Punishment

I was up on time but still really tired. So much so that I caved and crashed on the sofa for another 20 minutes. The extra sleep felt good but I still was tired. It was nearly 6am. I simply had to get moving. After some sit-ups and push-ups, I was out the door with Ykraps. It was bitter cold, below zero in many areas. I guess a warm-up is still coming but now not until Friday. It was very slick just like it has been all week. But at least I could once again see the ice thanks to the street lighting. I knew my run would be a challenging one once again. Mindy came after coffee around 6:15am. I was behind that much. I spent time on the PC reading headlines as well as reading the Daily OM before stretching, meditating, and dressing for a run. Because of the cold, I dressed warmly for my run. I wore a rare third upper layer- a fleece jacket - under my winter running jacket. That ended up being too much, but I already knew that. I just didn’t want to feel cold out the door. Aside from the touch and go footing, my run went well. There were a handful of scary moments where I nearly fell. Mindy and the wee ones left almost as soon as I was in the door. It was already after 7:30am. Mindy reminded me that I needed to pick-up the boys, Landon and Rocky, from Grandma Sharon’s after work. She had parent/teacher conferences scheduled until 7:45pm. I reminded Mindy to leave the car seat behind at Sharon’s. Jacob and I were alone at the bus stop. Neighbor Jake was having his tonsils taken out around 9am and would be out of school for up to 10 days. I arrived at work around 8:20am. That’s about as early as I can possibly be given my schedule and tasks. The work day went well. I left work at 5:15pm in order to pick up the boys as close to 5:30pm as possible. I took I-270 to the Georgesville exit. That’s a tough exit. Always a long line of cars exiting to turn right. Lucky for me I’d be going left. I was at Grandma Sharon’s by 5:35pm. Her street has lots of the dangerously slick ice. It was barely navigable. It took me a few minutes to get the car seat fastened securely but finally managed. Grandma Sharon helped Rocky with his homework making my evening that much easier. I had no idea how I might walk Ykraps while watching the boys, but I’d have to figure something out. That something ended up being me walking Ykraps in the backyard all the while the boys watched on from the rear door window. Rocky is especially insecure, and despite playing his favorite Mario Kart Wii, kept coming to the door every ten seconds to make sure that he could still see me. It was a challenge taking care of the usual after-work chores and also caring for the boys. I could never be a “happy/sane” single parent of young children. No way! I’m just not patient enough for the role. I fed the boys dinner and got their bath started. Jimaken brought Jacob and Bella home shortly after baths started. Bella eagerly joined the two boys in the tub. Jacob avoided the bath/shower thing after passing the ‘sniff’ test. After baths we got on our jammies, brushed are teeth, and returned to the family room to play some Wii. Mindy arrived home around 8:10pm. She was still a little stressed to say the least. She went through the three older kids book bags, something I knowingly failed to do. I was just happy to have covered the basics. Mindy must’ve been seeking validation as she repeatedly asked if I had a new appreciation for what she does almost daily. What I can say with certainty, anyone with four young kids better have a strong marriage. After the kids were in bed I poured a Jack & Coke. I think I had two. We talked for a while but went to bed even before 10pm.