Thursday, May 19, 2016

Alarm Clocks and Summer Jobs

What does the fourth part of the day mean when it is almost the end of the school year? When there are only nine more alarm clocks sounding in the morn raising my family to get lunches finished, breakfast set out and coaxing little ones to get dressed?

It means there are still nine days left of school so baths are kinda still needed (even after an evening swim -- which in the summer counts as a bath). It means bedtime should be based on the clock not the sun setting (yeah, trying to get the girls inside at 7:30 p.m. -ish when the sun is out is no fun. By the way, it is 7:40 p.m. right now and the girls are just getting started outside with their dad who just got home from spring ball and running errands. We are not headed to bed anytime soon).

And, that alarm clock comes early on school mornings. I get up first because well, I'm the mom. A martyr-like statement, I know, but, it is the reality of the Adams house. I get breakfast ready, add refrigerated items (cheese sticks) to the lunch (G makes the sandwiches), open shades and blinds, do a pick up of things around the house, then head to the girls' room for the initial wake up call. I put the clothes they picked out the previous evening on their beds. I describe what they have -- typically, 'leggings, skirt, shirt, socks' -- as they are now getting dressed on their own in the mornings. 

I walk out to get my workout clothes on and then, a second wake up call.

Once dressed, hair is finished, shoes put on, breakfast eaten, devotion done ... And they are out the door. And, then, I work out. Then, I ready for the day. 

It all starts with that alarm clock that as the school year has gone on is ringing a few minutes later than those first few days. It goes off at 6:20 a.m. now. The self-dressing helps. The, we don't have to leave for school as early because there aren't too many goings on at G Adams school these days.

Remember, nine more days. Nine more alarms.

Detail. When, I leave for my day, I typically stick my head in my sleeping college-aged son's room (who is home for the summer) to say my good byes. 

But wait, he has a job for the summer. Pause. Praise Jesus. I mean, all of you, pause, get on your knees, raise your hands and praise our Lord and Savior! 

And, that summer job is at a golf course and what time do golf courses open for business? EARLY!!

He has to be there most days by 6 a.m. Yeah, 6 a.m. Before my alarm goes off. Before my last sweet dream of the night has ended. 

The first morning he had that early call time, I got up to make his breakfast. Note, the alarm clock was set for 5:20 a.m. that day. That hour was like a dog hour (or people hour to a dog) .... whatever, it aged me by about 10 years. 

He didn't eat the breakfast. 

Guess what's not happening tomorrow morning. I'm not setting that alarm clock early for sure.

One less thing to do tonight to ready for my fourth part.

Which, I don't have that fourth part yet because I've got twin seven-year-olds playing soccer outside -- sweating buckets in this humidity and they aren't getting baths because it is 7:53 p.m. But, really, shouldn't I bathe them? Or do I do a wipe down.

The fourth part is so close to being a reality tonight. Is there really school tomorrow? Is there a bedtime? Are the clothes for tomorrow already picked? Are the lunch boxes packed? 

 Nine more days. 

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