In Portland, the summer vibe often doesn’t kick in until after July 5th. However, this year, it burst onto the scene early with temperatures soaring into the mid-90s by mid-June. Normally, I’d revel in the sun after a season of rain, but that particular week, my partner was away in Europe for work. I was left to manage our household, juggling a 100-pound Labrador, an active 16-month-old, and my full-time job with a Fortune 500 company.
While I had navigated solo parenting during his business trips before, I felt confident I could manage this challenge. Despite the sweltering heat, I was ready to tackle it. My daughter’s room was equipped with a portable AC unit, and I could endure some sweat. However, when she woke up at 1 a.m. on the second night and refused to settle down, I realized we were in trouble. I ended up bringing her to bed with me where the thermometer read a steamy 85 degrees. Neither of us got any sleep, tossing and turning through the night; she finally dozed off around 5 a.m. I seized the moment to sneak in a quick workout but barely made it through 20 minutes of a 30-minute DVD before she was up again.
I was hoping for a few extra minutes of solitude to prepare myself, but instead, I found myself wrangling both my daughter and our panting dog into the bathroom for a shower. With an important offsite presentation looming, I wanted to look presentable and had planned to straighten my hair, but instead, I settled for my natural, unkempt curls.
As I sat on the bathroom floor, half-dressed and entertaining my daughter, my partner FaceTimed us from Germany. “Look, it’s the Berlin Wall! I had some free time, so I’m out exploring,” he said cheerfully.
I was trying to focus on him while simultaneously prying tampons from my daughter’s mouth when, out of nowhere, our dog began to vomit. I dropped the phone, apologizing to my partner while shouting the dog’s name and yanking him by the collar to get him outside. In the midst of my chaos, my daughter started crying because Mama was stressed. I could only imagine my partner still on the line, witnessing my morning unraveling from afar.
Once I finally had everyone corralled into the car, my partner called back. “How are you doing?” he asked.
I pride myself on being a strong, capable individual, but this felt overwhelming. Tears streamed down my face as I mumbled, “The dog, the heat…”
“What can I do?” he replied, concern evident in his voice. I glanced at the clock, realizing I was running late for my offsite and still needed to drop my daughter at daycare.
“Can your parents come and install an AC unit?” I suggested half-jokingly.
At 8:55 a.m., just as I pulled into the parking lot for my offsite (which started at 8:30, of course, I was late), I received a text from my father-in-law asking which AC unit I preferred. I tried to respond while wandering around the golf course searching for my team meeting. I stumbled into the right room at 8:59, the last to arrive, with the only seat available next to the vice president. Clearly, the group had been waiting on my arrival, so I quickly settled in and pulled out my laptop, attempting to transition from frazzled mom to competent businesswoman. Meanwhile, my phone buzzed with texts from my father-in-law and check-ins from my partner.
I offered a brief apology to the VP, explaining my chaotic morning. To my surprise, he looked at me kindly and asked if I needed to step outside to gather myself. As a new team member, I appreciated the gesture but politely declined, trying to maintain a semblance of professionalism. However, the entire room seemed to lean in, eager to hear about my morning disaster. So, I shared my rollercoaster of a morning, likely cementing my image as the “crazy mom” in their minds.
The rest of the day passed without incident. I successfully delivered my presentation and picked up my daughter from daycare, and thanks to my wonderful in-laws, we returned to a cooled home. The following morning, my boss, a mother herself, asked how my day had gone. When I recounted the events, she ended up in tears from laughing. “I’m not laughing at you,” she reassured me. “I’m laughing because I’ve been there too.”
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Summary
This light-hearted narrative captures the chaos of a working mom managing an eventful morning while her partner enjoys a trip to Europe. From dealing with a hyper toddler and a sick dog to delivering a presentation, the story resonates with anyone juggling parenting and work responsibilities.
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