Today has been a bit of a crazy Monday. In fact, the past four days have been pretty nutty. So I have pics of apple picking, but I don’t really feel like talking about apples. Except for I ate one of the apples fresh from the orchard today, and it was amazing.

I forgot to get my kid from school today. I forgot to tell my kid his naptime bedding was in his backpack, so when naptime came at school, he was the kid without a sheet and blanket.

I had a catfight with Two. I think we both lost.I used ALL my social capital and then some over the weekend.

On Thursday, I went to the eye doctor to get my birthday glasses. This wouldn’t normally deserve mention. But two hours later, as I drove home, my mind full of details from the chatty woman who helped me pick out my frames mindfully and unhurriedly, while she shared all the intimate details of her life, from her kids’ and grandkids’ doings, to her ex-husband’s dying words. I haven’t been been overshared to like that in a long time. I was a tiny bit shell shocked by the time I returned home, an hour after I thought I would be finished.

Friday, I spent the day at our homeschool coop. Lots of moms, lots of kids, overstimulation, and a couple of uncomfortable interactions. I arrived home to find out that my oldest had just been escorted home by the police (the second child of mine who was delivered home by that method this past week), and to my great relief, his minibike had been impounded.

I was able to start to process my day (and our parenting challenges) on a walk with the Chaplain when I got home, then returned from the walk to a text that my mom was ten minutes away. I knew she was coming for the weekend, but no one had told me which day. I had spent about five minutes frantically cleaning trying to get ready for her arrival (which was much more about me than it was about her) when she pulled into the driveway.

On Saturday, I danced in public. People took photos and video, and not all of them were my mother. (I have to say that an unexpected benefit of the adult mother-daughter relationship is that you are never too old to enjoy sharing your life with your mom and feel like she is proud of you and takes an interest in what you’re up to.)

That day, we picked apples in the morning, and I had to leave straight from there to meet the other dancers for practice before our performance. Because I dance. And we perform. This is new territory for me. I was wearing pants and I should have worn shorts, but then that would have been too much leg for all the recording that happened, so maybe it’s better I was overdressed.That day didn’t end right after the dancing, like I thought it would. My mom had met me there with the kids, and there was free food if we could wait a couple more hours. So we waited. And I spent all my spoons. We waited in line for the food. We ate the food. We came home after I had been out for 8 and a half hours (which is hours and hours beyond my limit for non-work outings). Islamic extremists had left a flyer on my windshield at the event. I don’t know why it feels like it matters, but SHARIA LAW FOR EVERYONE tend to get under your skin after a long, overstimulating day.

Sunday. Seven was up at 6 a.m., so I was able to say goodbye to my mom, who left early that morning, but it also meant I was up before my time. Later, at church, I got to hear both the scripture reading and the message, which was really good (why DOES our religious teaching end after high school for so many of us when it’s as adults that we really need mature understanding and the tools to live out our faith?). But then it went downhill during the second half of the service. There was fighting. And some whisper-screeching. And also trying not to lose Six, who likes to wander during church. And today, during homeschool, I taught my kids about the ancient Sumerians. During that time, there was the cat fight I mentioned. Then, I showed them photos of ziggurats online (a temple structure the Sumerians were known for) and told them their homework was to build one out of Legos.

What followed was the quietest quiet time I have had in remembered time. It was only interrupted once, by Four, who came downstairs to show me the most amazing Lego ziggurat I have ever seen, much better than anything I expected. He went back upstairs, and the quiet continued.

In fact, it was so quiet, I got lost in a high school romance movie on Netflix and forgot to pick Six up from school, despite having a reminder from the Chaplain 20 minutes before I needed to leave. Somehow, I had it in my head that I wasn’t the one picking him up, and even the text reminder didn’t stick.

So if you were just scrolling for pics and this is the only line you read, it was an overstimulating weekend, full of good stuff, as well as some mediocre stuff, and I’m still recovering from all of it. Also, won the Bad Mom Award for sending my kid to school unprepared, then not picking him up on time, and coming just short of hair-pulling in a fight with my other kid.

But my other other kid built a boss ziggurat. So I’m calling it a win.

You might have noticed that I didn’t get pics of the girls at the orchard. The truth is, they weren’t in the mood. And I wasn’t in the mood to chase them, because they don’t photograph well under duress. Maybe next time. Feature photo credit: my precious Mom.