Choosing Joy Amid the Smock Smuck

Today has started out as a typical Monday. This morning we experienced the typical running around the house, getting ready for school. Last night I prepared the clothes we would put on this morning so as to reduce the stress level. I woke up a few minutes early to ensure a calm morning. Result? Last-minute chaos in the kitchen.

"Where´s your classroom smock? We have two so at least one can always be ready and available. I know that one is in the dirty clothes and the other is....oh, the other is there too." How does this happen?

So, the dirty clothes hamper was dumped and the search ensued for the less dirty smock of the two. I found it, but it was also the more wrinkled.

I went for the iron to do a quick press job, but it wasn't where it usually is. "Ruben, where did you put the iron? Remember, we decided to keep it upstairs so we'd have easy access to it?" "The iron?" was the phrase that echoed to me from the upstairs bathroom.

So, I stepped outside into the downpour and found it in the utility closet on the terrace. We got it plugged in and warmed up and all (or mostly all) of the wrinkles pressed out of the less dirty school smock.

Finally, I locked the door behind me and we piled onto the elevator to take my 3-year-old to school and remembered his teacher´s words, "Children must visit the bathroom at home before they come to school to help avoid accidents." So, we headed BACK into the house for one more potty run!

With that done, we ventured into the street with our boots and raincoats and umbrellas. We actually arrived to school on time after walking through numerous rain puddles. "Okay, in your backpack you have your snack, your water cup, your fork, your dinasaur cookies and your school smock." We then hurriedly changed from rainboots to tennis shoes and then he headed off to his class.

I walked home, satisfied with myself and all that we accomplished in the last hour. Then, I entered the kitchen to reward myself with a cup of coffee and what did I see on the counter? It was the ironed school smock, all ironed and ready to go! I had taken it out of the school backpack to make room for the tennis shoes and I forgot to put it back in.

Slowly I pulled my winter coat back for this 29th day of April to make ONE MORE TRIP to school in the rain to deliver the school smock before it got too late.

After shucking off the shaming looks from the school secretary, I walked slowly toward home, faced with the decision to become overwhelmed and beat myself up for one more late delivery of the school smock (this is not the first time this has happened during the school year) or to choose joy and celebrate the great relationship I have with my son, the satisfaction in caring for him and the blessing it is to live so close and to have time to make one more trip to school to deliver forgotten items.

I'm happy to say that I chose joy.

What has been your most Manic Monday experience? What things do you think on to help you lean toward choosing joy?