A Typical Day on the Job(s)!

Incredibly LONG post below:

I recently read an article about a woman responding to the question of what "Stay-at-Home-Moms" do all day. That woman was responding to this article on the Washington Post website. It had me wanting to write about what I do all day while being a working mom. As a working parent, I feel like I get a chance to know what both jobs would be like - only I'm not a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) every single day (at least not yet). I was for the first five months of Banner's life, though, and maybe I will be again some day, but I feel like this particular work year has given me a good view of what it's like to work and to stay-at-home. Reading the SAHM's schedule, I felt overwhelmed at the thought of having a toddler and a baby and was thankful that is not my situation (again, at least not yet). It's hard enough to go anywhere or get through the day with just one child; those of you with more than one child, God bless you! I hope to be a parent of more than one child eventually, but for now, I'm just enjoying that I only have one kiddo to look after! So, getting back to my original idea, I'd like to write out what a typical working mom schedule looks like (at least for me):

5:20am I hear Banner cry out in his crib. I look at the clock and pray he'll go back to sleep on his own. This time, he did. (Other days, he may need help going back to sleep or maybe that ain't happenin'.)

6:05am My alarm goes off. Yes, that five minutes matters. In fact, I probably snooze my alarm until 6:15.

6:15am Hop in the shower, start getting ready for the day. I'm thankful it's a "jeans" day at work because I didn't have time to go get my dry cleaning yesterday, and so I have nothing else professional-looking to wear.

6:40 Sam gets up to shower. As he turns the shower on, he says, "He's up." Crap... I have to go change and feed Banner while I'm in the middle of fixing my hair. I go into Banner's room and play a quick game of peek-a-boo through the crib slats. He giggles and bounces up and down with excitement. This makes my day, so it's so worth a few extra moments. I change his diaper, a surprise poop to start my day! He wiggles all over the changing table, I get frustrated and try to hold him down while trying to change him as fast as possible. I'm singing to him, making all kind of entertaining noises, and he's still fighting me, contorting his body in every direction to get out of my hold while I'm trying to keep his feet/legs/ankles out of the poopy diaper. His poopy butt hits the changing pad cover, so now I'll have to change and wash that. He's got a snotty nose (in the midst of cutting a tooth), so I try to suction his nose, which pisses him off, which then pisses me off, so I give up and decide to get over the goo in his nose, which is now on my shoulder from him hiding his face from me. So much for my shower.

6:50am I start Banner's bottle. He does well for about an ounce, then he's twisting and turning all over me, more interested in wanting to crawl around to get to his bookshelf to empty all of its contents onto the floor. Forget the bottle. I have to get ready for work! I pick Banner up, put him in the Pack 'n Play in our bathroom, and finish straightening my hair. Sam plays peek-a-boo with Banner from the shower.

7:00ish I head to the kitchen for some cereal, finish packing Banner up for the day, finish packing my lunch, and give Banner a few Cheerios while sitting topless on the kitchen floor with him. He grabs at my cereal bowl numerous times while I try to distract him with his own food. I leave the fridge door open so he can play in the fridge while I can digest a few more bites of cereal before I have to go finish getting dressed... I gave up trying to dress myself completely until the moment before we leave - I got sick of being spit-up on.

7:05 Sam grabs Banner from me to help him finish his bottle.I try to get as many dishes in the dishwasher while Banner is distracted from trying to get IN the dishwasher.

7:10 I head to the bathroom to finish dressing and to brush my teeth. I turn off the straightener, and look at it 1000 times to remind myself that I did, in fact, turn it off and unplug it; now I won't have a panic attack in the middle of my 11:00 meeting wondering if the damn thing is off or not.

7:15 Sam is getting antsy waiting on me. "Can I put him in the car yet?" I scramble to get everything Banner and I need for the day (my phone, my rings, my car keys, my lunch, his clothes, his medicine, and Mom's out of formula, I need to bring her a couple bottles of that). Sam puts Banner in the car, I grab my shoes, turn off all the lights, and set the alarm. I tell Sam goodbye and that I love him 1000 times. We wave to Daddy.

7:18 I call mom while backing out of the garage. "We're on our way!" Then, I sing to Banner: Skidamarink and You Are My Sunshine are favorites, along with any other random song I make up like, "Here we go to Grandma's house, happy as can be..."

7:35 We arrive at Grandma's house. I get Banner and his clothing/medicine out of the car, he wants to play with my keys as we go up the walk. He's drooling on them and has my car key practically down his throat. I leave my purse in the car with the hopes that I'll only be at her house for 5 minutes saying my goodbyes. 10-15 minutes later, I'm trying to leave her house slowly walking away from my sweet boy who is "about to wave!" I look like an idiot walking backwards to my car, waving my hand with a big grin on my face, as I say, "Bye-bye! Mommy loves you. Bye-bye. I love you! Bye-bye...."

7:50 I speed to work, knowing I'm already 5 minutes late. Parents are in the staff parking lot dropping their kids off, so I have to wait until they get out of my way before I can actually park my car. They know not to do this; I watch to see which kid gets out of the car so I can turn in the parent who is now making me even later. It's Caden & Mara (my nephew and niece) getting out of the car - well, crap, I'm not turning them in! So, I just walk in with them, not caring now that I'm late.

7:53 I walk into the building wondering which teachers I'm going to pass as I make my way through the hallway with the children already arriving for class.I'm wondering which ones of them have already turned me in for being late - every.single.day! "Good morning, Ms. Harker!" I say, as I pass the library wanting to duck and cover out of embarrassment that now I'm one of THOSE teachers who can't get to work on time!

7:55-8:15 Get my work day going. Start computer, check emails, check voicemail, help with morning announcements, help with a crying first grader in the office who is with his mother - who is also crying, get my paperwork ready for the day's meetings.

8:15-9:05 I start the day with a planning meeting with 6th grade teachers and my principal. We talk about student groups for testing, a situation with a handful of students and their awful attitudes, how I'm in charge on Monday when my principal is out with the honor society/service organization kids at convention, and what comes up on the Internet if you "Google" one of the teachers... We can't stay on topic in this conversation, and my eyes are burning from allergies. I struggle to keep them open.

9:05-9:55 I run a 504 meeting.

9:55 Email/scan/copy paperwork from the 504 meeting to the appropriate individuals.

10:00-10:40 Grade level placement meeting to decide what to do about a 3rd grader who may need to be retained.Stare at the baby brother the mom had to bring with her to the meeting, wondering why Banner is 10 times bigger than this kid who is 2 months older than him. Try to concentrate on the meeting and not on the baby. Make suggestions in the meeting that are really good suggestions and get "kudos" from my principal, while trying not to stare at the baby who is babbling just like Banner, playing with Mommy's keys just like Banner, chewing on the stuffed elephant from off the conference room shelf just like Banner would have done, and I'm holding back wanting to offer to hold the baby.

10:40-11:00 Call my mom to check on Banner. Talk to him on the phone hoping no one can hear me outside my office door as I say, "Hi, Baby! Did you have a good nap? I miss you....." Ask what she's giving him for lunch, is his nose still runny, does she see that top tooth yet, did he nap well, what are they up to the rest of the day, etc.

11:00-11:25 Check the state assessment testing boxes that have arrived. Organize them neatly then lock them up in my office cabinet. Then, return phone messages and emails.

11:25-12:00 Meet my lunch bunch group, trying to remind them of their table manners while they burp, slurp green bean juice, and mix their chocolate milk with their mashed potatoes... this has nothing to do with the reason they are in my group, but they are making me sick so I have to set the rules.


12:05-12:35 Lunch in the lounge, enjoying time with my work friends - glad I actually get a lunch break, knowing without a doubt I would not be getting a) lunch or b) time to actually talk uninterrupted with friends if I were a SAHM.

12:35-12:50 Try to work on organizing small testing groups for state assessments... then get interrupted by a teacher who needs me to come help a child who is throwing the contents of his desk across the room (at least it wasn't his desk this time!), so I head to go calm him down

12:50-1:00 Make a plan with the angry child, get him back to class. Remember to send out my career day email reminder, get side-tracked working on the guidance schedule.

1:00-1:05 My principal calls me to ask for help with some sixth grade boys. She needs me to come talk to them. I'm on my way....

1:05-1:30ish I sit in my principal's office and wait for her to be ready to meet with the boys. She gets side-tracked with an important call, then we talk with the secretary about calling another school about a student we cannot locate (perhaps he has enrolled at their school without withdrawing from ours). A student from ISS is called up to the office for me to counsel, and then it's too late to call the 6th graders.... My principal is now working on another task, so I head back to my office.

1:30-1:50 Back to trying to organize testing groups, training materials, etc. Get a text from Randi, which makes me happy. We're trying to schedule a play date for this afternoon, which means I'll have to hurry out of Mom's house when I get Banner... that never works out well. But, I tell her I'll try to get to her house as soon as possible. Then, a student comes in my room and asks if she can talk to me. . . we visit for a bit...

1:50-2:05 After the 5th grader returns to class, I get back to testing planning. Email the teachers about the proposed gifted/talented testing dates, return a parent phone call about tutoring, and set up a peer mediation.

2:05-2:35 Work with the special education teacher to double check 504s and IEPs for kids who get accommodations on tests. 

2:35-3:00 I finally meet with the sixth grade boys and the principal. While I'm meeting with them, I'm wondering if Banner will ever show the disrespect these boys have shown, I worry. I work, and I worry.... thanking God the bell is going to ring soon!

3:00 Bell rings. My door is open for Academic Recovery Hall for students who need to catch up on their missing assignments. I have 5 students. For 45 minutes, I try to keep them on task while they ask to 1. get a drink of water, 2. go to the bathroom, 3. run to their classroom because they forgot something, 4. go ask their teacher a question, or all of the above. Finally, the 3:45 bell rings, and I get those kids out of my room so I can run to get my baby! But, before I leave, I pee for the first time since before work started.

4:00 Get to Mom's, already running a few minutes late so we can make it to Randi's for a play date. Hurry to change Banner's diaper, again trying to do it as fast and creatively as possible while he's twirling all over the changing table. Grab all of his stuff to take home, thank my mom 20 times for watching him, and then try to get him in the car while he eats my keys again.

4:20-5:40pm  Play at Randi's. We talk about the kids' sleep schedules, their teeth, their eating schedule, their milestones, our breasts and what bras fit us, our bodies and how they've changed, and my last blog post.

5:40-6:00pm Internally cuss at every driver I see on the road as I try to get home to feed Banner. There are way too many cars on the road, and I just want to be home already. This drive is taking way too long.

6:15 Meet Sam at Jason's Deli, a last minute decision since we're running so far behind. I place the order and plop Banner in a high chair. Moments later, Sam enters, and we all start to enjoy a nice meal that I didn't have to make tonight! I'm more excited that I don't have to clean the floor, the table, the high chair... we only have to clean the boy before we go! On all other nights, I would be picking up the bits of veggies off the floor that made my dining room into a garden. This was a treat, indeed! Relaxed and enjoying some family time out, we head home.

6:55 Sam and Banner go check the mail while I have 30 seconds of alone time (that I spend quickly cleaning out and reorganizing the diaper bag) then it's time for bath!

6:55-7:25pm  I bathe Banner while Sam gets the evening bottle ready. Sam also sets the stage for after bath - diaper out, pjs out, eczema meds/cream, and iPod ready to go... While Banner's in the tub, he learns how to shake his head "No!" I try to "brush" his teeth with the washcloth like I do every night, and he shakes his head. I laugh and say "Oh, no? I can't brush your teeth?" He laughs and keeps doing it. Every time I say "No," after that, he shakes his head. I call Sam in to see Banner's new trick. We laugh, and then together, we get Banner ready for bed. I try my best to distract the boy with all sorts of games, jingles, tickles, funny faces, stuffed animals and other toys, and any silly motion that will get his attention away from rolling over while Daddy diapers, lotions, and pjs Banner. I comb his hair flat, and Sam and I laugh at our little boy with wet, slick hair who now looks like "Adolph." Sam gives Banner a bottle. I go put on MY pjs and get the video monitor to set out in the den. Then, I turn on the sound machine, turn on the iPod with lullabies, and kiss Banner goodnight. Sam rocks him for about 10 seconds before Banner is reaching for his crib as if to say, "Put me in there, Daddy. I'm ready to get to sleep!"

7:25-7:35 Banner cries. This is unusual, so Sam goes in to try to soothe him.

7:35-7:50 It's my turn to try to get him to sleep. He doesn't, though. Instead of calming down, Banner is experimenting with shaking his head. He is giving himself whiplash practicing his new moves from the bathtub.

8:00-8:25 I go back in to Banner's room and try to soothe him again. This is very odd for him not to sleep right away, so I'm getting concerned, but he finally stops crying, and passes out! I think we just had too much fun at dinner and at bath time that he didn't want to say goodnight!

8:25-8:45pm Sam is in the garage talking on the phone. I blog, check email, and pray Banner sleeps through the night.

8:45-9:45 I start working on a project my principal asked me about before I left work. I told her I would work on this after Banner went to sleep. I hope it won't take long because I am spent! An hour after working on the project, I realize I can't finish tonight and need more information for the surprise she asked me to work on for the teachers...

9:45-10:00 Time to get ready for bed, thank goodness! A new day starts again tomorrow, bright and early with my baby boy. Tomorrow is Saturday, and it's my day to wake up early with Banner so Sam can sleep in (I will get my chance on Sunday - God bless Sunday!). Here's to hoping B sleeps through the night well so I can, too!

10:35 Sam comes to bed and wonders if we're going to have sex tonight. I roll over and keep sleeping. Sorry Sam... maybe tomorrow. Or the next night. Or the next night. Or the night after that.

And, wow, I'm impressed if you're still reading! Tomorrow I'll post what my day is like at home with Banner all day. G'night!