The Start of a New Day.

Today is going to be a better day.  I think.  As I get ready for face off on day #9 of our family united, I'm determined that the sun will shine a little brighter, notwithstanding the forecast of lightning storms.

It must be that I got a better sleep last night...even sleeping on a bare mattress.  Yesterday afternoon, the sheets on our bed were soiled by a young napper, and I forgot to put the mattress protector and sheets into the dryer after getting through the washing machine.  By the time I realized this, I was ready to fall over from exhaustion so I looked at our naked bed, shrugged my shoulders, and climbed in.  The blanket felt just as good.  This morning looks a little brighter so maybe I'll get the sheets on today.

I experienced another first this week - well, there have been so many firsts that I can't possibly relate them all, but this was personal first that was a little embarrassing for me.  On Wednesday, all five of us headed out for our first little family outing, to the cat kennel, to pick up our long-suffering cat.  We didn't know how the meeting of child and feline would go, so Geoff and the younger two kids waited in the van while Matthew and I headed into the kennel office to get Frodo.  We spent about twenty minutes in there:  cuddling Frodo; settling our bill; getting our things together; and chatting with the lovely young woman who was on staff there.  Finally we headed out to the car and got settled again (the younger kids shrieked in terror, by the way, when they saw that I had a "meow" in the cat carrier).  I buckled up and, as I was pulling the seat belt over my lap, I noticed a fabric label on the side of my shirt.  I reached down to pick it off and toss it into the garbage, only to realize that it was still attached.  In my state of mindlessness that morning, I'd put my shirt on inside out!  All of the sizing and how-to-wash labels were on the outside, the collar of the shirt was stuck awkwardly halfway in and halfway out of my neckline, and there was interfacing fabric on the top outside third of my body.  Just as sadly, Geoff hadn't even noticed!  I was horrified!  What must that kennel staffer have thought, as we stood there and talked cats? She must be having a good chuckle now, I thought, idiot woman who can't even dress herself.

Well, I guess I'm glad that we hadn't gone to any other public places where I could have further humiliated myself.  I decided then that, no matter how late we might be in getting ready to go somewhere in the future, I would always take just that extra second to look into the mirror (which, by the way, would also have pointed out to me that I very obviously hadn't even combed my hair before leaving the house that day...and it was bad!).  Maybe I'll even hold to that principle when we have nowhere to go.  After all, if mommy can't even dress herself properly, what hope can she ever have that her children will?

So, this morning, as I get dressed for the day that I'm determined will be a better one, I'm going to take a good, long look at myself in the mirror.  At a bare minimum, I'm going to check that my hair is combed and that I'm wearing clothes properly...no underwear on the head, or some such thing.  And then I'm going to keep looking at myself in the mirror and echo that age-old line from the story I read to the kids just yesterday:  "I think I can.  I think I can.  I think I can.  I know I can.  I know I can.  I know I can."


PS.  I know that people must be wanting to see more pictures, but I can't find my computer-camera connector;  maybe it's still packed somewhere.  I'll get some photos up soon...I've seen that cable lying around somewhere, just can't remember where!