We'd meet bright and early every morning around my kitchen table. All of us would have my favorite coffee travel mug and I'd assign each double to their tasks for the day. (I'd call the shots since I'm the Real Ericka.) Everyone would go do their job for the day and then we'd all report back at night and debrief each other on the events of the day.
There would be:
Mom Ericka - She would be at every classroom party, dentist appointment, doctor's appointment, parent-teacher conference and awards banquet. She'd wear a big 'S' on her shirt for SuperMom. She'd be able to hangout on the deck with the kids while they play in the sprinkler and go on every fieldtrip. She'd be there to Band-aid every scraped knee, or put the wind back in their sail when they've been disappointed. Every tear would be wiped clean off their cheeks, every spec of ketchup would be spit-rubbed off their chins, and every proud smile would be permanently etched in her mind.
Sports Ericka would cover all the bases.....pun intended. She'd have a mack-daddy calendar with every sports schedule lovingly written and color coded. Bryce would be red, Brenden would be green and Taylor would be blue. (Harley doesn't play sports, but if she'd did, she'd be purple.) She make 100 copies of every schedule and make sure every Grandparent, Aunt, Uncle, friend, and neighbor would be given a copy. She make sure every water bottle was filled, every sports bag packed, every uniform was clean. She'd have a first aid kit handy, healthy snacks readily available and a shuttle to and from each practice, game or team event. She'd be sitting in the stands at every event, watching every play, proudly wearing her team-logo attire complete with a large, round photo button. Maybe even have a coordinating seat cushion.
Domestic Ericka would wear a cute little apron with a big "S" on the front -- yes, for SuperMom. She'd keep the fridge stocked and the floors shiny. Drawers would be free of clothes that are too small, no almost-empty cereal boxes in the pantry and every toilet paper holder would be promptly restocked with a full roll. The dust would never accumulate on the dressers, no mildew in the showers and the floorboards would be wiped down each week. There would always be vacuum lines in the carpet, ice in the freezer and dinner would be religiously served at 5. The grocery list would remain on the fridge instead of her head. There would be hospital corners on every bed and fresh flowers on the countertop. The grass would be cut, the garden would be hoed and the smell of fabric softener would ooze from every open window.
Girlfriend Ericka would spend her days buying her sweetie new underwear and sentimental cards to leave on his dashboard. She'd call him throughout the day to tell him how much she missed him or to remind him of plans they have for the weekend. She'd set up Date Night or fix him a soft pretzel with cheese while they're watching 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here'. She'd give advice, offer support, and greet him with a bear hug and a "how was your day" when he'd walk in the door at night. She'd make get-aways for the two of them every three months to keep their love energetic and their commitment renewed. She'd leave "I love you"s on the bathroom mirror that he'd see only when the bathroom fogged up. She'd snuggle on the couch every night and surprise him with a lunch date on Thursday "just because".
Photographer Ericka would have a thriving career in what she's passionate about. She'd keep clients' emails returned and orders processed. She'd attend lighting workshops and Photoshop seminars. She'd keep her knowledge fresh and her schedule full. She'd blog about rootbeer floats and birthday parties, complete with pictures. She'd be in charge of giving each Ericka a camera to capture the memories, and when full, each Ericka would return the camera to Photographer Ericka so that prints can be made. She'd make sure all the frames proudly displayed on the mantle -- or the wall of 104 pictures -- were aesthetically arranged. She'd make big canvas prints of each child and hang them in the hallway. Family pictures would be taken every year, and school pictures would be passed out.
Best Friend Ericka would meet with her best friends every single day. None of this every-six-months BS. She could go have lunch with Martha in Indy, or hang at the beach with Angie, or take an afternoon shopping with Heather. She'd be able to stay caught up with baby appointments, or the happenings in B-town. Martha and I would be able to have grape Martini's at the Fish Market every Tuesday while we chatted about how lucky we are to have great men in our lives. She'd be able to meet Martha and Heather for a Mandatory Once a Month dinner. She'd call her network of close-knit friends to check on them every week, make sure they are ok, check on how their kids are doing and catch up on their lives. They would talk about cheerleading try-outs and weightlifting meets. There would be no "did I tell you...." or "I forgot to mention....." in their conversations. She would keep in touch with everyone, every day. She'd offer them all encouraging words in trying times, bits of advice when things got rough, and a smile because she's glad to hear from them. She'd make plans with Casey and Susie, Ted, Tom and Angie, and all their kids to go to laser tag, or to spend New Year's playing Guitar Hero.
Daughter/Sister/Aunt Ericka would make every dance recital, softball/baseball/tee ball/football game and every birthday party. She'd stay caught up with her brothers and sisters. She'd fix dinner for them when they'd get home from the hospital with a new baby, or dogsit when they're out of town. She'd be there to babysit when scheduling conflicts happen and fill every niece and nephew with sugar before sending them home. She'd check on the grandparents and stop in to eat lunch with Elaine. She'd visit the cemetery more frequently and place bright bouquets of flowers where her loved ones rest.
But the Real Ericka doesn't have this luxury. I have blogs to post, clothes to put away, a boyfriend to hug and kids to keep clean. I had 100 places to be this weekend and only one of me to commit. I missed softball games, errands and chores. There were priorities to keep and work that was shoved to the back burner. So, until I figure out how to duplicate me -- because the world could use more of me, right!? -- I'm just going to have to accept that this is the way of life for the time being.
I'll be catching up on posts over the course of the week (hopefully) but for now I'll just give you this little teaser from a BBQ that I WAS able to attend! Aunt Ericka did her job here with help from Photographer Ericka. Hard to believe that she's this big already when it seems she was only this big a few weeks ago.
3 comments:
What a doll baby. :) She looks like she just had a red popsicle. :)
I could totally go for a couple more Heathers. At least to do the jobs I do not like..:)
i think you do a pretty good job at all of the above.
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