My school year as an instructional coach hasn’t quite ended yet. I still have three more days of work. The girls have already started their summer without me. Thankfully my husband was able to take the day off work today to transport the girls to cheerleading and the library.
Since my husband was home this morning, I didn’t have to…
coax Katie awake, pull a comb through Maddie’s tangled hair, squabble with Katie over the purple shirt, hurry the girls down the stairs, slap breakfast on the table, plead with them to eat faster, holler ‘get your shoes on please’, rush out the door, run back in the house to grab Katie’s monkey, usher them into daycare, give a quick kiss-i-love-you-have-a great-day, scramble out the daycare door, and speed off to work.
I grabbed my coffee and headed out the door in silence. I walked at my own pace, not Katie’s. I pushed play on my audio book and lowered the driver’s side window to let the cool breeze in.
I could have thought about the nice break in my routine. I could have felt grateful for my husband’s offer to take the day off work. I could have felt relaxed.
Surprisingly, I felt a little sad and wistful. I left the house without even seeing their faces.
This is my Slice of Life Story. Share yours at Two Writing Teachers every Tuesday.
Murphy's Law 
It’s so true! What is sort of annoying at the time turns into a bittersweet memory when our kids are concerned. Starting when she was two my daughter always wanted to sit in my lap at the movies. It wasn’t the most comfortable for me – she was tall and I ended up with her hair in my mouth and her dangling legs seemed to be everywhere. Then one day she decided to sit in her own seat and that was that. And I missed it. Enjoy your minutes with your daughters!
I always love your Slices Dana. I love all of your verbs in this one. I hope your girls had a great day and that you’ll enjoy some of their fun summer vibe at the end of your work day.
Sometimes getting what we want is a mixed blessing. A break in routine can leave us at wit’s end because thing are not as they usually are.
What a sense of family this shows. How fortunate you are that your husband could get the girls ready…and yet, you still felt a little sad because you were not a part of it this morning.
Too soon those rushed mornings will be over. You are wise to appreciate them (even though at times they are annoying) while you can. Bittersweet is the perfect word for this slice.
Ahhhh… nice! Great that you could move slower even if you were a bit sad Dana. Enjoy… summer’s almost here.
Dana,
That was a long list of “I didn’t have to’s”, so after two more days, your summer routine with the girls will kick in! Enjoy every day!
I could feel the rushed morning routine as you were talking about it. And all that before work. Isn’t it paradoxical how we can feel about the loss of that frenzy. There is that “not seeing their faces”
It is times like these when silence is not always golden. Hopefully these next couple of days will go quickly. And yes, I will be at All Write, but remember I have a tendency to hide! Definitely an introvert!
I know just what you mean. I was trying to get grades done a couple weeks ago and so my husband took the kids to school and I drove to work early. I left before they got up. It was nice to be able to get ready and out the door and to work in just over an hour (unlike the normal over 2 hours) and it was so easy. But yes, I did miss seeing them too!