Nothing Will Ever Be the Same

The phone alarm sounds as early as 3 AM, telling me to tell my husband to get up. That alarm is always unsuccessful. 3:30AM and it sounds again, my phone on my side of the bed and his phone on his side. Last wake up call sweetie or else you'll get up 10 after 4AM and will be flying out the door- no shower, no sight of what you clothing you slapped on and no brushed teeth. I worry that someday he'll get caught for speeding in order to get to work on time.
All the while, he's speeding and I am back to sleep. Most of the time I dont even hear him get up, get dressed and crank up the car. My duty is to get up no later than 6:20 AM in order to make my daughter some breakfast and prepare her lunch box, find matching clothes-which is a task that I find unbelievably challenging- and getting my son ready to bolt out the door and fly down the FM road and into the town. I'm suprised I get most of it done in only 45-50 minutes- the preparation, of course. For each and every task I tell my daughter (i.e. get dressed, get your shoes on, eat your food) I have to tell her ....oh, roughly around 10 times, each and everytime. My son, depending on his mood though he is always happy to help his sister carry her backpack into class, might give me a few laps before tackling him down and getting his diaper changed and dressed. Plus I have to load up the bag with tons of sippy cups filled with 3/4 apple juice and 1/4 water. Its his obsession and a habit I must break.
Now, if had wanted to take a shower in order to go to school with brand new sweat instead of yesterdays sweat, I'd have to be up at 6AM. If I lolly gag in bed 5 or 10 minutes after 6 -
BIG NO NO! Thats just means I as might as well take my sweet time 'cuz she's already automatically late for school. And I'm not a fan of speeding. Not very experienced at it either. And instead of cursing the 5 cars infront that like to drive 10 mph slower than they should....I either get up later and drive with stinky armpits OR ... disregard spoiling myself the extra few minutes in bed.
So, its a 30 minute drive to her school. Takes about 5-6 minutes to shoe her off into class and help her hang her sweater, backpack, lunch, Hayden getting hugs from all the girls. Then my poor son and I are back into the car and on our way home again.
Days like today where I had to pack my own backpack filled with breakfast, snacks and drinks for my son so that I could take him to the doctor only to find out that my instincts were right and poor baby has ear infections, both ears. Had to run and get the prescription, come home, feed him lunch, run back out and pick up my daughter, pick up the prescriptions, drop off a shirt to my husband at his second/ evening job and home to clean and cook again.
With gas being SO expensive you wonder, how do we manage? Let me tell you, its no piece of cake and we've had to let go of everything we wanted. Save for what we really need. And that is, gas, toilet paper and diapers.
I remember in my college days, high school days mostly, when I thought I had things to worry about. When in fact all I had to do was enjoy youth and prepare myself for the real worries of adulthood. Now I tell myself every night, nothing will ever be the same.