Help, Not Judge!

This was not the best of mornings. All but one of my kids decided there were things they would rather do this morning then get ready for school. Being a dual working family with four kids and one with mobility issues is challenging at times. I am not going to say that our family runs smoothly, on many days I am exhausted. What it does require is a fine tuned balancing act of routines and clear expectations, especially in the morning. There are four backpacks to check, snacks and water bottles to pack, homework and papers to return to school, etc. If things are not taken care of the night before or the plan is deviated upon then chaos erupts. Since my husband has to leave for work early to make his commute I am the one who morning duty falls on. For any of you who know me well, you know that I am NOT a morning person. So back to this morning, two kids arguing, one outside blowing bubbles and I finally get the ones that need to be dropped off to before school care out the door. I have to load up the heavy wheelchair, drive just one block to the school where I unload the same heavy wheelchair and Leo has to get out to accompany me into the school with Vanessa. I know I look stressed at this point because the childcare/PE teacher just looks at me and does not say anything. Then I realize that not only did I forget to apply suntan lotion to Vanessa's scars (they cannot burn or she will be susceptible to skin cancer) but I also forgot to give her, her morning medicine. At about this time she announces to me that she has not been eating breakfast at school like she is supposed to. So I proceed to lecture her on why she MUST eat the breakfast that I am paying for and how she will get sick if she does not, bla bla bla. I think I often sound like Charlie Brown's teacher when I talk to my kids about why they should or should not do things. They get two choices for school breakfast plus a juice or milk and fruit. How picky can a kid be? SO off me and Leo go (have to wait every time for him to get buckled and unbuckled out of his car seat) back to the house to get Vanessa's medicine and back to the school again. We make it back to the school again where Vanessa is now in her classroom and I know there is no way that she could have eaten her breakfast that fast. She insists she did but I don't have time to confirm with the lunch lady and the daycare teacher is bolting out the building. I give her, her medicine and by this time I am definitely late for work. So off Leo and I go out through the gym at which point the custodian who is standing up on the stage gestures to me and tells me how stressed I look. He then proceeds to gesture that I should calm down. I am like REALLY? You have no idea! Sometimes I am not even sure how I pull this off. Just last night I got home just in time for my oldest son to inform me that the gifted teachers were doing a presentation for parents and he HAD to go. However, my youngest daughter had cheer leading at the same time last night. So we very quickly fed the kids and my husband took the girls while I took the boys (where I was the ONLY mother at the 5:30pm meeting still wearing her professional work clothes). Everything went well with that but oh man mornings, they just suck and there is no getting around it unless I quit my job and home school my kids! So what I really wanted to say to the very well meaning laid back custodian. Was something like "Give me a break, don't judge me for looking stressed, maybe I am legitimately stressed and hey if it bothers you, you are welcome to help out like come get the wheelchair out of the van each morning!"

I just saw the preview for "How does she do it". I am curious to see Hollywood's rendition of the complexities of being a working mother portrayed by a actress who has no children. How about a real documentary about REAL working moms of all walks of life who everyday juggle the near impossible task?