Waxing and Waning

In an attempt to redeem myself of my earlier “mother of the year” incident (In case you didn’t hear, I totally missed the second grade butterfly project with Hannah this week,) I accompanied Hailey (I know, wrong kid) as a chaperone stowaway on her field trip to the planetarium today (a fieldtrip with sixth graders is much more enjoyable than one with first graders. (But not necessarily more enjoyable than making butterflies with second graders) Nothing against the first graders- but if a 12 year-old wanders off, it doesn’t send you into a panic.) So, as I was saying…

This morning came way too early after our family’s late-night Iron Man party for Casey’s birthday last night (Randy started the movie at 9:15 ON. A. SCHOOL. NIGHT (I allowed this because, once again, I was trying to redeem myself and not be a party pooper…)) I knew this morning would be hard, so I prepared myself for the worst. Mornings are just like that (and to compound things, Emma typically doesn’t wake up until 9:30 or so…and hour after the bus was scheduled to leave.) So, after dragging myself out of bed around 6:55 AM, I began the dangerous task of waking the offspring.

Much to my surprise, Emma woke up around 7:15. She found me loading the car in the garage, her eyes half closed and her sister’s nightgown reaching to the ground (she owns countless P.J.s but insists on wearing her sisters’ shirts and nightgowns instead.)

I took her inside and ask if she wanted something to eat. She replied, ‘Yeah, because I didn’t brush my teeth.”

Okay, whatever. So I proceeded to make her a nutritious, well-balanced breakfast pour her a bowl of Froot Loops.

I went about my daily morning routine of packing lunches, signing homework, tying shoes and combing hair. As I stood, doing Hailey’s hair, Emma looked up at and asked, with a puzzled expression, “Where are you going, Hailey?”

Hailey told Emma she was going to school. Emma looked even more confused and said, “But it’s night time.”

Now I was confused. She reasoned, “It’s dark outside. It’s time to go to bed.” (why is it then, that she doesn’t go to bed when it is bed time?) I convinced her it was, indeed, morning and I needed her to get ready. She agreed that she would get dressed before she went back to bed (after all, she normally doesn’t crawl out of bed until well past that time. Let me state that it is usually my bed she is exiting in the morning. But then, that’s another story, for another day.)

By some small miracle, we made it to the school with time to spare.

We all had a great time at the planetarium learning all about waxing and waning and why we have seasons. Incidentally, we learned that 10 sixth graders and two moms weighs approximately 26,500 pounds on Jupiter.

Emma fell asleep on the way home and slept for over 3 hours. So now, at 11:30 PM, she’s sitting here on my lap, wide awake, wondering why I keep typing her name.