Baby will need to be changed and fed, which will remind her that everyone else still needs breakfast, too. Beep-Beep. She’ll dump the baby in the high chair and strain those noodles, then hand out yogurts and pour milk into cereal bowls. She’ll fill up lunch boxes and distribute them to a chorus of baby crying and children yelling (I hate noodles! My tummy hurts! The bus driver is mean!). Then she’ll shepherd them all out the door amid a flurry of jackets, shoes, and schoolbags (I can’t find my other shoe! Just wear boots, it’s fine, it’s raining anyway!).

Poor baby will be wailing by now. That will mean it’s mommy and baby breakfast time. She’ll start preparing her coffee, and notice that they’re low on milk, which will remind her that she needs to go to the grocery if she wants to have supper started before her afternoon is sidelined by the siddur party. When she’ll get up to leave, she might notice one lone container of noodles on the counter.

She’ll dash upstairs to dab on some makeup, where she’ll note the mess that will await her return home. She’ll pack up baby, self, and noodles into the car. She’ll drop off the forgotten lunch at the school (after an inner struggle between her guilty-mom self and her children-are-resilient self) and then head to the grocery. At the grocery, she’ll very possibly meet her friend, whom she’ll compliment on her new wig. Oh, wig! Her sheitel appointment!

She’ll call the sheitel macher to let her know she’s a bit behind schedule and zip through the grocery store. She’ll huff and puff into the sheitel salon mere minutes later, to be told she missed her slot and will have to wait an extra 20 minutes. While she takes in this forced breather, she’ll play pat-a-cake with the baby, which will remind her to order babka twists for the neighbor’s kiddush. Which will also remind her that she promised to make supper for said neighbor. Was it tonight?

Oh no! She’ll head back to the grocery, where this time she’ll remember to buy milk, which will remind her of the coffee she never finished. She’ll get home and take a sip (nothing like a tepid coffee to lift the spirit), but the baby will probably choose that moment to ride his tricycle into her legs. That will startle her, causing her to spill coffee all over her skirt. She’ll want to change and put that skirt straight into the washing machine. Thinking of dirty laundry will remind her of the load in the machine waiting to be put into the dryer, so she’ll head to the laundry room.

On the machine she’ll see the siddur she left there this morning. She’ll take the siddur and sit down to daven… Minchah.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 761)