The school year is in full swing here at the Zoo - activities are underway, the Heathens are drowning in homework, and I have to sign at least one paper and provide at least one Heathen with money on a daily basis. Today, I signed a math test and money was requested for a field trip. All is well.
The Zoo functions at optimal levels when the level of "insanity" is directly proportional to the "lack of time available." The Asst. Zookeeper and I have always been this way - and the Heathens have learned it as well.
This is typically an asset to the lifestyle we lead. For example, prior to the beginning of my typing, our day went as follows:
by 6 am - alarms start blaring in various rooms of the house
by 6:30 am - dogs have given up patiently waiting for people to wake up and have begun to get obnoxious in their want of the outdoors
by 6:33am - dogs start cycling through the backdoor and patiently wait as I walk to the bottom of the stairs to start hollering for Heathens to get out of bed
by 7 am - Two Heathens are prepped for school and putting on their shoes (I actually have a 7 am alarm set so that we don't lose track of time in the mornings!); 3 dogs have gone outside; I have consumed at least one cup of coffee (sometimes 2); dishes from breakfast have been washed (if I'm feeling up to it)
between 7 & 7:30 am - I holler up the stairs for the oldest Heathen a minimum of 3 times for him to get moving; I start computer work for the day (either lesson plans or household stuff or volunteer items).
7:30 am - the oldest Heathen finally leaves, and the Asst. Zookeeper starts to get ready for his day; I'm still working in the dining room, where I remain until 9:30 am
9:30 am - I prep dinner and throw it all in the crock pot as I KNOW the evening is busy. By 10 am, I'm in the shower. By 10:45, I'm ready to leave, having made an errand list to attempt during the day.
11 am through 3:30 pm - involves a 45 minute commute to work and teaching 2 college courses, followed by running a few errands and the matching commute home
3:30 pm - as I pull in the driveway, the younger Heathens are getting off the bus; I enter the Zoo to discover that the oldest Heathen did indeed put water on the stove to boil (per my text).
4 pm - all Heathens are eating dinner prior to evening activities (including scouts and a committee meeting); At 4:15, I took a scheduled phone call from the college. Everyone is finished eating by 4:45.
Here is where today became FRIGHTENING - from 4:45 pm to 6:30 pm, NOTHING has happened or is scheduled to happen. Strangely, no one had homework. I already had prepped everything needed for my meeting tonight.
And, while there were things I COULD DO, there has been nothing I HAD TO DO. I've paced through the house several times now with the feeling that I am forgetting something important. I will discover it any moment now and then life will be back onto its normal break-neck pace.
But until then, I'm just not sure how to handle this!
