Mere Anarchy is Loosed Upon My House

Since both of us have gone back to work full time, weekends -- once purely the domain of back to back soccer games -- have taken on the added significance of being the only time we accomplish anything home-related.

• Laundry?
• Meal planning?
• Grocery shopping? 
• Changing sheets?
• Replenishing school supplies?
• Dog and frog food?
• Cleaning out the minivan?
• Gardening?
• Fix it projects?
• Quality time with the children?

All of that needs to happen between 6pm Friday and 11pm Sunday.

So what do I do if I'm sick?

Here I sit, on a cold and bright Sunday morning, with a fierce head cold, with one child sporting the glow of a 103 degree fever and barking like a pissed off seal, mourning the fact that we will miss the CYO Pancake Breakfast today and watching as all around me, the house slouches towards mayhem.

People are out of socks and chonies.
Children will need school uniforms tomorrow morning.
Legos are multiplying like rabbits.
Dirty dishes are too.
Bedroom floors have gone missing.
People will need to be fed today.
People will need to be fed all week, and Sundays are usually a day to prepare for that.

So...do I rest?  Or do I cook and clean?  

The answer doesn't matter.  It's the question itself that really matters, defining as it does the dilemma of the working mom.  There will be a price to pay, whatever choice I make.  I will be unhappy with something at the end of this day, either my health or my home.

How's that for an upper way to start a morning?  

There are people out there in the world who know how to approach dilemmas like this one with grace.  Clearly, I need some revelation at hand to become one of those people.

And yet -- I must arise and go now, for some rough beast is slouching towards the kitchen to be fed.


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