Their Excitement, My Anxiety

Don't you just hate alarms!  You know, when you are so comfy cozy that you feel as though you are melded with the bed?  You have become one. Mmmm bed..(Homer Simpson drooley voice). That's where I was this morning.  Then like a Banshee from Haiti, that annoying thing goes off.  I know what you are thinking...well, not really, but I have a pretty good idea.  "Why on Earth have you set an alarm? Its summer, and you stay home with your kids. Whats wrong with you woman" ? 

Well, my only explanation is its the last Thursday of Summer.  We have all slept in, loafed around and pretty much been Potatoes this entire Summer.  The only time we have really been on a tight schedule was a few weeks ago when we traveled to Illinos to see our oldest daughter graduate from Navy boot camp. 2000 miles there, 2000 miles back!  Yes, I drove. I'm still tired.  Now, back to today.

I've decided that when we do something we really don't want to do, we must find someone else to blame. So, I'm blaming FlyLady.  Yep, it's all her fault. My timer has been set for 15 minute intervals for the last 3 days.  I've been dressed to my shoes, my hair is brushed, breakfast is cooked and my sink is shiny. As I dust mop my floors and do a 27 boogie fling, I have done so begrudgingly and with a sour puss face. (you know the one).  Well, yesterday, while swiffering and sweeping, my oldest comes to me and says, "Hey Mom, can I clean out the front closet?" I stood there, mouth agape, stunned.  Not risking the loss of this monumental moment, I exclaimed, "YES, ehem, Yes you can sweetheart!"

What was happening here?  Did someone switch out my kids? Have they been brain washed, but not dried? Whats going on!?!

The wheels in my head started to turn.  If one was eager to help, what about the others? Would they want to do the same?  So I decided to do a little reward test.  I placed a single dollar bill in the back of the bowl cabinet and asked my son to help me out by straightening it out for me. He looks at me and says, "Ok, do you want me to do all of them?"  He was serious!  Back to the mouth agape stance.  "YES!" I joyfully exclaimed.  He was completely unaware of the dollar in the cabinet.  So I told him to run upstairs and get something, and while he was gone I tossed a quarter into the back of each cabinet and drawer in the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes into his straightening, he gasps, "Mom, I found a Dollar in the cabinet....(long dramatic pause)"!  I smile at him lovingly, bat my eyes, head cocked slightly to the side and say, "Really?" He looks puzzled at this point, not knowing what to do at this point with this potential treasure he has just discovered. So I tell him, "You know, if you do a great job, with no complaints, and you promise not to brag to your sisters, you can keep that dol...".  Before the words were out of my mouth, the dollar bill was deep in the recesses of his pockets.  "Really?" he whispered excitedly.  "Yes, really.  Now would you consider straightening out the rest of the cabinets? You are welcome to keep whatever you happen to find."  He all but dove into the cabinets and went to town.  Each cabinet presenting a new found treasure.  Within one hour, all of the cabinets in my kitchen were beautiful.

So, here I am today, drinking my coffee, eating homemade pancakes and writing this blog.  No worries about discombobulated cabinets or hall closets. My home is starting to get a little sparkly, and my Honey has just kissed me good bye for the day. Why the 'Anxiety' part of the title, you may be asking.  Well, school starts on Monday.  Not just any school, OUR school.  Cyber School.  Texas Connections Academy Cyber School, here in our house School! I would be lying if I said I was cool as a cucumber and ready to roll the moment the bell rings.  I'm not!  Quite frankly, it scares the poo out of me.  Do I have everything we need? Will I be organized enough to keep up with an Elementary, Junior High and Highschool curriculum?  What if I can't understand Algebra and they ask me a question? What if....?

My 'what if's' are becoming nerve racking.  I've been taught that I'm not to wait for opportunity to come, but to be prepared for when it gets here.  Thats what I'm doing right now.  Preparing.  So, the alarm goes off, I get up and the day of routines begins.  I'm doing the things I know to do to create order and peace in our home.  Hopefuly, Cyber School will just be drizzled into our days, kind of like chocolate sauce on an icecream sundae.  So I guess I'm preparing the icecream.  Now, I'm off to wake up my 'little nuts'.  Wish me luck, today...the classroom closet needs to be emptied! (3 companies worth of left over junk is hiding in there).