A Day in The Life

4 a.m. - Woken up by a kid we like to call Goldie who cant sleep.

6 a.m. - Tired of the tossing, turning and constant trips into her room I finally give up on the idea of sleep and get her dressed and take her to exercise class with me.

6:43 a.m. - Aforementioned child lays on my yoga mat and prevents me from doing any sit ups and then loudly and insistently instructs that "it's time to rest." Does the same thing when it is time for push ups.

8:10 a.m. - Drive George to school.

8:23 a.m. - While driving home get pulled over by the police in front of my own house in full view of scandalized neighbors. Get ticketed for "doing 30" in a school zone. Am suddenly $189 lighter than when I started the day (at 4 a.m.!)

8:33 a.m. - First email from neighbor comes in. It reads, "What's with the cop car in front of your house?"

9:00 a.m. - I drag myself to Volunteer Park Cafe for a pity party and complain to everyone I know there about my brush with the wrong side of the law. Annie the barista gives me a free London Fog. Shannon soothes my pain by saying at least it wasn't a DWI. ( I take this as kind encouragement all the while thinking "Huh? It was 8 a.m. What are your mornings like") Peyman suggests the name of a top-notch lawyer who can help me fight this thing. Nancy, my new neighbor, talks about how nice Clay is (huh?).

9:30 a.m. - Neighbor across the street, whose burglar alarm was ringing while I was getting my ticket, asks me why the police were at our house when his burglar alarm was going off, which is a good question.

10 a.m. - I can't remember 10 a.m. 'cause by this point I'm too tired and I want to forget it all.

Fast forward to

3:30 p.m. - At swimming lessons George jumps off a diving board for the first time in his life and expertly swims to the side. (While walking down the diving board he earnestly asks instructor if it can hold his weight, which is 41 lbs.)

This makes me smile every time I think about it and I've forgotten all the unpleasantness of the morning.