Thursday, September 20, 2012

The case of the missing alarm clock

I am a night owl, up until at least 12:30 or 1:00 AM each day.  No matter how tired I am at 10 pm, even if I go up to bed, I get a second wind around 10:15 and I am raring to go until 12:30 or 1.  Given my late night hours, you can imagine that getting up in the morning is not at all easy for me.  For this reason I panicked when I decided that Matthew would go to school in a town 30 minutes from our house this year.  I knew this meant that if we overslept and he missed the bus I would have to drive him to school, get the other kids to school and there would be no way for me to do all of that and get myself to work on time.

My plan to ensure we were on time was that I would set 3 alarm clocks each night- one in my bedroom, one in Matthew's bedroom and I would have my phone alarm set to ring.  Each of these alarms would be set to ring at different times, and to make the most obnoxious sounds that they could so as to ensure that I woke up.

This plan worked amazingly well for over 2 weeks.  We were up in time, ready and dressed to make the bus!  Lunches were packed, bags were packed, all was good!

Until today!

Today I woke up and my clock said 8:03, the bus comes at 8:01.  I ran out of my bedroom and noticed all 3 boys were sleeping ( it should be noted that this has not happened on a weekend in FOREVER!).  I ran downstairs shrieking to Matthew to get up and get dressed, I hoped that as I ran downstairs the bus would be there and it would wait for him as he hurried to get clothes on.  No such luck, the bus was gone.

As  I hurried to jump in the shower, I decided I should give the bus company a quick call, maybe they were only a minute or 2 away and could come back. Maybe they would take pity on me and understand how hard it would be to take him the 30 minutes and back.  Maybe just maybe, they too would understand that sometimes the alarm ( or 2 or 3) don't go off.

Thankfully, the bus agreed to meet me at the local high school, and so we proceeded to rush like crazy- pack the lunch, get Matthew his medicine, run out the door- all 3 kids in the car!  Race like mad to the high school. 

Of course we get no further than the end of the driveway before I realize that I am still in my pajamas!  There is no time to go back inside and change, but if you know me at all, you know I NEVER, EVER, EVER leave the house in my pajamas! I never leave the house without a bra!  Never, let me repeat EVER!

Needless to say, we drove fast to the high school, met the bus and rushed back home.  As we pulled into the driveway I realized I had 18 minutes----exactly 18 minutes!!! to get Jacob and David out the door to their bus stop.  In that time I had to pack 2 more lunches, get Jacob breakfast, get their socks and shoes on, and pack their backpacks.  As the boys are moving the speed of paint drying, I quickly realized I had 2 choices.   I could shower and drive them each to school, which won't work because they don't go to the same school, or again leave the house in my pajamas- have I mentioned that I never leave the house in pajamas?  Have I mentioned that at the bus stop where the boys go there are other people?  Have I mentioned that I hate when ANYONE sees me in my pajamas?

We again get everything done, we pile into the car and Jacob announces "mom, you are in your PAJAMAS"!  Does he think I forgot?  He suggests that I put on Matthew's robe which is blue and covered, and I mean covered, in sports symbols- can I just say it would totally clash with my pink jammies!

We drive to the bus stop where I have to get out of the car and walk the kids across the street.....total, complete embarrassment- I ask the mom, who must notice my jammies, if I can leave the boys and go home and shower- thankfully she says "yes"!  I hug and kiss the boys and jog off to take my much needed shower! 

Thankfully by 8:55 I am out of my jammies and by 9:10 I am at work!  I have now fixed the malfunctioning clock in my room, reset Matthew's clock and turned back on my phone alarm which I turned off the wrong way on Wednesday.

Here's hoping to more calm and relaxation tomorrow morning, and that No one, and I mean NO one, sees me in my jammies!

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