On Sunday nights, my alter ego makes her weekly appearance. Let’s call her Tess. For some reason, Tess takes some sort of perverse pleasure in organizing my family for the coming week. Tess finishes up the laundry, making sure Mimi has her blanket, bear and sheet for daycare, and that they’re carefully packed in her bag. She makes sure Buddy’s karate uniform is clean because he has class on Monday afternoon, and she even reminds Dr. G. to put it in his car at night so he doesn’t forget it in the morning chaos. Tess selects five matching, weather-appropriate outfits for Buddy and carefully lays them out in his closet organizer. I suspect she does this because she knows this is the best way to avoid the power struggles and arguments that had become an everyday occurrence with Buddy, who would insist on wearing shorts in the winter or would dress himself in polyester gym wear that made him look like an extra on the “Sopranos.”
But eventually, Tess had had enough. She explained the new process to Buddy: every morning he has a choice (there’s that word again) and could pick any of the outfits from the organizer, but he has to wear whatever is paired together – no mixing and matching.
Tess is smart – she always includes a mix of Buddy’s favorite “comfy clothes” and actual clothes that include collars and buttons that we can never get him to wear. When Friday rolls around, Buddy knows he has to wear what’s left in his closet, which is usually – horror! – a polo shirt and khakis. But because he knows the deal, he usually doesn’t complain or whine. And we usually don’t have to nag. And we’re all a little happier because of it.
Tess then moves into Mimi’s room and does the same thing, but it’s mostly for Dr. G’s benefit. Because if left to his own devices, Dr. G. would send Mimi to daycare in a striped tank top and polka dot fleece pants, or a pajama top, tutu and her Stride Rites (which she would totally love, of course).
Then Tess makes her way down to the kitchen, where she bakes pumpkin muffins or zucchini bread or something that we can use for breakfast or snacks throughout the week, because we all know how Mimi loves her baked goods. Then she tackles our white board, creating a menu of what we’re having for dinner all week so I don’t have to come home with two cranky, hungry kids and suddenly have to come up with a meal that maybe 75% of us will eat that can also be made in 20 minutes. After that, she makes all the lunches – mine, Buddy’s and Mimi’s – and packs Buddy’s snack in his backpack.
Once that’s all done, Tess spends a little time helping me out. She helps me decide what I’m wearing to work all week and lays the outfits near the ironing board in the laundry room. She makes sure my wallet is in my work bag (and not in the diaper bag, leaving me in a lurch when I go to buy lunch the next day) and my phone is charged and my keys are by the garage door. If I am going to a 5am class at the gym, she leaves my sneakers and gear in a little pile on the floor near the bathroom.
This week, Tess took things a step further: she actually wrote out my workout schedule for the week. I was so grateful because Dr. G. is traveling for a few days and I won’t be able to go to my early morning classes, so I’m going to have to be creative and strategic about working out and following my intermediate 10K training plan. Here’s what she came up with:
MONDAY: After work, drop Mimi off at karate with Dr. G., which is conveniently located a few storefronts from Anytime Fitness, and do a quick 4-miler on the treadmill.
TUESDAY: Dr. G is traveling for work, try to sneak in a quick run at lunchtime, although weather forecast not looking promising, so will likely turn into a rest day
WEDNESDAY: Improvised Body Pump workout in the basement at 5am
THURSDAY: Elliptical in basement at 5am (also an opportunity to catch up on Project Runway)
FRIDAY: Since Dr. G returns Thursday night, catch the 5am boot camp class at Anytime Fitness
SATURDAY: Check out a local 5K that’s benefitting the Special Olympics
SUNDAY: Long run (6.5 mi)
Hmm, she must be on to something. Seeing this in black and white makes it real, makes it tangible part of my weekly schedule. And, of course, that makes it a little harder to blow off. Damn you, Tess. (But if you’re going to sketch it out for me each week, the least I can do is also share it with you all on KMS.)
Tess usually disappears at the stroke of midnight, but we feel her presence throughout the week. That’s not to say that our mornings are never hectic, because they sometimes are, and they can also be unpredictable: Buddy might get toothpaste on his shirt and have to change or I’ll walk out the door and suddenly notice I’m wearing two different shoes (Mimi, why didn’t you tell me?!?). But Tess leaves us with a game plan – a road map – for the week that I find reassuring. Perhaps she noticed I work well with schedules and plans, or maybe she knows that if I’m a little less stressed in the morning, then my family might follow suit. I wish I could encourage her to stick around … maybe someday. In the meantime, I’ll take what I can get because her Sunday night prep work makes the morning rush a little more manageable. And I’m incredibly grateful.
Also, an update on Friday’s post: Buddy did end up cleaning his room. Although I’m not sure what had more of an impact: my garbage bag/jail schtick or Dr. G. telling him he couldn’t watch the episode of “Wipeout” we had recorded for him. Either way, I’m just happy that I can now cross his room without putting my life in my hands.
How do you prepare for the work/school week? Any good tips?
[…] I mentioned in this earlier post, every week I create a menu on the white board in our kitchen of our dinner menu for the week. I do […]