I’ve Got the Cloud Today

I opened my eyes to see the cat staring back at me, inches away.  As I opened my eyes in wonder, hers lazily opened and closed.

“It’s Monday,” I thought and slunk out of bed.

I retrieved one dog only to find she had thrown up all over the place.  I mean all over the place.  A spot here, a spot there, a spot everywhere.

I was slowed by the other dog who would NOT perform her morning constitutional on her early morning walk.

My legs felt like sacks of potatoes as I slogged my way through my morning run.

By 8:15 in the morning, I was wearing the frowniest of all frowny faces with a quivering bottom lip when I could not get Zoom to let me into my morning gym class.  (I guess that’s paybacks, huh, Zoom?  I’m still on to you).

I wore my frowny face as I made the beds and then the waffles. 

“I’ve got a cloud hanging over me today,” I thought as I watched the waffle maker waffle.

I told Catelyn there was a cloud hanging over me as we left the house to go to her school to drop her iPad off and retrieve her locker belongings.

It was when we got there 25 minutes later Catelyn realized she forgot her English book (the one she told me she didn’t have which is why she couldn’t read it for her English class and tests, yet she still had to take those tests without actually reading the book) so we had to go home, get the book and go back.

Which required me to get gas using a new card to replace my old, expired card.  C’mon, you know what happened!  CARD DECLINED.

As a parent, I can say the end of the school year is not my favorite.  A field trip here, a party there, field day at this time, ceremony, banquet, concerts.  Please have child A wear this, child B wear that and DON’T FORGET to pack this for that to go here and then there.  It’s hard to keep one’s head on straight with all the end of year activities. 

But I realize it is a lot of fun for the kids.  Which leaves me with Catelyn and Declan in tears.  Two children who have their desk/locker belongings and memories from the year given to them in a plastic garbage bag with their names on them.  Two kids without real closure, just a lot of ideas of all the fun lost.  Two kids in tears and a mom with a quivering bottom lip trying her best.

I’m about halfway through this day.  I have my mental umbrella up ready for the next disappointment, frustration, or emotional outburst, which I feel at this point, are all bound to happen.

In an effort to “turn that frown upside down,” I look at a box sitting in the middle of our TV room and think back to a fun conversation I had with Declan yesterday.

“Mom, I have some bad news.”

“Uh-oh.  What’s wrong?”

“I have decided that I am not going to live with you and Dad for the rest of my life.”

“Oh!  Okay.  What are you planning to do instead?”

“I’ve decided I am going to get my own house.  I’ll get married.  We’ll get some kids and stuff.  All like you did.”

“Okay, sounds good,” I said, nodding.

“Don’t worry,” he assured seriously, “I will still come to visit you in YOUR house and then go home to MY house.”

“Okay, I got it.”

“In the meantime, I boxed up all my stuff.  I don’t want to put MY stuff in the basement because then it might get mixed up with YOUR stuff.  So, I am just going to put it here until I get MY house, and I can put my stuff there.”

I smiled and nodded, laughing a bit on the inside. 

Seeing the box today still brings a smile.  Although, if the cloud continues to drag on my day, there is an excellent chance you will later find me inside that box hiding, waiting for a new day.