaned and rolled out of bed. I stomped downstairs and sat down at the kitchen table. He was smiling. He won. He was chatting away as I spooned oatmeal into my face hole, still half asleep.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Dude! I'm tired. Why did you wake me up so early?"
"It was only 15 minutes earlier."
That's what he thinks. There is like, 3 hours between 4:45 and 5 am. It's some weird space time continuum.
"But I'm so tired."
"I made you breakfast because I love you," he said.
"If you REALLY love someone, you don't wake them up at 4:45 in the morning."
He laughed and laughed and I just stared at him blankly while I sipped my coffee.
I dropped him off at the airport and I was sad to see him go, even if he does hate to see me sleep. It's only an 8 day trip this time around which makes me happy.
I came back home and tried to get everything in order for the kids to go back to school the next day. The chidren were mopey about it. That night at dinner I asked the kids, "What time do you guys go to bed?" I forgot. I thought maybe 9, 9:30, 10? I wasn't sure. Isn't that terrible? I'm the worst mom ever.
The adjustment has not been easy. The kids are like, Oh shit! We have to do stuff?
Today, after I dropped off my youngest at gymnastics, I went home to my 12 year old and told her that we were going out to pizza. I had some free vouchers but I wanted to run by the convenience store and pick up a 2 liter of soda. Which was weird, it was out of the routine.
On the way there, we had a conversation.
"I see you have an atom project for science. What is that about?"
"I don't know."
"Well, I saw it added in Powerschool."
"We don't have to do it. It's extra credit."
"That doesn't seem right. Did your teacher give you a paper about it?"
"No. She just told us about it. We have to build an atom or something."
"Well, you're doing it."
"I can't because it's a group project and no one else wants to do it."
We were getting out of the car when the conversation turned into more of an argument.
"What do you mean? I'm sure Cheergirl will do it with you."
My daughter shook her head, "No she won't."
"She will if I call her mother and tell her about it."
As soon as I looked up, there was Cheergirls mother. She was sitting in her car, right in front of me. What is the likelihood of that? She rolled down her window and we had a little chat. "Did you know there is this extra credit project for science? My daughter was under the impression that your daughter is not going to do it but I told her that you would make her."
She smiled at me and my daughter, "Girl, yes she is! You text me the details." I LOVE her.
She pulled away and we waved to each other. My daughter threw her hands up. "God must have arranged that!"
"That's right! Because he wants you to get extra credit!"
Now, I am off to email this science teacher about this project because all my daughter knows is that she needs to build "an atom or something." Only 95 days until Spring Break....
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