Grumplestiltskin wants a do-over

STAT.

This tale of woe really begins last night.  After "meet the teacher" day, after "meet with the school nurse and drop off inhalers, epi pens, ibuprofen and doctor notes and realize despite your careful planning that you are short a note - which means another drive to the doctor - and the epi pens are all expired". After soccer practice and Boy Scout Court of Honor.  After cleaning the kitchen and a late night trip to Wal -hell to replace the fried phones and buy milk and $100 worth of necessities.  After school shoe shopping with six kids. I was on my way to bed when The Hubster arrived home, and I stayed up late to talk to him.  I was in bed, asleep, by 11:30. 

The grand plan for the day was to begin the new workout schedule.  With my return to work on Monday, I won't be able to laze about in bed until 8:30 and then go to the personal trainer and work from 9-10:30.  I'll have to be at the gym by 5:15 Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I was planning on easing into the schedule today, and set my alarm for 5:45.   Let me insert a bit of wisdom right here:

I am not a morning person.  I also do not do well without enough sleep.

Riley woke up at 4.  4:11, exactly.  She never went back to sleep, but tossed and turned in my bed, rubbing my arms, pressing her forehead between my shoulder blades and generally being a pain in the rear end - literally, at times.  5:30 came, and I decided to skip the working out.  Not so, said The Hubster.  He put Riley in bed with another kid and drug me to the gym.

Where I was grumpy and short tempered with all people in attendance, especially my really nice trainer, who was trying to compliment me and I bit his head off his neck.  And everyone was at the gym this morning, and I do mean everyone. Not only that, all were unfailingly polite and friendly to me, and a couple of people tried to joke me out of my mood.  I wanted to sit in it, wallow in it, and bathe in the unhappiness and exhaustion that I felt.  Do you know how hard it is to do 40 pound stiff legged deadlifts, or 160 pound leg presses, when you've had about 4 hours of sleep?  I let everyone know what a bad day I was having and how rotten it was to be me.  I think it was more rotten to be NEAR me today - my poor hubby, who had to ride home with me. Poor, poor me.  Wah, wah, waaaahhhhh.

I raise my 4 shot espresso to all of us who've had no sleep, who deal with crabby kids, and who STILL have school shopping to do - like me.  Lots of little things - one needs a personal hand sanitizer, one needs the manila communications envelope laminated, one waited until this weekend to do the summer reading and doesn't even HAVE the book to read.  All of the green knee socks for one are mismatched and I've got to buy new ones, one needs a new t shirt for field trips.  The new shoes I bought for Riley yesterday are, inexplicably, both left shoes. The week before school just stinks in a big bad way, especially on no sleep.  The tantrums and the fighting between the troops makes the Vietnam conflict look like nursery school, and I've put all of the kids on alert today.

The crazy thing was that once I was finished with the workout, I was in a better mood.  Punishing myself with lots of weights and reps was good for me, even though I hated it with a passion great than death. 

Looking back in the archives, last year and the year before were just the same.  It'll pass, it always does, but it's complete and utter chaos getting past the avalanche.  I've just got to try to keep my bad mood to myself. 

Comments

[Paige]

But you Worked out! Good for you!

Maybe you can sneak in a nap around 2:30.

[Heather]

Carmen - Stick with it! I am also NOT a morning person. But after several weeks of dragging myself to weight classes twice a week at 5am, I've started waking up - on my own (with some help from the cat) - at 5. You'll be happy you did it -even if you're falling asleep at 9 every night.

[Sasha]

I've been dragging my happy butt into the living room every morning since school started (sooo long ago. lol) after all the kids get on the bus and forcing myself to work out. It is hard with 3 hours of sleep but afterwards...it's like everything is ok in the world because my house is kid free and I'm awake.Funny enough I have more energy too! Yet, it still doesn't stop me from being grumpy while I'm dragging myself through the workout. Hmmmm...

Like Paige said though...you should try to catch a nap or it's possible you will be *really* grumpy.

[Beth]

Yesterday, I went to the pool with the 3 little ones, and ended up sitting with 6 moms who were in exactly the same mood as me. We've all had it!!!! On the one hand, we were all dreading the return to routines - getting up early, going to bed early, then trying to squeeze in sports, dinner, homework and a thousand conversations about what they needed IMMEDIATELY for school the next day. On the other hand, if they didn't go back to school soon, then all of the classrooms would be empty because we would have killed all the students!!! I guess it's just a lose/lose situation, but we decided that by next month, we will have survived and would be on autopilot for the next 9 months. All moms feel your pain!

[Brandy]

Gotta love those enorphines after working out!
Hope you are able to get in the groove soon.

[Katie]

You lost me at the 5am stuff. If I have to get up before 7am, I'm seriously not a person any one wants to be around.

I'm looking forward to October. By then we'll all have our routines down again. I hope.

[patois]

I've been working on a report the last couple of days as a "favor" -- yeah, paid, but still -- for a friend. Had 2.5 hours of sleep last night. Am so bloody cranky today. Second day of kindergarten for my youngest. Yesterday, bad. Today? Stress puked his way into the classroom. I can relate. Go for your hubster, too!

[patois]

Oh, I meant "Good for your hubster," as in nice of him to get you out. I didn't mean I was going to "Go" for him. Just, you know, in case you're worried.