The Pastor's Day Off
Monday is the Pastor's Day Off.
Today, the Pastor dug a ditch all day. Well, not exactly, but he assisted a man who dug a drainage ditch on the church property. When he dropped off YoungestBoy after school, he came inside for a second and said, "Come and see my big truck." I followed him outside and there in my driveway idled a very large, manly truck, borrowed from the Chief Ditch Digger (who is a fire fighter in his real life).
My sweaty, suddenly blue-collar husband thought he was quite the stud, driving this testosterone-fueled vehicle.
He came home more exhausted than ever at about 5:00 p.m. and by 5:30 p.m., he was gone again, this time to sit in an overly long board meeting for a Rescue Mission. He came home at 9:30 p.m.
Now, on the Pastor's Day Off, what did the Pastor's Wife do?
Today, I agreed to watch another toddler while her mother had a job interview. So, while three toddlers careened around the house and twirled, yelped and watched Sesame Street, I guided my eleven year old twins through their school courses. Babygirl was particulary needy and kept begging for Momma Milk and I kept offering her pretzels instead.
The extra toddler was supposed to be picked up at 1:00 p.m. (otherwise known as Naptime), but at 1:53 p.m., her father called to say that her mother wouldn't be here until 3:30 p.m. No problem, I said, and I promptly put her down for a nap, too, where she shrieked for half an hour and then slept for half an hour.
Her mother finally arrived at nearly 4:00 p.m., and then at 4:30 p.m., DaycareKid's mom arrived and by 5:30 p.m., my children and I were sitting around the table having dinner (thank God for my crockpot and chicken on sale for 59 cents a pound). The kids all went outdoors to play in the waning light and by 7:00 p.m. I called them in to shower and bathe. How can it be getting dark so early now? So soon?
Finally, at 8:10 p.m., I put Babygirl down for the night. I read until 9:00 p.m., then put YoungestBoy to bed after reading him a story. My husband arrived home to find me in the recliner, reading in front of the television and he probably thinks I had such an easy day--compared to digging a ditch, maybe I did.
All the same, I caught a cold from the babies. Babygirl still sounds like she's been smoking cigarettes for twenty years and DaycareKid's nose is goopy. So, far, my throat is just scratchy and I'm keeping a tissue box close by for my overly active nose.
But aren't we refreshed, now that we've had a Day Off?
(p.s. Suzanne asked "why the three hour delay?" in picking up the extra toddler. Well, the mother of said toddler had a marathon job interview, lasting from 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. . . . and it was forty-five minutes away. She didn't realize how extensive the interview would be. The mother's due date was yesterday, too, and she plans to start her new job on November 1. And I thought I was busy! She'll soon have an almost-2 year old, a newborn and a full-time dull job.)
Today, the Pastor dug a ditch all day. Well, not exactly, but he assisted a man who dug a drainage ditch on the church property. When he dropped off YoungestBoy after school, he came inside for a second and said, "Come and see my big truck." I followed him outside and there in my driveway idled a very large, manly truck, borrowed from the Chief Ditch Digger (who is a fire fighter in his real life).
My sweaty, suddenly blue-collar husband thought he was quite the stud, driving this testosterone-fueled vehicle.
He came home more exhausted than ever at about 5:00 p.m. and by 5:30 p.m., he was gone again, this time to sit in an overly long board meeting for a Rescue Mission. He came home at 9:30 p.m.
Now, on the Pastor's Day Off, what did the Pastor's Wife do?
Today, I agreed to watch another toddler while her mother had a job interview. So, while three toddlers careened around the house and twirled, yelped and watched Sesame Street, I guided my eleven year old twins through their school courses. Babygirl was particulary needy and kept begging for Momma Milk and I kept offering her pretzels instead.
The extra toddler was supposed to be picked up at 1:00 p.m. (otherwise known as Naptime), but at 1:53 p.m., her father called to say that her mother wouldn't be here until 3:30 p.m. No problem, I said, and I promptly put her down for a nap, too, where she shrieked for half an hour and then slept for half an hour.
Her mother finally arrived at nearly 4:00 p.m., and then at 4:30 p.m., DaycareKid's mom arrived and by 5:30 p.m., my children and I were sitting around the table having dinner (thank God for my crockpot and chicken on sale for 59 cents a pound). The kids all went outdoors to play in the waning light and by 7:00 p.m. I called them in to shower and bathe. How can it be getting dark so early now? So soon?
Finally, at 8:10 p.m., I put Babygirl down for the night. I read until 9:00 p.m., then put YoungestBoy to bed after reading him a story. My husband arrived home to find me in the recliner, reading in front of the television and he probably thinks I had such an easy day--compared to digging a ditch, maybe I did.
All the same, I caught a cold from the babies. Babygirl still sounds like she's been smoking cigarettes for twenty years and DaycareKid's nose is goopy. So, far, my throat is just scratchy and I'm keeping a tissue box close by for my overly active nose.
But aren't we refreshed, now that we've had a Day Off?
(p.s. Suzanne asked "why the three hour delay?" in picking up the extra toddler. Well, the mother of said toddler had a marathon job interview, lasting from 9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. . . . and it was forty-five minutes away. She didn't realize how extensive the interview would be. The mother's due date was yesterday, too, and she plans to start her new job on November 1. And I thought I was busy! She'll soon have an almost-2 year old, a newborn and a full-time dull job.)
posted by Melodee at Monday, September 27, 2004
2 Comments:
Where did the three hours go? Why did the extra toddler have to stay an extra three hours? This story is missing a piece. I want to know about the three hour delay!
Oh and yes. We are quite refreshed, aren't we?
You do work hard with those children. As someone without kids, you make me exhausted :)
I hope don't get too sick. Take some vitamin C, and drink lots and lots of fluids to flush it through!!
Post a Comment
<< Home