Being Well Arranged

Years ago, I broke open a fortune cookie and read: Well arranged time is a good sign of a well arranged mind. (Yes, I have kept all of my fortunes. I actually laminated this one. I only read them when I am unpacking after a move.)

My personality dictates efficiency. I feel like I spent years training myself to be self-disciplined and "well arranged" in every sort of way. I am in awe at all that I accomplished while in college, and how ordered my life was.

I have to admit, though, that I haven't fell well arranged (in any way conceivable) since having children. In fact, I don't even remember who that person was in college, or how it could have been me.

I am starting to feel a little bit more myself lately, since waking up at 5 a.m. I can accomplish so much while my kids are asleep. If only they insisted that I take a nap while they get some work done during the day.

Actually, they might like that. While I was distracted this evening, they decided to play: Go Fishing. They brought almost every toy that we own into our living room (by the front door, with the huge window facing the street). I just sighed when I saw it, was too tired to enforce a clean-up before bedtime, and left it all.

(Of course, a few minutes later a neighbor rang the doorbell. I am sure he wondered why we haven't been able to unpack more, since we moved in four whole weeks ago. But, the best part was that I didn't mind.)

Having "well arranged time" may be more important to me right now because of the demands put on my husband at work. He is working 12-hour days right now, and it will only get worse as he learns more in his field, receives more responsibility, and begins night call shifts. He comes home completely exhausted, eats dinner, wrestles with the kids and reads a little bit to them, and goes to bed early so that he can wake up at 4:30 a.m. to do it all over again.

Needless to say, his contribution to housework and child care is at its minimum (I hope). Some people say being married to a doctor seems similar to being a single mom, but I doubt that is very accurate, as I also spend a lot of time and energy taking care of the doctor.

Maybe I will take a little nap tomorrow while my kids play Go Fish again.