The Sounds of Silence

Do you hear that?  Listen..... That's right. Silence. Sweet Blessed Silence.

This morning dove has been keeping silent vigil over her nest for about
a week now.  Photo shot through the window screen in our bedroom.

It is 7 a.m. and I have the house to myself. Children and spouse off to school and work. This day has finally come. I have been counting down the days and hours, holding my breath, waiting for this moment to arrive. So blissfully sweet. So full of promise.  

After the most ridiculously crazy busy month I can remember in a long time, we are finally at a place where some semblance of order will be returned. Some degree of routine will be back. I will be able to bank on some "me time" that is not devoted to Mom as chauffeur and bank.  You think I jest?  Oh no.  I jest not.  This is my last two weeks in a nutshell:

8/13, 14, & 15 - visit Jay's Mother at RV park. Roughly 4-5 hours each day including drive time.
8/16 transport girls to Driver's Ed and shopping at Kohls - 5 hours
8/17 transport girls to Driver's Ed and shopping at Ross - 3 hours
8/18 Go to work for meeting; spend evening juggling girls to soccer practice and work and me to gym.
8/19 transport girls to Driver's Ed - 3.5 hours. Test passed.
8/20 call insurance company; double cost of auto insurance to add two newly minted drivers (Seriously, $2300 to add both girls with NO CARS). Take my car to shop for repairs.
8/21 take Sarah to Mall for back to school shopping. Rachel & Becca both working. Spend remainder of day helping Sarah organize and pack for college. Literally 12 hours.
8/22 while Jay & Rachel drive Sarah to college, take Becca shopping at Mall and Marshall's for back to school.
8/23 Dr. appt in a.m.; take Becca to work and Rachel shopping at Mall and Marshall's for back to school in p.m., pick up Becca on way home - 3.5 hours
8/24 take the girls to Rice's Market in the morning - 3.5 hours round trip
8/25 take girls to BJ's (Becca in desperate need of contact lenses) and Target for back to school shopping - 2 hours.
8/26 At office all day, meetings from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Rush home to take Becca to work. Make dinner. Take Rachel to salon for haircut. Drop her off to go pick up Becca from work. Take Becca to salon for hair cut. Another evening shot.
8/27 & 8/28 - I know my short-term memory is failing me. I can't even remember what I did for these two days. Um...laundry, house cleaning, oh yeah - MAJOR kitchen filing (paperwork since March - ugh), pay bills.
8/29 - take Rachel & Becca to Plato's closet for my final round of B2S shopping - 3.5 hours round trip. Grocery shopping; laundry; more house cleaning.

Realize this itinerary is what is happening while I am still trying to a) work, b) maintain my household, and c) get to the gym five days a week.  So I'm looking forward to a little slow down. Can you blame me? I'm tired of shopping. And I know three separate trips to the mall sounds like I have lost my mind. But my girls each shop very differently and have different expectations regarding my attention while shopping. Take my word for it when I tell you that I can NOT shop with them together. It just creates more problems than it solves.

My "me time" will not be granted immediately. I know that. The first two weeks of school the girls are off almost as many days as they are on thanks to Labor Day and Rosh Hashanah.  And the first few days are always insane with more homework for Mom than the girls, as every single teacher sends home their individual course requirements, class rules, yada yada yada and wants a parent signature that the materials have been reviewed. Honestly - what an immense waste of trees!  But I know that my time is coming. Two weeks from now, the routine will have begun to settle in. A rhythm will be established. I'll be able to breathe again. In the meantime, I'm just basking in the silence.

Sunrise in my backyard.