Getting a Second Wind

I guess it's officially the coldest winter in thirty-five years. Duh. Like we needed weather archives to know that.

If you are a person who even remotely suffers from seasonal affective disorder. . . that melancholy that takes over when you don't get enough sunshine and daylight. . . you are probably headed for the crazy farm by now.  I dreamed I drank the entire bottle of vitamin D drops. Everyone has had it up to here.

Time to get our second wind.

When Calvin was a baby things were not so easy.  He was not an easy baby. One napless day after a sleepless night I was having my own little pity party for one and Maggie the babysitter showed up. She saw the tears on my face and moved toward me. She had six children of her own and I thought she was going to give me a big bear hug like I deserved. Instead she shook my shoulders and said, "You better get it together.  YOU'RE the MOM here." I forgot she was also in the Air Force.

The right words at the right time.

So Minnesotans. We better get it together. We're the northerners here.

I've been having another pity party for one this week. Bill's been gone two weeks in a row and he had gigs last weekend and the list of hoopla and responsibilities for me is about fifty miles long.  Like every working mother.  Who's doing what when where and what do they need to bring with them. . .and what is their temperature and can they still go to school with that?

I'm off to Houston tomorrow. It's truly one of the highlights of my year. Teaching the children, playing in the recital, and talking with parents at the parent lecture. Two of my favorite things! Seeing new friends and old friends.

Men go out of town on business and women kick into survival mode. It's tough but we are the mom's here. We make lists and make do.

Women go out of town on business and it takes a full staff of engineers to keep the train on the tracks.  And that's with a good husband.

But, I'm still the mom here. And I'm proud of that. I've got my second wind. There's a fridge full of food and emergency pop tarts. Calvin has a black button-down shirt for his part in the choral service. Bill has a black button down shirt for his part. Everyone has clean underwear for the weekend. The SPTG stuff is under control and I have a sub for choir. I won't bore you anymore. . . with the rest of the list. Okay, one more--cat and bunny litter. . . .are done.

Minnesota, we don't know what the next ten weeks will hold. Winter is not even close to being over. Keep shoveling. Hang in there. Embrace the pride of sending your kids to school at ten below, again.

If like me you've been having your own private moping festival, get your second wind. Channel your inner Maggie and shake it off.

We are the moms here.

We are the northerners here.

We can do it.

Well, I'm off to Houston for a weekend without my kids. . . . see you soon. Note hypocrisy of blog entry.