Family Circus

I love working. It imposes some mommy-guilt, but I can’t lie. I love my job, the company for which I work, the people I am surrounded with on a daily basis, and the feeling of professional accomplishment. Financial freedom also happens to be really great. There are definite challenges in having both parents work full time outside the home, though. Today, it was getting out of the house, catastrophe free.

Most mornings go ok, but there are some days that we should be employed by Barnum & Bailey’s. Emerson is our obvious circus seal with the ball on his nose. You know he knows what he's supposed to do. After all, he's done it successfully so many times before. Compliant most of the time, but sometimes, he’s just not going to do it. No matter what. Jason is probably the lion tamer. A critical part of the act, and keeping the beasts in check. The reality, though, is things could get wild at any time. I think I would be the ringmaster, standing quietly, head in my hands after the elephants knocked over the big top.

Last night, I went to bed early and woke up rather alert at 5:45am. After checking in on emails, Facebook, Pinterest, and Words with Friends (all of the important things), I even got in a quick workout. Dutiful wife that I am, I also made and brought coffee to my dear husband before hopping in the shower.

This is where it starts to go downhill. Emerson always complicates the mornings by being picky about his shirts. I let him pick his shirt every day now, and often times, before he goes to bed to save a few minutes in the morning. He picked a short-sleeve shirt, to which I added a shirt underneath. All going ok. Then he nearly had a conniption because I made him wear jeans. I really didn’t think the red OSU sweats would go with his blue and green tie-dye shirt. I’m flexible, but Emerson can only look like a Bobo so many days out of the week before I lose it.

Once we’re all ready, we head downstairs to start to assemble bags, breakfasts, take care of the animals, etc. While getting Emerson’s breakfast together, and putting on his shoes, Jason headed to the basement to feed Kramer, only to find that Kramer knocked over his bin of cat food, now all over the basement floor. No wonder he wasn’t meowing us to death for food this morning. There will surely be a vomit pile when we get home from our Jason’s bulimic cat.

Let’s move on, and get out the door, people. Jason was good enough to start the cars, so my seat was going to be nice and toasty for my commute, just the way I like it! While Jason was getting Emerson into his car, he tells him “Watch out for that dog poop, don’t step in it.” Guess what happened. Emerson stepped in it. Krikey. So, I rush back inside, turn off the alarm, and rinse the dog poo off Emerson’s shoe, while he’s crying in the car about not wanting poop on his shoe, and Jason is buckling him in. Rainy morning, super hot water, this seemed like an easy clean up. Until I turned on the garbage disposal. Not working. Likely due to the carrot peels from last night’s post-dinner snack. So, I left the house, turned on the alarm. Sometimes, you just have to leave poop water in the sink.

So, it’s a circus. But it’s my circus. And I love it.