Shaken and Rattled, but Rolling

Last night, Aden and I returned from a swim meet in the Springs to find our house exhaling putrid fumes through open doors and windows. I had hoped for a semi-clean kitchen and Domino's pizza, but apparently the boys thought otherwise.

Entering the kitchen at a brisk trot, we found Rob with his head and shoulders in the oven.  Daniel presided over a mottled kitchen counter, where baking ingredients lurched and sprawled in disorganized heaps. The sugar bag leaned precariously over the cocoa powder, which had speckled a trail through the (dairy- free) butter. Daniel held a bowl in one hand and a spatula in the other, biting his tongue while propelling batter into a cake pan. Splotches of chocolate batter dotted the granite like an uncertain new constellation.

My eyes bugged, my blood pressure ratcheted up, my breath caught (fortunately for the boys, since I couldn't emit the scream that was building).  Rob emerged from the oven and put a cautionary hand out, a circus lion tamer approaching a wild cat. "Just cleaning, honey. I used some of the oven cleaner on the fireplace and decided to finish the bottle on the oven."

Oven cleaner on the fireplace? While my neurons tangled over that concept, Daniel broke in. "And I made a cake for Aden's swimming!  It has peppermint! and chocolate!" As I examined the mess he added, "Don't put anything away - I still need to make frosting."

The next ten minutes were tense, with my simultaneous cleaning and yoga breathing. Between exhales, I reassured Daniel that the cake would turn out fine even though he had forgotten the baking soda. Rob eventually ordered pizza and the attic fan eliminated all but a whiff of the chemical fumes. No matter that it was forty degrees in the house; we all put on another jacket.

I skipped Sunday dinner to fill out and print the weekly calendar so that I could hit the ground rolling today. Entering all of the carpools, errands, doctors appointments and chores, I remembered what Aden had said to me on the ride home. "You're the only one in the family who thinks of more than one schedule. We all just think about our own, and you have to keep track of everything plus doing your own stuff."

Weell, yes. There's not really much of "my own stuff," but the rest is true. It's my job, and though I can be easily shaken and rattled, I've got to keep rolling - just like every parent. We emerged from the settling dust with engines revving, ready for the week.

I was about to end the blog there, on a self-serving high note, when Daniel reminded me that Valentine's Day is tomorrow. I ripped up the calendar and raced off the store for cards and lollipops, cursing at Hallmark all the way. This week looks more rattle than roll....certainly off to a rocky start. Dark Valentine's chocolate, anyone?