Monday, February 18, 2008

Just A Typical Sunday Evening

I'm constantly amazed at how enhanced my multi-tasking skills have become since I became a mother. I thought I was a pretty good multi-tasker before - always more productive with 20 things to do than 2 - but this weekend, and truly last night, embodied how productive I can be.

Throughout the weekend, I had been taking a series of 45 minute breaks from convalescing with the cold that just won't go away to prime and put up three coats of paint in our bathroom. I had already commented to the hubby on how the lack of sick time when you're mama toughens you up to power through an illness (of course, I told him this probably Saturday night while clutching a steaming cup of tea in one hand, a box of Kleenex in the other and cuddled under a blanket on the couch).

Then came Sunday afternoon.

I was waiting for paint coat number two to be ready for coat number three (I thought priming before I painted red on the walls was supposed to cut down on the number of coats it took to cover...oh well) and by waiting, I mean dozing on the couch while the hubby and peanut played. And by played, I mean watched the Daytona 500. Somewhere after 4pm, the words "we're seeing a defined hook in the cloud formation" cut through to my sub-conscious and I found myself sitting up on the couch before I was even fully awake. Hooks in the cloud formation of a strong thunderstorm are a good indicator of tornadic activity. And me and tornadoes don't particularly get along.

We watched the radar for awhile and at 4:45, the hubby announces that it might be a good idea to get in the closet (our designated "safe" area). The next hour or so went something like this:

* 4:45 - 5:15 Hang out in the closet with two adults, a cranky 18 month old and a weather alert television. Oh, and a basket of musical toys because mommy wasn't thinking about how annoying said 18 month old would be playing harmonica in a closet.
*5:15 Give up on closet and see that all we're getting is a strong dowsing of rain (alleluia!).
*5:16 Put water on to boil for rice pilaf.
*5:17 Decide to put up third coat of paint. Leave hubby in charge of stirring in the rice.
*5:47 Painting completed (it's a small bathroom and I'm speedy!). Hubby begins paint brush clean-up (because I'd rather volunteer to do all the painting than to actually clean it all up) while I commence heating of the prepared rotisserie chicken and the steaming of the broccoli.
*6:07 Sit down to complete dinner, glass of wine and no need to paint after dinner.

Unfortunately, the rest of the evening was spent blowing my nose profusely and living through a horrible sinus headache that insisted on sticking around through breakfast this morning. But my bathroom's red walls look pretty good...except I think they may need a fourth coat.

Maybe tomorrow. I think I'll stick to single-tasking today.

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