My Boring Life

"Mom, your life is so boring!"

So came this statement the other day out of the mouth of one of my teen sons. My eyebrows flew up and a high pitched "crazy-person" cackle came out of my mouth, "Are you kidding me?!! Boring? BORING!!! I dream of being bored. I can't remember the last time I felt bored. I actually have fantasies about being bored! "

I don't think said son was still in the room by the time I finished my rant, but it didn't really matter. I do believe his statement wasn't so much about the amount of activity I have in a typical day as much as the type of activity. I admit, I don't jet off to attend the Academy Awards or climb any mountains, heck, I don't even ski. I don't win any contests for my laundry organization system or my plan-your-dinner for a month calendar but, in my daily routine, feeling that I'm bored has never been an issue.

His words came into my mind today as I scrambled to fit all of our obligations into the available daylight hours. Wednesday at this present moment happens to be an extremely busy day and while I longed for a lazy afternoon and maybe even a 20 minute nap, I thought I'd share a typical day in my (boring) life:

I was woken up by Mike at 5:45 am so I could drive him to the bus station because teen son (yep, same one) drives the other car to school & swim practice. After dropping off hubby, I begin my quiet prayer time on the short drive home with the hopes of 10 more minutes to finish after getting home. This particular day, I was met at home by little K wanting breakfast, 9 yo dog demanding breakfast, & a whiny puppy needing to go out and (of course) eat breakfast. I did finish my prayer time although "quiet" was no longer in the description.

Breakfast, clean-up, showers, & more puppy management came next. Oh yeah, I tossed a hunk of beef in the crock pot and dumped some BBQ sauce on top, set to low. Dinner's done!

Our school day began somewhere before 9. By 10:30 we were rushing out the door, books in tow, to pick up R from high school. He and M have orthodontist appointments at 11:15. Ortho done, drop R back at school and hit the gas station to fill up before our crazy afternoon.

Back home for a quick lunch, more school, more puppy management, change clothes & pack up for M's Pickwick Society meeting. (this is a Victorian based girls virtue/craft class led by another homeschooling mom). We stopped on the way to pick up my friend's 3 daughters for the meeting because she had another family obligation. Onward....

The meeting was in a park, which was good cause the weather was gorgeous and it gave the younger kids something to do while the older girls met. Promptly at 3:30 (ok--a teeny bit later) I rounded up the 6 kids spread out in various locations of the park, dropped 3 of them back off at their grandparents home, and headed back to our house with my remaining 3. Once home I led the battle cry "Ten minutes everyone, hurry!! A-- dress for soccer & look for your ball, M--get in your leo for gymnastics & get something to eat, K--go potty." I fed the big dog and took puppy out for well, you know. We piled back in the car, this time with Brutus (the big dog) because he always joins us on our afternoon drives.

First stop (4:50) the gym-- out goes M, second stop high school-- pick up R from afterschool activities, third stop--soccer field, make sure it's okay if I leave A there with coach while I finish my rounds, fourth stop--back home to drop R off so he can shower, eat, & get ready for his Confirmation class, fifth stop--bus station, hubby is waiting, sixth stop--home again to drop hubby off so he can eat & get ready for choir practice & take R to class (luckily at the same place), K & dog get out here too, seventh stop (6:00)--back to soccer field to pick up A just in time before it is pitch black out (no lighted fields), eighth stop-- back home again, finally, so I can get out, eat the crock pot dinner (I am so smart, I applaud myself silently), and give the car to hubby & R so they can go to their evening activities. I don't need to go anywhere again until 8:50 to pick up M from the gym.

It is 9:30, where has my day gone?? I don't see any amazing adventures and surely nothing I wrote is making anyone say "Cool, I wish I could do that too!" And yet, I don't feel bored. I definitely feel tired and think I'm fighting a sore throat, but boredom has not entered my mind. Of course, there are no impromptu romantic getaways with my husband, no spontaneous trips into the city just to find some interesting entertainment, not even a trip to blockbuster to rent the latest release. But what I did do was share a part of everyone in my family's life today. Whether it was listening to A read a first grade story book, helping M pick out a poem to share with her Pickwick group, or simply providing a meal & clean clothes to those I love.

When I was a little girl, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up-- a wife & mother, and I definitely wanted alot of kids (and dogs).

So, as boring as it might be, it looks like I'm living my dream afterall!