She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches, rinsed the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and set up the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes into the dryer, sewed on a loose button, picked up the newspapers strewn on the floor and the game pieces left on the table, and put the telephone book back into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket, hung up a towel to dry, wrote a note to the teacher and counted out some cash for the kids' field trip. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope, and wrote a quick reminder for the grocery store. She put some water into the dog's dish put the cat outside and then made sure the doors were locked.

Mom washed her face, put on her moisturizer and brushed and flossed her teeth. Her husband called, "I thought you were going to bed." "I'm on my way," she replied. She looked in on each of the children, turned off a bedside lamp, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks in the hamper and had a brief conversation with the older child, who was up doing homework. In her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothes for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack and added three chores to her list of things to do the next day.

About that time, her husband turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular, "I'm going to bed," and he did.

Ann Landers 05/14/00