Who in the hell left the gate open?!?

I was late waking this morning despite going to bed earlier than I have since the break-up. The "break-up" being my job ofcourse. That bastard dumped me like an ex-boyfriend who never really just "got you", ....you know the kind... I finally drag myself out of the bed by 6:40 and wake up my son. The middle child is always so easy and amicable. She got up on her own when she realized her big sister was already up. I woke my oldest child (- a complicated soon to be 14yr old teenaged daughter) at 5:30 this morning so that she could type a paper. The request to wake her up at 5am came to me around 10:15 last night. This was the same time I learned a paper was due today. GEESH!

I brushed my teeth and looked in the mirror preparing to brush my hair when I noticed ANOTHER gray hair at my temple. What is this! About 5 in the last week!! Ugghhhh. I grab my tweezers and lean in prepared to yank that sucka out when I see it's not a gray hair but DOG HAIR instead. DAMMIT! Scrappy has been in my bed again!! --breathe in.. happy thoughts I tell myself, happy thoughts!---Okay good thing - no gray hair, bad thing- DAMMIT! Scrappy has been in my bed again!

After getting breakfast, it's a long wait for the "teenager" to grace us with her presence so that we can leave on time to get to the elementary school. This is when I learn that not only did she NOT finish her paper, "I only have one more paragraph", but also she has another paper due. I have to physically calm myself from fussing, I feel a headache and sore throat coming on.... Fine I tell myself, I will deal with her when she gets home from school.

I get back home, make a few phone calls, get online and check emails for a bit and then head upstairs to my room to read a book I picked up yesterday from the Library. I got an Walter Mosley book on audio. Of the 7 CDs I completed 3 already. and picked up a book "When Kambia Elaine flew in from Neptune. The cover was intriguing so I decided to exercise my eyes a bit and read a few chapters before my afternoon nap.

Buzzzttt - my iPhone went off about 7 times back to back.. I slide the screen to find about 6 emails flying in from back and forth through my crazy group of email buddies. Mixed in the pack though, was an email from the "teenager's" english teacher. She informs me that my child came to class unprepared without a notebook, binder or an assignment. She asks me to help her be more prepared and then right above her name, she signs - just care!

PAUSE while we interrupt this prgram for a message from the emergency broadcast system. Have you ever wondered why people say some of the things they think? I mean seriously! Just because you think something in your mind, that does not necessarily mean you should say it aloud. They call it an inside voice for a reason people.. Keep that stuff on the inside!!!!!! This
We now return you back to your original programming.

Now is this message meant for me? Or is this in her email signature? I tell myself not to immediately address this, yet address the concerns of the missing work. After a minute of soul searching, I look back on the last two weeks, I realize the pressure of school volleyball, city drill, the first six weeks of 8th grade, making As and Bs and keeping the room clean have completely overwhelmed her. WOWsers, I guess I forgot how "teenagers" feel pressure of hectic life too. I see I need to go in my closet and dust off my Super Woman cape.

I decided to get online and ask for a meeting with all the teachers to get schedules of upcoming assignments and set a rapport with the teacher's so they know they can email or call me for anything even if it's dealing with her dropping a pencil. I've got to get this child organized and back on track so she can get into the habit again. I don't know what it is with teenagers, where you have to keep reminding them of the same thing. It seems that every time the seasons change, not only do I have to facilitate cleaning out the closets, but I also have to give a refresher crash course on what is and what is not expected in my house. Someone told me it gets worse......