Short Story Challenge: it was One of Those Days

Monica knew it was wishful thinking that she could sleep the day away and awake tomorrow, refreshed and without having to go through today. She could live without the constant struggle of making her bad day seem not so bad and putting things in perspective. After all, just because your three-year-old child has crept into your room to stare at you while you sleep and wake you at five o'clock in the morning after a few hours of sleep, that doesn't mean your day is off to a bad start, right?

It was one of those days.

She was running late and had to clear snow off the mini-van. She dropped off her three-year-old at preschool only to find out they forgot his hat and gloves and his school bag. She went grocery shopping during the two-and-a-half hour block for preschool and remembered five other things she was supposed to get but that were not on her list. Frustrated, she pulled into the preschool's parking lot to pick up her son.

It was one of those days.

In spite of an early morning, her son insisted he was not sleepy. Monica wished he would nap. If anything else it meant she could nap! Instead, she found ways to entertain him with craft time while she did dishes and laundry. Half the socks went unmatched. A miscellaneous red sock had made its way into the white load and some clothes sported blotchy pink spots. She started to run the dishwasher only to sputter out a drop of soap.

It was one of those days.

After dinner, Monica's son would not sit still. She tried to read him stories but he kept getting off her lap. He then fought her going to bed. He swung his arms, his hands in tight little fists. After a wrestling match, Monica finally got her son to bed and asleep. He passed out, snuggling his favorite gigantic penguin.

Her husband was working late. Usually she tried to stay up and wait for him. She usually had a million things to conquer on her to-do list and attacked the list with gusto. Of course, for every task she completed, she came up with five more things to do.

Monica looked at her couch; her warm, cozy throw blankets; her television set. She went into the kitchen and made herself a warm mug of chai tea. She snuggled into her favorite corner of the coach and covered herself with the blankets and turned the television set on and closed her eyes.

It was one of those days.