Just a Normal Day

I spend most of my life thinking that everyone else in the world is like me, give or take.  Shaun reminds me often that people are not like me.  That just because I don't like whipped cream on my ice cream doesn't mean that other people don't.  Just because I think mornings are the best part of the day doesn't mean everyone else does.

I have a narrow view of what "normal" is and it is closely related to the person I am.  I'm not proud of it, in fact I consider it a major character flaw that I am constantly working on, but that's where I'm at.

However...sometimes I have days that cause me to wonder...maybe I am not the picture of "normal".  Yesterday was one of those days.

All week I've been working on a difficult situation with work....tons of hours and my head is a little sore from banging it against my desk as I'm transferred to yet another department.

Yesterday I woke up and did an abbreviated workout and a deliberately extra long staff meeting with God (out of necessity!), then I got right back on the phone and picked up work where I'd left off late the night before.

As I'm talking on the phone with this corporate person, the four kids trickle out from bed and go into the living room, which is right next to my office.  Avery is carrying Aiden, who proudly announces to me Mommy, I didn't do poopies in my diaper!!  I wave at them, smile and give Aiden a thumbs up, which is returned to me in the cutest manner possible.

I try to signal to them that I am on the phone and trying to act professional, but they are too giddy to notice.  Avery starts in on some of the cheers she learned the night before during her first night of cheerleading practice.  Soon, its a group effort.

I get off the phone, and dive into doling out breakfast, vitamins, making Z lunch to take, and getting everyone dressed to walk Z to basketball camp.

After dropping him off, I spend a little time throwing the ball to the crazy dog and am horrified as he jumps right into the fountain.  The kids think its just great and I'm praying it has not been put there as a memorial to anyone.

The rest of the morning was a blur of getting all my equipment ready and more work phone calls.  Also a shower and sweep of the house.  By the time Shaun came home I had wrapped up what I needed to for work, but with no time to spare.

Before I left I gave Shaun instructions to:
pick up Z from camp
as soon as you get back from that, the social worker will be here...talk to her about this and that
when she leaves you'll need to get ready for and go to football and cheerleading practice for two hours
Oh, and you'll have to do all this on foot because I'm taking the car

When I left home at 1 pm, my head was spinning but I planned to ride the 25 minutes in silent prayer.  Five minutes into my ride, I got a phone call from a foster mom.  The day before we had agreed to do respite for her 18 year old foster son and we were making arrangements, talking about his case, etc.

Once I arrived at my destination, I threw on a big smile and went to greet my bride and her girls for the day.  I photographed her getting ready, doing hair and make-up, etc and eventually left to go to the ceremony site.

On the way, I checked messages and had gotten a call from a social worker, explaining more about the 18 year old and also asking if we'd do respite for a different 18 year old in a month.  I called her back then arrived at the ceremony site, thinking who does this switching gears thing??  The ridiculousness of it made it comical for me. :)

Threw on another big, professional smile and enjoyed a lovely day at the wedding.

When I got my tired, sore body into the car at 10:30 pm, I called Shaun on my way to put the garbage on the curb at one of our apartment buildings.  He didn't answer, so I spent the 45 minute ride home wondering if there was yet another foster child sleeping at my house.

He was/is not, so I talked to Shaun and downloaded my memory cards.  As I fell into bed, I breathed a prayer of thanks for this "normal" life I have.