It feels like December in the ivory tower but July outside

I took zero pictures yesterday, I think because for the first time since school started, I found my groove around the house.

Before Harry got up for breakfast at 6:35 (hot apple pie à la mode), I had completed all of the work I needed to do for my adjunct online class.  I fed Harry and got him off to the bus, switched the laundry so I was on the second full load before the other kids got up, refereed a walk-the-dog fight, made and cleaned up everyone else's breakfast, etc.  By the time Cooper and Jack were ready to walk to school and Dorothy was ready for Ben to take her, all of the bedrooms and bathrooms were cleaned up and wiped down, and I had already cleaned up breakfast. Plus I was reasonably sure that everyone brushed their teeth, and I know that at least 2 kids brushed their hair.  I spent the first 45 minutes or so in a quiet house catching up on emails (I like to zero out all of my inboxes on Monday mornings and then try to keep them at almost zero for the rest of the week).  Then I had to work out, get dressed, fold and put away laundry, and pre-make a skillet dinner for Ben and the kids (didn't have to do this; just a GIVER).  I had just enough time to read  some of a book about the re-gendering of ancient rhetoric before it was time to get Dorothy and do the lunch time scramble, which included packing myself a dinner to eat at work.  I read my book and responded to student emails off and on until Ben got home.  By this point, the kids were only like 10 minutes away because all of the boys get out early on Mondays.  So, in a fit of domesticity, I hung around and read my book at the kitchen counter for a little longer so I could pack lunches for Tuesday before even going to work.  I also helped Harry with math homework-- meaning he explained how to do stuff and I reminded him to write neatly.  ALL BEFORE GOING TO WORK.

I got home late, but the big kids were still awake, so we all watched American Ninja Warrior (LOL, I know) before Ben and I fell asleep to The Vietnam War, which is GREAT and you should watch it.

It was actually nice to come home last night and not have to make myself dinner 2 hours late or pack lunches or any of that.  I did have to wash the skillet from the dinner I cooked, empty the dishwasher because the sink was full of dirty dishes, and put away all of the clean dishes that were drying in the sink when I left as well as all of the clean dishes that SOMEONE just added to that side of the sink without putting away the dirty ones-- ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME.

But.  I have so much work to do at work, too.  Now, I need to find my groove there.  I kind of hate lecturing so far-- it makes me feel dumb.  And!  I have an amazing offer for help on the big class I am creating for the (rapidly approaching) spring semester. But this person wants to help me NEXT MONTH.

So.  The time has come to demolish this reading list.

And I have to start observing my TAs every free second that I am not in the classroom, and have we talked about all of the meetings?  So many meetings, you guys.  

Tonight is so ridiculous that we have to have a babysitter come help because we have-- between 4:30 and 9-- the following:  baseball, cub scouts, another cub scouts (different times just for added fun), back-to-school-night, condo board meeting, and hockey pre-season practice.  Ben and I hope to rendezvous on the couch by 9:30.  I hope to make it home in time to feed the kids and clean up dinner and re-pack lunches before the babysitter gets here, but I may have to collect some of the children from the baseball field.  Yikes.

See you on the flip side.