Staying On Top of The Game: A day in the life of a working mom

At 5am I lie in bed and usually ask myself the question “Did I get enough sleep to get through the day?” Don’t know why I ask myself this, I really don’t have a choice because at that moment I need to get moving and quick or else everything else will fall out of place and I need to stay on top of My Game.

Kayla and Avon are usually fast asleep during these early hours of the morning. Thank goodness for this because btw 5am and 6am I know it is the only time in the whole of my day where time is really of the essence. Any glitch will slow me down and I can’t afford that…I gotta stay on top of my game.

I swiftly sneak out of bed and set up my express pump machine and hope the sound doesn’t wake anyone. Within 10 minutes I can manage to express 100mls of milk and sterilise and pack up everything for the next shift. I clean up and dress up with, cloths I have chosen from the night before, at this hour I have no time for picking and choosing what to wear. I stare at myself in the mirror try my best to look as awake as possible with the least amount of effort. Blush and brush is as simple as I get. Saturdays are my maintenance days and if I haven’t done my nails (that’s just file and paint FYI), hair (blow dry or Afro) and face (pluck and scrub) then you can consider it not being done at all that week……I gotta stay on top of my game.

5:50am I dash into the kitchen drink my barley green and put the food for the day in my bag. I make sure Kayla’s bag is ready and stocked coz I know Daddy has enough on his plate when he is getting her ready to go to the day mom. Once I am all ready I sneak back into the bedroom to give my goodbye kisses. I don’t dare touch Kayla just incase she sense I am leaving but I stare down at her and wish her a blessed day. 6am I am on the road from Johannesburg to Pretoria which is a 45 minute drive. Every traffic light, traffic jam slow truck or crazy taxi that gets in my way can slow me down and I can’t afford that….I gotta stay on top of my game.

20 minutes into my drive I am in Midrand which means my radio is in range for 103 FM Impact radio which is a contemporary Christian music channel. Ironically at this time I will get graced by God’s Sunrise Romance moment. It is when I really experience God’s presence – flying on the highway you just look up and see beams of sun just blasting behind a set of clouds. Every moment is so unique and so blessed, so delicate and so intimate. It usually brings me to tears because He always reminds me….You are forgiven now remember I keep you on top of My Game.

By 7am I have had breakfast, read my word for the day and am ready for all the GIS and remote sensing tasks for the day. From that moment till the time I have to go home it is go-go-go. Download this, create that, map this, milk express these, eat this not that, check on Kayla, call this person, ask everyone “what’s for lunch,” source that data, attend this meeting, fax these documents….God help me I need you in this Game.

At 4pm I am like a switch that gets turned off work mode and on to home mode. I don’t want to be a second late with my time with Kayla. I get into that car and drive like my child depends on it. I begin to realise why people have road rage. ….they have children to go home to and the last place they wanna be is stuck in traffic…. God my patience is running thin help me….I gotta stay on top of Your Game

5pm I waltz into the day Mom’s house as peaceful as a working mother can be after a hard days work, an hour in traffic and fully loaded breasts. Then I just see Kayla’s smile towards me and her excited kicking legs and I turn into a marshmallow all sweet and soft on the inside. I start talking baby and playing baby……I am living for these few couple of hours I spend with her and she knows it because her sleep time curfew has been extended just so I can be with her more…..Lord I love this part of Your Game.

At 8pm we have had dinner and Kayla should be fast asleep. I get my last moments of one on one hubby time before I get into organise mode for the next day. Everything needs to be pre-decided – cloths, food, dinner, nappies, milk you name it. 10pm I am shattered my prayers drift into a sleep….Dear God give me strength and patience ….I need you in this Game….zzzzzzzzzz

That is the day in the life of a working mom….. and someone asked me when do I get time to blog? My answer is when God tells me its time….its 5am on a Saturday morning……I am still in the GAME.