back to Sue's place

What is that incessant sound that I am hearing? Where is it coming from? Oh, the alarm clock is blasting.  Whack! Another five minutes…please!  I lazily drag myself out of bed, plodding towards the kitchen.  I trip on some formidable object on the floor. Grabbing sandwich meat out of the fridge, I try to recollect what my children had ordered for lunch; after all, part of my job is being a short order cook.  Dang how did the turkey get slimy already? I had better open the tuna fish instead of poisoning the kids- did I buy tuna fish? 

Oh no, dog peed on the floor, better clean that up.  Where was I, oh yes, making lunch, cleaning up pee…just another day. Lunch complete, where are those lunch boxes?  I swear I need to designate one place for all three of them.  Located them, now I hurriedly pack the lunches. Not again! I have mixed up the lunches; I wish the back packs and lunch boxes were the same color; why must Ganyne have a BLUE lunch box?  I always associate this color with my son. Repacking complete, now I must start cooking breakfast. 

I pull out my favorite skillet and begin frying the eggs, another pan for the sausages, and plunk down the bread into the toaster.  I begin the mundane task of calling for my children to wake up and come and eat breakfast. Finally, after ten minutes of calling them, all three are slumping at the table, trying to pour the orange juice into their glasses.  I lay a plate before them and they begin eating. Their faces are covered with tangled hair not to mention the fact they appear to be hunch backs from leaning so far into the table. Time to go and feed the fish; I go to the tank and plop in the food, good, none lost today. Walking back to the kitchen, I pour myself a cup of steaming coffee. Oh- forgot to buy half and half again, I settle for milk.

The children are starting to get up from the table, and go separate ways to get showered and dressed for school.  I begin to clear the table, stacking the plates into the dishwasher, thinking of what I must accomplish today.

Beep, beep, oh, Nychola, your ride is here.  Nychola appears still applying makeup with one hand, the other lugging her backpack.  I kiss her goodbye. “Is my makeup even mom?” she asks as she sashays past me. “Yes Nychola, you look beautiful” I answer.  “Yeah mom, you have to say that” she states as she is half way out of the door.  Steven and Ganyne ready to leave.  Do you have everything?  Yes mom. Steven looks adorable with his sun sprinkled freckles on the bridge of his nose.  Ganyne, always the diva says “do I match mom?”  We trudge to the car, get in and start her up.  We stop at the neighbors; to collect Mia and Mitch…off to school we go.  Mitch says something about his dad which causes a very gentle response from both Steven and Ganyne. I am amazed at how well they handle this subject.  You see, Mia and Mitch’s dad died two years ago of cancer. He left behind 5 children ages 3-15 and his wife of 18 years. We pull into school, and I tell all the children to have a great day.  Time to go home.

Upon reentering the house, I notice the hamster’s cage is open, and there is no hamster in the contraption; the cat is in the house, but has nothing in her mouth….must find speedy before Tabitha does.  I call the dog, Fritz, and ask him to fetch Speedy….he leads me to Nychola’s closet.  I reorganize the cloths that are strewn on the floor, and there is Speedy! I have to remember to tell Nychola she must put the hamster back in the cage before she leaves for school (as if I haven’t already asked her a thousand times)

I begin my task of maid, when I notice the bag on the island in the kitchen.  Ganyne had worked tirelessly on this project for school all weekend…how could she forget it?  With no other choice, I grab the bag and head for the car.  I drive to the school, muttering under my breath that I can not believe I have to do this.  I enter the sterile office, and ask that the bag be delivered to Ganyne. Once again, back home I go.

Commencement of being the maid again….I need to check my e mail and write a paper, answer a ridiculous amount of questions for an online class and in my spare time, seek employment.

Ring, ring, the phone.  My neighbor saw me coming home, and wants to come over for coffee.  Why not, I need another cup.  We sit and chat for an hour before I tell her I HAVE to get to my homework, and look for a job.  She asks me “how do you have time for a job?”  Well, I think that the time has come…I must get a job.

I get my tasks done, have to get into my car and pick up the kids from school.  I pop a cd into the cd player, and on comes Simon and Garfunkel. I arrive at the school, get on line, and wander over to my friend’s car to chat. He is doing better today; his wife died a year ago and he has days that are difficult for him. The volunteer coordinator is making a bee line for the car; I try to shrink down in the seat.  No such luck, she has seen me.  My friend is laughing, and rolls down the window for me.  Allison asks if I can do the birthday lunches this year and oh sign up to be a mentor.  She claims the training is not that bad.  I politely refuse, but she wont take no for an answer. I am bamboozled into doing it again. Time to jump back into my car, line is moving…..The kids get in, and immediately begin chatting about their day.  Where are Mitch and Mia I ask?  Oh..I’ll go and get them states Steven. Now, every one is in the car.  I ask Ganyne how could she possibly forget the bag, she shrugs her shoulders, “just did mom, but thanks for dropping it off, I would have been embarrassed to not have it”.  Drop off the neighbor’s kids, and home we go.

Steven and Ganyne each pour a glass of orange juice, and slurp it down.  I tell them to take a break from homework, they have fifteen minutes to recoup from school.  As mostly always, they choose to start immediately. Steven tells me he ran for student council today, and informs me he signed me up to go to Enterprise Village with the class next month.  Ganyne immediately cuts into the conversation by stating she signed me up to go to the Big Cat Rescue next month so it better not be on the same day. (I know the school never schedules two different grades on the same day, but have to razz the kids).  “Who should I choose then”, I playfully say if the field trips are on the same day? Both children look at me transfixed by my expression.  Ok, just kidding, you know I could never choose one of you over the other.  They seem happy with my answer, knowing I have never missed a field trip yet. Homework finished, signed and planners signed, we pack into the car for the journey to Clearwater.  Upon arrival, I immediately feel like I am in a much squashed confined can.  We wait on line to pick up Nychola and Elanie.  The bell rings, the parking lot is filled with the booming voice of the principal reminding all the parents of upcoming events.  I can’t believe we need to be reminded every day of these things.  I suppose when the kids get demerits we have been warned a million times already! All in the car, we drop Elanie home, and head home ourselves.

Arriving home, Nychola whizzes out of the car, and into the house, I need to remember to speak to her about the hamster….All inside, Steven heads to his room to play halo, Ganyne heads to her room to knit and Nychola heads to her room to begin the chore of two hours of homework.

I enter the kitchen and call Fritz, so I can let him out before he pees on the floor again.  Oh the pool looks like its going green again.. Probably from all the rain we have been having.   I must remember to throw chlorine in and yellow out….if only I can get every thing done.

Back in the house, I begin to prepare dinner.  Ganyne comes racing at me like a scene out of psycho with her knitting needles…mom, I dropped a stitch, and please can you fix it.  I comply and off she goes muttering something about making me a perfect scarf.

I pick back up, and put the dinner in the oven.  With an hour to spare, I begin knocking on the children’s doors, making sure they are ok.  Nychola gives a deep sigh and says, “Mom, can you help me with civics? I don’t understand this….”I want to go to a normal school” she almost screams at me.  I remain calm and ask her “what is your definition of normal?”  She says, “I want to go to a school where I don’t get much homework, like Megan”.  “When high school comes around, you can make the choice then” I reply to her.  “Gee, that’s like a thousand years away mom”.  “Not really, you are already in 7^th grade”.  I have had this conversation often with Nychola.

Beep, Beep, Beep, dinner is ready, we all gather up to the table and laugh about our day.  Steven, always the competitive one, on anything, states that he came first in flag football at school.  To think that Steven would be anything than first would be a surprise.  Nychola tells Steven she doesn’t understand why he always has to be first at everything; wouldn’t he have more fun if he just had fun, and didn’t have to be first?  He almost screams back, “how can anything be fun, if you don’t win?”  I have had this conversation with him a million times, and don’t even have the energy to say it another time.  Ganyne  says she doesn’t want to go to gifted anymore, because the teacher changed this year, Steven immediately states Ms Klimins is nice, and Ganyne is dumb.  Oh, not that word again. Nychola tells Ganyne she’s retarded; shut up…..oh here we go again!

Steven’s turn to clear the table, I stack the plates into the dishwasher, Nychola hurries off to finish homework and Ganyne is back to knitting.

We decide to play uno and trouble, but there is always a fight over which color to be.  Steven always has to be green, but Ganyne wants green too. Nychola rolls her eyes as if we have to go through this again! Can’t you two just get along? Amen to that! Steven wins. Again…no surprise, Ganyne accuses him of cheating, Nychola claims it is impossible to cheat…my head is going blah, blah, blah.

I finally manage to speak to Nychola about Speedy, and it is time for the children to go jump in the shower, and go to bed.  Each child has their book, and is in bed.  Ganyne always ends up sitting with Steven, each reading their own book.  They have a love, hate relationship.  Nychola has the comforter wrapped around her like a cocoon, she is twisted on her side engrossed in the book she is reading.

I muster what little energy I have left, and start my homework.  Oh, I must begin looking for a job…a job that I can earn money doing!

Finally, I drag myself to let the dog out, take a quick shower, and fall into bed. My mind is ticking…did I get everything done today?  I can’t sleep.  Up I get, start pacing around the house, read a book, and start counting sheep-anything to sleep.  I look at the clock 1:30am, I have to get up at 5:30am, I HAVE to go to sleep.

What is that incessant sound that I am hearing? Where is it coming from? Oh, the alarm clock is blasting.  Whack! Another five minutes…please!

N8's Final Narrative Peer Grading