Let's Just See......

I want to detail out a day in my life to evaluate if my sometimes complaining about my schedule is really valid. I was in a yoga workshop Saturday with Betsey Downing, a senior Anusara instructor, and she talked about what we talk about a great deal: that we do yoga to be better people, not simply to be more flexible or strong. It's the idea of "yoga off the mat" -- which is the true essence of yoga.......asana (on the mat) is simply one small part. And one aspect of the benefits of our practice is that it lessens our complaining.

"It does?" I thought, shamefully. I recounted times I had probably complained about my schedule AT yoga class. Luckily, I almost never complain after a class, as the sweet juices of savasana congeal in my body, I only feel grateful.

And then I'm back to reality.

So, let's see how really busy or crazy I think I am.....we'll take today for example:

6:30 am, Up. Shower. Dressed in yoga clothes. Pack work clothes. Check email (two accounts), plus WISTV.com and CNN.com. Coffee. Bathroom. Trying to leave by 7 am, except that Kate wakes up, gets up, and cries for me to take her to school.

7:10 am, Scott attempts a diversion with Kate outside while my car pulls out.

7:30ish, at the office. Lunch in the fridge. Bags in proper places in my office. Pull out the yoga mat and blanket. Turn on Jason Crandall from the YogaJournal.com site on my computer, and do a 20 minute practice of backbends. No clue what time I actually started, but I finish around 8:30 am. Change clothes.

8:33 am, at my computer checking email again, news again, looking over my calendar. A task or two.

9 am, staff meeting. And after this, the day is a blur. I am not terribly productive at the office: it's overcast, rainy, and about to be Fall Break. Low energy, despite my heart-opening backbend practice which should be energizing. I do have a drop-in, and talk about NSEP and Rotary scholarships; I do have a 1:30 pm meeting with a sophomore scholar. I work until 5 pm on the dot and leave. Which is rare. I usually leave around 5:30 pm.

5:13 pm, Pick up Kate who asks the same question every day, "where are we going?"
I reply, "nowhere, we're going home to eat supper." Call Scott and leave him a message. We call each other at every drop off and pick up. We've done this since she started daycare at 10 weeks. It's how I dealt with the worry that I would forget her in the car, and go to work. And being somewhat of a Type A Personality, the habit stuck.

5:40 pm, We're home. The Mimi is not yet home from bingo. Scott is in Great Falls tonight. We wait to start supper once The Mimi arrives. I bring in bags.....my gym bag, school bag, purse, and Kate's daycare bag.

6 pm, Start a load of laundry and put dishes in the dishwasher. Dishes in the drying rack are put up.

Time becomes a blur here, as we all make Little Caesar individual pizzas from the kit we ordered from her daycare fundraiser. I make everyone do their own, but I place them in the oven. We eat, and Kate picks at hers. I clean up. No vegetable, no fruit, but plenty of protein.

I work on some bills by writing a couple of checks, including Scott's tuition bill. Check laundry, put in the dryer. Kate is playing her leapfrog computer game, and we're both busy.

I pull her outfit for tomorrow -- Picture Day! All of the pieces and parts need to be ready so her teacher can change her. Moneyplus reimbursement form is put into her daycare bag for a signature. But the jumper needs to be ironed. And so it is.

7:10 pm, Kate and I head to Bi-Lo to buy some ingredients to bake items for my friend Elise. She is running for mayor of Cayce, SC and there's a "Meet and Greet" for her this weekend. I cannot make it, but baked goods are needed. In the car, I begin to remind Kate that "now tomorrow morning, I" -- and she cuts me off by saying, "I know what you're going to say. You have to fix my hair pretty." And I reply, "that's right, so no cryin' or fussin'." We agree. We play Trisha Yearwood's "She's in Love with The Boy" and she sings every word. With feeling.

7:35 pm, we're back and start some baking. But I realize I have forgotten parchment paper, so I cannot make the cheese wafers I adore. Kate bakes some pull apart organic sugar cookies. We eat some raw dough pieces. Second load of laundry in. It's my favorite white "dress" T-shirt from Banana Republic outlet, and it has an ink stain......trying the hairspray soak then wash process.

Soccer practice tomorrow! Aack! No soccer clothes are clean......that will make load three.

8:53 pm, Blogging, checking cookies (we're now on regular Pillsbury chocolate chip) in between, and also Kate asks me to do some yoga poses on the way back to the computer. I hold headstead freestanding for 20 secs - best time yet! She does her own headstand and gets up by herself.....my baby yogini.

Kate mentions Barack Obama, and I ask her who she is voting for. She says Barack Obama. The Mimi hears her and tries to tell her his name is Obock Bahama.....which is how my Aunt Johnnie says it and that is who she's on the phone with. I reprimand The Mimi for teaching her the incorrect pronunciation. The Mimi laughs, and continues her phone conversation.

9 pm, another batch of cookies are in. Kate is reading books to me, and about every three minutes says, "look Mom" and she shows me the picture.

My "new mail" flag rises up slowly in the frame I can see behind my blogger page. I check it. I love email.

9:11 pm, and I'm about to check cookies, and laundry. Kate says, "ah man" as she has found my old Barbies and is playing with them. We are just inches from one another because she likes it that way, and because we live in cramped quarters. She has now segued into singing "I've been working on the railroad," and then hides the Barbies for a quick game of hide and seek -- her and the Barbies.

9:18 pm, Cookies are out. Kate delivers two cooled ones to The Mimi who is watching an interview with Michelle Obama. I tell Kate she is Barack's wife and they have two girls. She asks what their names are, and I say I don't know. I check laundry: ink stain remains. I'm not as disappointed as I thought I would be. Kate's load -- load three -- goes in.

9:27 pm, Kate is reading more books, but wants to do yoga. I find the girls' names: Sasha and Malia. I show her a picture of them, and she asks, "Are they from China?" She's obsessed with China.

9:35 pm, Kate is in the shower, and I am hanging clean clothes.In between clothing items I help her shower, but largely she can do this on her own now.

9:48 pm, Check on laundry, remind Kate to calm down as she gallops down the hall.

Soccer ball! Cleats! Into the bag they go. (mental note: clean towels have been sitting in the den unfolded for too long. It's now obvious The Mimi is not going to attempt them).

9:53 pm, Kate and I brush teeth and comb hair. And play this rolling game 7 times where she rolls on the bed and almost off, but I catch her, and then roll her back on the bed. She loves this.

9:59 pm, Call on my cell. It's Daddy from the parsonage. Now, he and Kate are on the phone. He is gone a good bit and I know it makes her sad. It makes me sad too. He has visitation tonight, a church member had died, and tomorrow is the funeral. That's why he's there tonight; usually he is home. My cell goes on the charger.

Well, it's 10:04 pm, and I'm about to get Kate down. I will still finish laundry, and write two notes to Mt. Dearborn church members. Check in with The Mimi, and be sure we are locked in for the night. I also need to be sure all cookies are packed for the Saturday event for Elise.

It has indeed been a long day, but not a bad one at all, in fact, I might say it's been good. For a change :)

Namaste.