I shouldn't whine, but I'm going to anyway

This week was pretty much a loss. My house is messier, my laundry is more out of control, and yes, there are still QUITE A FEW Christmas decorations that have not been put away. (And I'm still writing out my cards. Shut up. They do so count if they get out before Easter. Which is April 12. Don't worry, I'm keeping track.)

Here are the highlights:

Monday - co-oped in Little One's preschool... fun, but any cleaning, organizing blogging time was eaten up. Learn that a winter storm is heading our way. Also realize I will need to clone myself for Wednesday evening. Must figure that out.

Children in school - 7 hours. Mommy in school - 3 hours. Total gain - 4 hours.

Tuesday - snow is falling, neighboring school districts close (and are subsequently ridiculed by our Chicagoean president). Our school starts on schedule and holds it's annual open house. I race in the snow to pop in for the open house (as I've seen the crestfallen and teary faces of the kids whose parents are unable to show and, I am a lot of moms, but I don't want to be THAT mom, not this week anyway). As I head out the door, I learn that school will be closing 2 hours early. Race home from open house to answer phone calls and emails about picking up and supervising other children about to be set loose on the snowy streets. Race back to school to pick up children. The chaos of preparing to go sledding is followed by the chaos of sledding, which is followed by the further chaos of 10 extra people coming home for hot chocolate. Soon after, I lose Little One in the blizzard of outwear piled in every corner of the house.

Children in school - 5 hours. Mommy in school - 1 hour. Total gain - 4 hours.

Wednesday - school is cancelled. This would have been my one morning off for the week. Large packs of children descend on the house, don the aforementioned outwear and head out into the freezing RAIN to play. Muddy, cold and starving children, including several whom I have never even seen before, return to my house to consume massive quantities of frozen pizza. I curl up in the corner of the kitchen with a wine bottle. All evening activities are cancelled, so the need to clone myself is put off until next Wednesday.

Children in school - 0 hours. Mommy in school - 0 hours. Gah!

Thursday - school begins two hours late. I learn just as we are heading to school that my car door has been slightly ajar since Tuesday, leaving the internal lights on and draining the battery. Children begin rejoicing about another day off school as I call for a taxi. Spend the rest of the day, when I should be grocery shopping (as roving bands of children have eaten all the food in our house) waiting for the car battery to charge, and medicating the headache I get whenever I look at the piles of laundry and outerwear that need attention.

Children in school - 5 hours. Mommy in school - 0 hours, but trapped at home - 4 hours. Total gain - 1 hour.

Friday - school begins on time, but GUESS WHAT? It's an early dismissal day. (OF COURSE it is!) And? It's my co-oping day! Again!

Children in school - 4 hours. Mommy in school - 3 hours. Total gain - 1 hour.

And now! On to the weekend, where we race from hockey to birthday party to basketball to birthday party, to church, to Home Depot and on to another birthday party.

I can finally relax on Monday morning.

Oh wait! No I can't! Little One doesn't have school Monday.

Maybe Tuesday?

Oh, nope. I have to drive halfway across Maryland to go to an ENT doctor with Little One so he can tell me I have to put her to sleep (sleep? Little One? HA! Just try it, Dr. Anesthesiologist!) and shoot plastic tubes into her ears. That will be a fun and relaxing day, right?

Well, there's always Wednesday. Surely Wednesday I'll have a free moment or two?