I have always loved clean sheets. Freshly laundered, crisp, just-stretched-on-the-bed sheets. Every week, no later than Friday, I go thru my little ritual of undressing and remaking the bed.

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Today, I got a little head start. John had been away for two nights, and changing the sheets was probably one of those little comfort things you do when you're lonely, missing the other half and a little tired of all the responsibility of single parenting.

So, I rolled up old sheets and pulled out new ones, happily looking forward to the evening when after putting the kids to sleep, I would get to slip into a fresh bed and wait for the hubby to arrive from the airport. I was slipping on the duvet cover when I noticed that it was that annoying cover with the other end completely open, and as I remembered, the duvet did not stay in that slipcover very well. Ah, but I still had the sewing machine out downstairs, maybe I should sew together the corners?

So downstairs I go, with the duvet cover in my arms. I sewed the corners and then thought: why not put in button holes in the middle too, so that the bottom of the cover could be completely closed up? Zip zip zip and I have added six button holes too, just half of my day gone now.

I go back upstairs with the duvet cover, make the bed and stand there admiring my work. Then roll up the old sheets, sneezing from the dust I've stirred up, glancing at the humidifier in the hallway. Hmm. No sound coming from it. Must mean it's empty. So I drop the sheets, grab the tank and go fill it under the tap in the bathroom. Come back dragging the heavy tank and slip it in place. Oops. It wasn't quite closed. Water spilling everywhere.

Set aside the tank, run into the bathroom for rags, come back and wipe the entire hallway floor. Go fill the tank again, get the humidifier running, grab the sheets and run downstairs. Get as far as the kitchen and see the mail on the kitchen island. Oh yes, I need to pay bills today. Drop the sheets by the computer, get online and start paying the bills.

The doorbell rings. Mailman carrying a package. Sign, smile, thank and back into the kitchen with the package. Where was I? Package, mail... oh yeah, the bills. Drop the package and go back to computer.

By the computer I see a pile of papers. Homework due to be returned to the daycare. Daycare.. what was I supposed to remember.. oh yes, the firstborn's homework binder needs to go back to the daycare. Gotta file away all those previous assignments and drawings back into the binder before it goes back. Start filing. Remember that the twins' daycare also needed something. The assessment papers filled out before next week's discussion. Rummage thru different piles of papers on various tables to find those. Found! Go back to the firstborn's homework binder.

Done with filing. Also sorted thru the piles that I had to rummage thru to find the assessment papers. Bills and other stuff... bills, oh yeah, have to pay the bills! Go back to the computer.

Get up from the computer and stumble over the pile of sheets. Damn, the sheets. Sheets in the washer, oops, washer is full. Empty the washer, sort thru to see what cannot go in the dryer. Stuff half the stuff in the dryer and hang the other half on the drying rack. Start washer again.

Look at the clock. It's three. Have about 20 minutes before I have to get in the car and pick up kids.

Go upstairs. Crash on the bed. Wake up 15 minutes later to pull on jacket and go outside. Car covered with snow, brush snow off and take off.

I did have some real work to do today. I really did.

(Forgot to say that I also went to the pharmacy, to the grocery store, cooked up burritos, made sure the kids ate, wiped butts about five times, filled the dishwasher, washed the pans, opened presents with kids, bathed and dried them, sang songs, brushed teeth, did homework with the preschooler, tugged her to bed (and almost fell asleep in her bed), read old newspapers, surfed and of course, blogged.) 

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Edit 11.1: Reality check