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November 11, 2010

What do you do all day long?

Thankfully I don't get the above question a lot. People are generally wary around me, I guess. But to answer that question, some days are so relaxing. The Sun is shining, the birds are chirping, Antu takes 3 hours naps and Ashu gets picked up by a friend after school and I have a relaxing, long day reading a book or surfing the net or watching TV. Amidst the housework, of course. And then there are other days. Like the day when I had to drop Ashu at 8.30 am, come back home, get myself and Antu ready, leave for the school again at 10 am for the assembly where Ashu and co were dancing, then come back home, get lunch for us both, clean up, then go back to school at 3 pm to pick up Ashu and her friend. Drive to a birthday party with them. Drop the kids off and get some groceries done. Go back and pick them up. Drop the other girl at her place. Come home and its already 7 pm. Get dinner ready, feed the kids, bed time routine, clean the house and then get something to eat for myself. And before I know its almost midnight and I'm still scrubbing the kitchen counter! I realize I ve spent most of the day driving! Its time I get a drivers uniform and call Ashu, "Madam", I guess!

And some other day when Antu has gymboree, Ashu has school, I have a lunch to go to, Hd is traveling, Ashu is bringing her friend to our house after school,... and its crazy fitting everything in one day and dragging Antu everywhere. But yesterday was the pits. Murphy would ve been really proud! So the morning went well. Ashu in school and Antu and I at home. Wednesdays are early finish for Ashu and usually Antu cant nap those days because I have to leave the house just before 2 pm. Even if she's asleep, I pick her up and by the time I get to the car, shes awake. Yesterday was the same. She had a late lunch and was in full form and not a little bit sleepy. Around 2 pm, we go to the school to pick up Ashu and her friend A who was coming home with us. So far so good. Around 3 pm, things start going downhill.

* Ashu is extremely tantrummy. Shes behaving very badly.
* Antu is a like a wrecking ball creating havoc where ever shes going and whatever shes touching.
* Poor A is clueless whats happening in this crazy household.
* I ask Antu to nap. She refuses.
* I ask Ashu to be nice to her friend and play with her. She refuses.
* I get snacks ready for the girls.
* Around 4.30 pm, I lose my patience and take Ashu to a room and yell at her so badly that shes howling.
* Antu meanwhile has made such a mess in one of the rooms that I take her aside and yell at her as well. Now shes howling too.
* Around 5 pm, I say enough is enough and get Ashu ready for the swim class which is at 5.30 pm. Pack up Antu and with A, get into the car. The idea is to drop A and then go the pool since the pool is very near A's house.
* The GPS does nt get started and I'm worried. I go in the general direction of the pool hoping the GPS will come alive in a while and lead us to A's house.
* Meanwhile Antu has fallen asleep! uh ho.
* We are almost near the pool and the GPS is still silent. I park the car on the curb and pray to all Gods. Thankfully, it comes alive. Phew.
*I drop A and rush to the pool. Its already 5.30 pm.
* Park the car, put the sleeping child in my shoulder, carry the bag and run inside with Ashu. 2 sets of stairs and 2 doors later, we are inside the dressing area. Ashu cooperates fully, changes and one more flight of stairs later, we are in the shower area. Ashu again showers by herself and I leave her with the teacher. Usually I hang around by the side while Antu plays in the kiddie pool since the class is only for 30 mins. But today I tell the teacher I ll be back and go back to the dressing rooms. The bench is not too comfy so I sit on the bottom most stair with Antu on my shoulder. Lets say I was only missing a disposable cup in front of me. Would ve made quite a bit of money if I had a cup since everyone who crossed gave a me a pity smile!!
* One of the class moms arrived in a while and said she ll bring Ashu to me after shes done. Long live her!
* I was playing carrot harvest in my phone. Could nt even call Hd since there was no network. and then the phone dies on me!!!! (Good move, Murphy!) And Im thinking to myself, "Ashu better give Michael Phelps a run for his money or else..."
* Ashu finishes her class, takes a shower and comes to me. We go to the dressing room and by this time Antu has opened her eyes but is cranky and crying. By this time, I cant feel my right hand because it has fallen off somewhere! I plonk her on the bench and help Ashu dry her hair and change her. Then I see that theres a door right next to the dressing area which directly goes to the car park. Hallelujah! Don't ve to struggle two flights of stairs. So we go out only to realize that I ve left the entry ticket card in the locker door itself! And these doors cannot be opened from outside. ARGH!
* 2 more flights of stairs again with a crying Antu and a whiny Ashu. I ask the receptionist if she can bring my card but she tells me I ve to go myself and gives me a temp card. At least I found the card. And I go back to give the temp card, thank her and walk out. Its already 6.30 pm and I have a farewell party to go to at 7.00 pm!
* You want me to stop now, don't you? Well I wanted it to stop too. But it did nt. So hear me out.
* As soon as I start the car, I see the tank is almost empty. I panic. Pray to all Gods and somehow reach the gas station near our house. I fill the tank, ask Ashu to wait in the car and that I ll be back in 2 minutes, lock the car and go inside to pay. Ashu can see me through the glass door. So can I. Of course, there have to be 4 people in front of me all buying their entire weeks groceries at a GAS STATION! I keep an eye out at the car and signal to Ashu. Then my turn comes and I pay. I come out to see that the car door is wide open and Ashu standing outside and she's crying! Right by the side of a busy road! I was so shocked that I go speechless for a second. There are a few people staring at the scene. I quickly bundle Ashu inside and ask what the heck does she think shes doing? She could nt see me when I was paying, got worried (because I was out of her sight for TWO SECONDS!), took off her seat belt, climbed to the drivers seat, unlocked the doors, opened the door, climbed outside, did nt know whether to leave Antu and come and get me so she started crying. Because she was scared! I banged my head against the wheel, told her how dangerous her move was which made her cry more, of course. Then hugged her and drove home.
* Hd was home. Murphy took pity on me, I guess. About time, I say! I quickly changed, gave the shorter version of my day to Hd and left the house to attend a school mom's farewell party. It was at a friends place and a dance party at that. "Munni badnaam hui" many times and for the first time in my life, I wished I drank!

So come on all you SAHMs. Tell me the worst day of your mommy life.(Leave a link or write in the comment section.) Parul had the By the Water Cooler contest for the working types. Let us have some fun too. May be I ll consider the working moms stories too if its really, really bad! ;) No prizes vrizes because I'm no celebrity author. But I got two shoulders you can cry on!

Whoever said that "Giving birth is the easiest part of Motherhood", show me your feet please. *does saashtaanga namaskaram*

45 comments:

yaadayaada said...

Ayio paavame!

Anonymous said...

padikave thala suthradhu!!

But good job Boo...

Sujatha

Anonymous said...

I second Sujatha...padhiche thalai sutthudhu...the climax was nail biting with Ashu getting out of the car...scary...these kids i tell u....

Hope you had fun at the dance party to finish the stress ful day..

-Bhavani

Aditi's Album said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Aditi's Album said...

I admire all ye moms who stay at home and manage a toddler with a school going kid. Which is the main reason for me not having a second child. I just cant manage two howling babies. Does the sashtanga namaskaram back to Boo for staying sane. I have days that are bad, but not as bad as yours.

Rohini said...

This post just robbed me of any remaining motivation to move abroad :)

Anonymous said...

While at work, I had passed a remark to my boss that the real stress begins when I get home!

Ardra said...

OH Boo, what a harrowing day indeed! Murphy seemed to have had a ball! However, Boo, you've such an amusing way of narrating your woes, including applauding Murphy's pranks, I could not help smiling through at times...
Love and take care
ardra
and love to the vaavas...

Anonymous said...

Crazy day!! Nice touch bringing in murphy! Got a feeling of having lived through the day after reading your post. Today is another day! :-).

Peace!
Shree

d said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
d said...

wow what an offer - who can resist the offer to rant for free (and having a shoulder to cry on thrown in too!) - you can be sure i'll be back here with my story(ies). i am a SAHM, and almost everyday is like this - i just have to choose which one to write (rant) about :-)
d

R's Mom said...

Awww! Hugs to you...

Aparna said...

Hello, am delurking after reading your post :)) Could totally empathise with your day and Mr. Murphy’s shenanigans. What a day!!!
My worst day was a couple of years ago, when we lived in the US. My son was 3, my daughter was 3-4 months old. Son was at school. Daughter was giving me hell all day (and the previous night, it was constant crying). Went to pick up son and he was incredibly whiny and hungry. Daughter hadn’t allowed me time to have lunch so I was faint, famished and cranky myself. Somehow got everyone home, shoved lunch into everyone’s mouths, son and daughter both refused to nap. Decided that since no one was sleeping and I needed to get out of the house, let’s all go to the store to buy groceries. Got back home after shopping and realized I was minus the shopping cart. How to drag 2 kids, baby bag and all the supplies to the apartment? Decided to just pick up the milk and cheese and leave the rest in the car. Baby in sling, whiny 3-year old in tow, 2 gallons of milk in my hands. Got to the elevator and promptly dropped both bottles on the floor…talk about spilt milk!!! Get to our floor, drop both kids at home, do a rough cleanup in the elevator, call up the office, apologize for the mess, ask them to clean it up please while 2 whiny kids are clamouring for attention. Then husband calls – he needs a ride back home. Go downstairs, strap them both into the carseats for what seems like the umpteenth time that day, driving towards husbands’ office and realize I am a little lost. The GPS is hanging or something. Fiddling with the GPS (and this is totally my fault), distracted by son’s constant chatter, forget that I am on a stop sign and I don’t have the right of way, and get whacked by a HUGE pickup truck. We go flying, thankfully we were on a residential street with no kids playing on the pavements. We hit a couple of lampposts and come to a grinding halt, very very shaken but unhurt. 2 firetrucks and a police car arrive pronto. We stay on the sidewalk for a couple of hours. The car is totaled. Husband takes a cab and arrives. FINALLY! I’ve never gotten over that day and how my carelessness endangered my kids’ lives. Put the rest of that horrible day in perspective tho :(
Sorry for the super-size comment, just thought of sharing...keep the posts coming, i really enjoy reading them :)

Asha said...

oh oh!

Sumana said...

Today morning I was just heard telling my friend how crazy my life gets since i do not drive here in India. She said never do that mistake you will be more piled up. So i get to read the same. I bet some days are just like that as crazy as it can get. Kids can be the best challengers on such days.

Parul said...

Bet I can win this in BOTH working mum and SAHM categories. Dubious distinction, eh?

The Inquisitive Akka said...

Ammaadi what a day you had! :) N's not given me this kind of experience yet but I am sure we will get there soon!

Namrata said...

what a day ! I have one toddler..your post is making me feel as if worse is yet to come :) BTW am a SAHM so surely would drop in someday with my worst day.

bouncingbubble said...

somehow I feel being a SAHM outside India, is less stressful, than being the same in India. Seeing most moms working may hurt my ego, I have felt.. I don't know, haven't tried.. What do you feel about it?

Cantaloupes.Amma (CA) said...

There are several bad days here Boo!

Picture this: Wake up early and prepare full course S.Indian meals / breakfast ready by 7:00am since BP leaves to work at that time. Then get Junior and Cantaloupe bathed / fed by 8:00 and drop off Junior at my sister's house and drive back home again because Cantaloupe's school is close to home and starts at 9:00. Drop her off at school just in time and dial into office meeting which begins at 9:00am. I am supposed to pick up Cantaloupe from school at 2:30 since alternative arrangements are not there for the day... only to realise an important office meeting scheduled from 2-3. I dial into the meeting and manage to pick up Cantaloupe from school on time only to realise she hasn't eaten and is hungry and demanding snacks ... and I don't have any in my car. I again drop her off at sister's house and drive back to work, all the while paying attention to the office call. And then pick up the girls again in the evening, drive back home and have to prepare dinner for guests. And well what do you know, some essentials missing ... so get grocery .. fill gas ... come back home and realise its a mess and the kitchen sink is filled. Cook, clean and vacuum the house and be ready to expect the guests by 7:30 and thats when BP arrives. And his excuse for being late than usual ... he went to get cake and had to select the right color for getting "Happy Birthday" note on the cake. Grrrrrrr ...
Oh ... did I add, I hadn't eaten since 12:00 and was whiny myself and the guests insisted on having dinner past 9:00 :(

Choxbox said...

Yeah have had such days. Including having handbag stolen from car, locking myself out of the house with two howling kids, a nutcase banging my car up. All on same crazy day.

Silver lining - it gets easier/better as the kids get older. But it’s good to write these stories down - wont life get boring if not for them?!

Anonymous said...

Hi Boo,
your life sounds a lot crazier than mine. I totally agree being a SAHM is harder than working, at least you get paid for the latter.
i was going to ask you how your gym workups are going!?
i bet you need more holidays for getting a break from the hectic routine
jey

Sugar and Spice said...

That was such a terrific day you've had and hats off to you for remaining sane after such an experience!
**Takes a big bow before Boo!** (Happa.. Ethana B?!:))

Anonymous said...

That was real scary reading about it Aparna. Thankfully, you and the kids came unscathed after the accident.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes it's so easy to forget that Ashu is only a 5 yr old, b'cos of all the other things she does and says. But the incident that you've mentioned here Boo.. is so typical of a paavam 5 yr old.

Anonymous said...

BTW.. have always wondered.. is BOO an acronym?

B o o said...

YY - :(

Sujatha - Good job screwing up the day, you mean? ;)

Bhavani - Oh yes. If not for the party, I would have put my head inside the oven!!

Aditi's Album - We cant have people smarter than us amidst us now, can we? Come on and join the club! :)

Rohini - I knew you would say that! LOL!

Anon - So true!

Ardra - Oh yes. I was so thinking of blogging about this horrible day even as the day was proceeding. When I was thinking it could nt get any more worse and it did, I was like "Its going to be one long post!" LOL! May be thats what kept me sane? :)

Shree - "Today is another day" - Oh yes and thank God for that!

d - LOL! Bring it on!

R's Mom - Aww... thanks. I needed it.

Aparna - OMG! Dude - We dont have to wait for the rest of the sob stories. You are a clear winner! So so glad that the accident was nt much worse. So scary. You know what? When I was fiddling with the GPS I told myself I dont want an accident on top of this awful day and parked on the side and fiddled with it. Good call I think after reading your comment. Hugs.

Asha - :)

Aneela Z said...

I envy moms who can raise toddlers sober, hic!

B o o said...

Sumana - Its true. But here its a necessity.

Parul - The more the merrier, I say! Or should I say the miserable? ;)

Inquisitive Akka - Learn from me! :)

Namrata - Hope it does nt. Some days I just bite more than I can chew.

BB - You think? I was in India only for a short period when Ashu was a baby. I did nt feel that way. It depends on the social circle too, I guess. That said, SAHM is one thing Im most secure about. :)

CA - OMG again! You are giving Aparna serious competition! Loads of hugs. Like I told a friend the the other day, some days should come to an end as soon as they begin! And its not a wise idea to starve such days. What were you thinking not eating? *glares* Chocolate cakes and ice creams are especially made for such days! :D

Chox - I remember the car incident. You blogged about it na? Awful!

Jey - Long time. How are you? Gymming is going fine. Eating too!!! :D

S & S - LOL! Thankoo. After a while, I just resigned to my fate. Losing my cool is futile against Mr.Murphy!!

Anon - I know! Very scary!

Anon - you are so so so right! I expect too much from her and she was cooperating so wonderfully at the pool too. And then this happens and Im so guilty. :(

Boo is just a nick I chose when I started the blog. Because I like that kid Boo in Monsters Inc. :)

B o o said...

Aneela - ROTFLOL! Only you can come up with something like that! Have I ever told you I love the comments you leave here and in other blogs? I do. Sometimes they are more funny than the post itself. :)

Anonymous said...

About 2 years ago, it was some davasam at home. I threw the last eera-thundu brahmanan out of the house and got my daughter ready for her School Day program. The husband was hosting a function for all his vella-kaara dorais at office. My FIL chose that day to have his heart attack. I almost had one as well. Roped in relatives to have him admitted, dumped my daughter into my sister's arms and gave the husband a 15-minute lecture for not picking up my phone when he was on the dais, addressing a 200-odd audience. And yes, I too yearned for something stronger as I gulped down my coffee at the ICU waiting room.

A and A said...

Ouch! That's all I can say. Glad the kids are ok

BangaloreMom said...

Oh Boo!! Am so glad I live in Blore and can just leave the princess with mom while Kuttan and I run around town on numerous activities!! Hope the rest of the month is easier.

Hotels Link Exchange said...

Thats Great post,
i usually wake up at 5 o clock early in the morning and go to the meditation 6 to 8.30 , then comes again to home and do breakfast and then go to the office. in evening i came at 7:45 at home and do the dinner and then i go to my Computer Table and start checking mails and other things. and after 10:30 i go to sleep. I have no time for else more

Choxbox said...

Yup I did, but didn’t put in other horrible details like how that nutcase upstairs didn’t get his window glass fixed properly so it fell all the way from the seventh floor (yes the whole glass sheet) and broke right on top of my car.
I simply shut my mind to it - because all I could think was what if one of my kids was just getting out of the car at that point? Left the whole episode for the husband to deal with - which is the rarest thing ever - almost always I am the Jhansi-ki-Rani.

NOW, I can think about it and finish thanking the Lord Almighty for keeping an eye on my kids.

B o o said...

Whoa Inba! Belated Hugs.

A&A - What about me, huh? HUH? ;)

Bangalore Mom - Come on! Rub it in and make me more miserable! *bawls*

Chox - OMG! thats horrible! So scary! Glad you guys were unharmed. Belated hugs to you as well.

Sue said...

So, can I enter a post from my SAHM days? I am sure I have plenty to compete with this one!

dipali said...

OH MY GOD:(
I pray you never have such awful days again.

seo agency india said...

hUgZ n kisses boo's, miss u hEApz too

seo agency india said...

hUgZ n kisses boo's, miss u hEApz too

Brugge Restaurant said...

This post just robbed me of any remaining motivation to move abroad and While at work, I had passed a remark to my boss that the real stress begins when I get home!

Bharathy said...

First time here - nicely captured. I am back at work after being a SAHM for 2 years. Work is sometimes a break from work:-)
Keep up the writing.

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