The best laid plans

I am having a frustrating week. I realize it is only Wednesday and there is much more to come. I am a tad bit on the controlling side and have planned my clothing, my schedule, my children and my husband for the whole week. I have worked very hard to make sure that my life runs as smoothly as possible so that I don't freak out and punch someone in the throat. Well, someone wants to get socked!

Monday started out as a usual day, with the exception that J. broke my iron so my pre-arranged outfit was no longer accessible. So I went to plan B. I thought it turned out fine until I got to work and realized that I had two different color shoes on. When you buy two pairs of shoes in different colors this can happen. I looked down and realized that I had one brown shoe and one blue shoe. I had appointments in the community, so I could not go home. For lunch I decided on chili. Not a good choice when wearing a white shirt. I was able to spill chili down the front of me. I had to go to psych unit that afternoon. I was mighty afraid that they would keep me, with my mismatched shoes and disheveled appearance. Katie warned me not to call J. if I was detained for fear that he would likely continue my psychiatric hold.

Tuesday was going to be the true test of my scheduling abilities. My regular babysitter does not get to the house til 4:30 on Tuesdays. The kids get out at 3:00, so I usually pick them up and bring them home. Well, this particular Tuesday I had a mandatory Wonking meeting where my presence was expected. So being the good mother that I am, I found a babysitter whom I had never met, pick up C. bring him home and wait for A. to be dropped off by another mother. I would stay at work til my night class was over. It was going to be a long day but I had everything scheduled. I left notes and keys and money for everyone involved.

At about 3:20 I get a phone call in the middle of the meeting. It is the mother who is dropping A. off. I ignore it. I am trapped in an aisle and would make a huge scene if I had answered the phone. The phone vibrates again and again. This must be an issue. I have to answer the phone. I am crawling over the laps of two large men in tiny chairs trying to answer the phone as quietly as possible. As I am answering the phone, I trip over one of the men and start to fall on the stairs. So much for a graceful exit. I whisper- yell into the phone as I begin to fall.

I finally get out into the lobby and the mother tells me that she attempted to drop off A., but no one was there. "What do you mean no one was there?" I ask in a panic. The babysitter and C. should have been home by now. I hang up and call the school. He's been picked up. I get the phone number of the babysitter from my office upstairs. The babysitter and C. were apparently lost getting home. I live two blocks from the nursery school. "How did you get lost?" I ask. Well, C. being C. decided it would be funny to trick the babysitter by telling her the wrong way to go home. He then pointed to random houses and told her that it was our house. Then he would laugh. I am livid! I had controlled for all issues except for the issue of C. being C.

I have to leave the meeting, go pick up A. and get home, so I can turn around and go back. Luckily for me J. was home. I said, "What are you doing here?"in an accusatory manner. He looked at me and said,"I got home early, why didn't you call me? You shouldn't have had to come all the way home. I could have picked up the kids." I left.

I arrived back at school and quickly realized that I was being observed by my boss this evening. I had completely forgotten. I wasn't prepared. I was sweaty and aggravated and was planning to wing it. I "ummed" and "Okay'd" through the whole presentation. Not my best performance. I thought maybe he would not notice. I got my review today. Apparently he did.