Check

This morning as we left the house Beau was walking around with a notepad and pencil pretending to check off a list.

Well, I say pretending because as far as I have seen the only words Beau can write are "Beau" and "Boat" but with him, you never know. He could be penning an homage to Ulysesses for all I know and I wouldn't be too surprised as that is just how Beau operates.

As we walked to the car he was checking off his list:

"Shoes?" he'd ask.
"Check!" he'd respond and cross it off his list.

"Jeans?" Again, "Check!"

"Lola in crate and fed? Check, check."

"Door open? Check!"

"Mommy's Car? Check!" More crossing off.

"Torpedoes?" he queried upon getting in the car. Looked around and answered, "No check." So with relief I didn't ask for an explanation.

The listing and checking and no checking continued as we dropped Carmella at school: Mella's school? Check. Speech? No check. Mella dropped off? Check! And didn't end until I dropped him off at carpool: "Told Mommy 'Have a nice day'? Check!"

My day too seemed to have an endless list and like Beau I was checking it off. Unlike Beau I did it all quietly and in my head.

I know I don't have a 9-5 to job and as a stay-at-home-sort-of-working mom I am granted the luxury of a lot of flexibility. But there are things that I have to do-- things that I view as part and parcel of being a mom and a wife. I think these things are called responsibilities and are things that take priority over the things I want to do. At least that is what I have been led to believe. . .

Yesterday, Steph--as she noted in a post on her blog, left me a whiney message about how her commitments for the week have her workouts placed as low men on the totem pole. Workout sabotage! She cried.

And absolutely, I empathsize.

Certainly, she, like I do, consider workouts a priority but nevertheless we both know we are not professional atheletes (as much as we like to play one in our heads) so often times workouts have to take a back seat. So I-- we-- do what we can and take what we can get when it comes to workouts.

So while yesterday Steph bemoaned that she was missing out a potentially perfect day for bike riding (today)-- and was somewhat cursing me because she thought for sure I would be able to indulge in it while she was "sitting in her office." --she will, and should, take comfort in that I was not able to indulge in it as I would have liked to on a day such as a day. And a nice day it was: 72 and mild in hello, February?

So for Steph here is how my checklist went down:
Get self and kids dressed fed and to school on time: Check
Strip beds and wash linens: Check
Straighten house: Check
Help with literacy centers at Carmella's school: Check
Vote: Check!
Drop off borrowed coffee urn at Aunt's: Check
Pick up mom so she can get in a run (Lala had Lasik eye surgery and can't drive but apparently can run?): Check
Pump bike tires with Pop's pump (hey Steph with his pump I could easily get to 125--no full body press necessary): Check
Drive to Greenway so I can ride my bike and Lala can run: Check
Curse time wasted driving to ride bike: Check
Only have time for 2 loops. 24 miles in an hour 20. Eh, I'll take it. Would have preferred a 2-3 hour ride with Steph or at the very least a short brick but didn't have time: Check
Get home, only have 15 minutes before cookie meeting so I switch out laundry and inhale lunch and respond to emails: Check!
Shower: No check :(
Change clothes and do the Italian Shower: Ugh, gross, Check
Rush to meet Brownie Leader about cookie sales and have cookie sale pow wow for hour and half and end up deciding that we must meet again tommorrow: Ugh (again), but Check
Rush to get Beau from school: Check
Return library books: Check
Mad dash grocery shop: Check
Order Carmella's birthday cake: Check
Pick up Carmella and Abby from dance: Check
Make kids carry groceries in while I put them away: Check
Put clean linens on the bed while kids play: Check
Fold and put laundry away: Check
Set out kids outfits for tomorrow: Check
Walk Abby home: Check
Bathe kids and cook their dinner: Check
Help kids with homework: Check
Email all the slacker parents who have NOT Rsvp'd to Carmella's party: Check
Blog about my boring ass day: Check!
Put kids to bed: no check but in 13 more minutes Check!
Pour glass of wine and drink while I make a yummy dinner for myself with stuff Ryan doesn't like since he went out with friends tonight: not yet but soon, Check!

37/0
Ps. I am still grounded from spell check. I swear, I try.