To Do...

It is 10:24 am.  I am still in my pajamas.  I am claiming this morning to rise slowly, enjoy a steaming cup of coffee, blog, relax before I tackle my growing list for the week all the while hoping and praying that no unannounced visitor shows up at my door while I am in this pink cotton drawstring pant, tank top, greasy haired get-up.

First of all, if you've been following my blogging life I presented a rather spirited rant last week over a too big, too overwhelming, too maddening project.  I am over it.  I am proud of the finished product and yes, sweet Heidi, the DVD worked (after 4 tries).  I reclaimed my sanity by loosing myself in the church grand piano.  There is no better therapy than making great music with a bunch of great musicians.

This is Zander's second last day of school.  He's very excited.  Today is report card day for which he is also excited - "I hope I have nothing lower than a B," he said as I kissed him goodbye on the porch this morning.  This is not wishful thinking.  The only C he ever got was in first term grade one gym - so he's not an athlete - so what!  His head's full of dreams of summer: sleep-over's with his BF Simon, camping out in the back yard, a whole week of sleep-away camp (gulp!), hours and hours with his DSi (that's what he thinks!), bike rides and swimming lessons in the river.  Oh how I wish for the summer dreams of my youth, before they were stolen by unending loads of laundry and being the one setting up and tearing down the tent.

Here is my list for the next few days:

Monday:
1. Waste away a morning in pj's, worrying about all I have to do but not worrying enough to shower, get dressed and do it.
2. Shower, get dressed and do it.
3. Start laundry load one.
4. Wash dishes.
5. Walk to Tim Hortons to purchase $10 gift card for Ms. Love because we forgot to get her something better last time we were in Hanover.
6. L&M for milk, cream and snacks for Wednesday.
7. Hang laundry load one on clothes line.
8. Start laundry load two.
9. Read report card.  Hug Zander.  Tell him how proud I am and can you even believe it that grade 3 is almost over?
10. Direct the creation of a thanks to teacher card: Dear Ms. Love, thanks for being a really good teacher.  Love Zander.
11. Hang laundry load two on clothes line.
12. Make supper.
13. Serve supper.
14. Convince Zander to help with supper dishes because he needs to make another $8.50 for camp tuck money.
15. Start laundry load three.
16. Go for a walk or a bike ride as a family.
17. Pajamas, teeth, pee, a chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, another plague in Egypt (we're reading about Moses - "Why doesn't he just let them go?" Zander asks.  "Pharoah's pretty dumb!"), back rubs, songs, dream angels, kisses, see you later alligators.
18. Put laundry load three in drier because there's no room left on the clothes line.
19. Consider a bath but bike 10k on the stationary instead while I watch a rerun of House.
20. Bed.

Tuesday:
1. Make last school lunch of grade 3.
2. Start laundry load four.
3. Take down and fold laundry loads one and two from clothes line.
4. Remove laundry load three from drier.  Fold.
5. Put clean laundry away - either in drawers, closets or the suitcase.
6. Hang laundry load four on clothes line.
7. Find Zander's Harry Potter cape and glasses for Wednesday.
8. Charge camera battery.
9. Wash floors.
10. Clean bathrooms.
11. Meet sisters at Coffee Culture (sans children!!!!!!!).
12. Shop for and buy a dress for Ben and Amy's wedding.
13. Take Zander out for a congratulations on finishing grade 3 ice cream cone.
14. Make supper.
15. Serve supper.
16. Convince Zander to help with supper dishes because he needs to make another $8.00 for camp tuck money.
17. Ask Zander to pick up all the toys in the yard (50¢).  Tidy shoes in porch (50¢).  Clean his room ($2).  Tidy deck (50¢).
18. Baths.
19. Pajamas, teeth, pee, another chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, another plague in Egypt ("Pharoah's pretty dumb!"), back rubs, songs, dream angels, kisses, see you later alligators.
20. Take down and fold laundry load four.
21. Finish packing suitcase.
22. Mindless television. (Catch Scott up with OnDemand True Blood and Entourage. - yeah, I watch them both and no, you can't judge me!)
23. Bed.

Wednesday:
1. Pack way more snacks and drinking boxes than we need.
2. Load up car with stuff and kids.
3. Don't forget GPS or stroller.
4. Tim Hortons.  Two extra large double-doubles, double cupped please.
5. Drive to Toronto after this speech:  There will be no fighting.  You will keep your hands to yourself.  You will respect each other's space and keep out of each other's faces.  You do not want to know what will happen if we have to pull over!  Be good!  Today is going to be a good day!
6.  Check in to hotel and pick up our Harry Potter Exhibit tickets. ($169 for a hotel room, four tickets to HP @ the Science Centre, $10 gas card and free breakfast!)
7. Go to exhibit.  Try not to cry over Zander's excitement.  Take a million pictures of him in his costume outside the exhibit.  Get mad that I'm not allowed to take pictures inside the exhibit.  Like it anyway.
8. Do the rest of the Science Centre.
9. Back to Hotel.
10. Swimming.  Hot tub.
11. Bed.

Thursday:
1. Eat the free breakfast.
2. Pack up and check out.
3. Use the $10 gas card.
4. Drive to Owensound to meet Scott's family for a Canada Day lunch.
5. Visit.
6. Fireworks somewhere.
7. Back rubs, songs, dream angels, kisses, see you later alligators.
8. Start laundry load five.
9. Bed.

Friday:
1. Hang laundry load five on clothes line.
2. Start laundry load six.
3. Begin wondering why I was so happy school is over.
4. Throw out the mangy, broken-zipper back pack.
5. Shopping for camp: sunscreen, bug spray, beach towel, running shoes, hat, iron-on name labels.
6. Hang laundry load six on clothes line.
7. Pack for camp - No, Zander, you can't take your DSi!
8. Realize that I don't have a babysitter for Saturday's wedding yet and scramble to find one.
9. Ask Zander to sweep the carport (50¢).  Tidy living room again (50¢).  Clean his bathroom sink (50¢).
10. Sit on the deck swing with my new James Rollins book and ignore the cobwebs around the kitchen moulding.
11. Order in a pizza.
12. Convince Zander to help with dishes because he still needs $3.25 for camp tuck money.
13. Pajamas, teeth, pee, another chapter of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, more Moses, back rubs, songs, dream angels, kisses, see you later alligators.
14. Upload our Wednesday pictures to my facebook page.
15. Write a letter to Zander that I will leave at the camp office for them to deliver to him on Wednesday.
16. Mindless television.
17. Bed.

Saturday:
Ben and Amy's wedding.

Sunday:
Drop Zander off at camp, giving him the full $10 for tuck money even though he didn't earn it.  Say goodbye and see you on Saturday without crying.  Pretend not to cry in the car...

(And I thought making that DVD was overwhelming.)