Sometimes, when I tell people about my life, they look at me like I’m part of some traveling circus. They give me that “How do you do it?” look, complete with raised eyebrows and slight head tilts, as if they’re waiting for me to confess to some magical secret for surviving the daily chaos. I can’t help but laugh because, honestly, it’s not a secret. It’s just life—my life—and every day is a juggling act of epic proportions. You can be the judge, but let me take you through a typical day.
The Morning Circus Act
It all starts in the morning, bright and early, with a workout to kick off the day. That’s the part that might seem normal to most people: getting up, stretching, sweating a little, and getting ready for the day ahead. But that’s where “normal” quickly gives way to “circus.”
After my workout, it’s off to work, where I’m constantly juggling projects, nudging people along, and trying to keep all the balls in the air without dropping one. My workday is a lot like herding cats, with deadlines looming and fires needing to be put out. On this particular day, the universe decided to add a little flair to my day—somewhere in the midst of all the emails, meetings, and tasks, I realized that the vibrant purple dye in my hair had bled down my neck. Yes, you read that right: purple ears, purple neck, and purple hair. It was like a scene from a bad cartoon, where the character’s hair color starts running, and they don’t realize it until it’s too late. Except in my case, it wasn’t just a bad cartoon; it was my reality. And while the only thing I intended to have purple was my hair, clearly the dye had other plans.
But hey, whatever. There are bigger fish to fry than a little hair dye mishap, right?
The Evening Dash: Dinner with Dad (and a Blast from the Past)
After wrapping up at work, I flew by home at warp speed, picked up two of my kids, and swapped parenting duties with my husband, who was heading out with one of the other kids. The fourth child was meeting us at Grandpa’s place, where we were all supposed to have dinner together.
Sounds easy enough, right? Well, that’s when things took a little detour into time travel.
When we got to dinner with my dad, it became clear that he was not living in 2013, or even in North Carolina. No, in his mind, we were in Ft. Worth, Texas, sometime in the 1960s. He had no clue who my oldest daughter was, and he kept lunging across the table to put down his glass, despite my attempts to steady him. Having seen this kind of confusion before, I quickly pieced together what was happening: we were likely dealing with another urinary tract infection (UTI), which causes delirium in older folks. Combined with his dementia, this was just another chapter in the ongoing saga of caring for my dad.
It’s never easy watching someone you love struggle with dementia and confusion, especially when they don’t even recognize their own grandchild. But I’ve learned to roll with the punches, adjusting my expectations and trying to make the best of each situation, even when reality seems a little warped.
When Things Go from Purple to…Well, Worse
As if managing my dad’s delusions wasn’t enough, my youngest child decided to add a little excitement of his own. Towards the end of dinner, he got sick—really sick. One minute he was eating, and the next minute, he was hurling, right there in the restaurant.
Now, I pride myself on being a mom who can handle just about anything, so I sprang into action like a seasoned pro. In record time, I managed to get him out of the dining room, clean him up, and save the evening from turning into a full-blown disaster—all before any of the other diners even noticed. Crisis averted, but I could feel the day taking its toll.
With the youngest cleaned up and somewhat stabilized, I dropped him off at home, where his eldest sister graciously stepped in to babysit. This gave me just enough time to rush off to my younger daughter’s band concert.
Sneaking into the Concert and Prepping for the Next Circus
Of course, thanks to the impromptu vomit situation, I was late to the concert. So, I had to sneak into the back of the auditorium, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible while hoping that none of the other parents noticed my slightly frazzled appearance (or the purple streaks that were still lingering on my neck).
After the concert, the circus didn’t slow down. It was time to prepare for the next act: a Girl Scout camping trip. One of my troops was heading out for a weekend in the great outdoors, which meant a mad dash to gather all the camping gear. If you’ve ever been camping with Girl Scouts, you know that the sheer volume of stuff that gets packed is mind-boggling. It’s not just tents and sleeping bags—it’s Dutch ovens, box ovens, grills, dunk stations, mess kits, and a mountain of supplies that seem to multiply before your eyes.
As my co-leader and I hauled the camping gear out into the garage, she gave me a knowing look and said, “You know you’ve still got purple down your neck, right?” Of course, I did. The purple had become my signature color for the day. Between the camping gear and my purple splattered neck, I looked like I was preparing for some kind of wild outdoor festival, complete with a vibrant, accidental costume.
The Grand Finale: The Purple Monster in the Shower
Finally, after what felt like the longest day in the history of days, it was time to tackle the purple problem head-on. I jumped in the shower, determined to scrub away the evidence of my earlier hair dye mishap. What I didn’t anticipate was just how much purple dye would end up everywhere. As I scrubbed, purple splatters covered the walls, the floor, and even the curtain. By the time I was done, the shower looked like the scene of a crime—except instead of red, there was purple everywhere. It looked like I had slayed some sort of purple monster in there, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Another Day, Another Circus
As I finally crawled into bed that night, exhausted and covered in what little dignity I had left, I reflected on the day. It was just another typical day, filled with chaos, laughter, mishaps, and more than a little bit of purple. But that’s the beauty of life, isn’t it? No two days are ever the same, and even when things go off the rails, you find a way to keep juggling, keep moving, and keep laughing.
Tomorrow will bring another day, another set of challenges, and probably a few more unexpected surprises. But whatever happens, I’ll be ready. Hopefully, it will be a little less purple, though.
