Sunday, October 6, 2013

This calls for...a nap!

When I received the email communication from Derek's school notifying me that his Interim Grades had been posted and awaited my perusal, my first thought was "Holy Lost Month, Batman, how can it be the middle of the First Quarter already?" (This was closely followed by "Those had better be some good numbers, buddy, or the...fur's gonna fly"...or, you know, something equally threatening and terrifying...) I just couldn't fathom how this much time had gotten away from me--sure, I daydream a few minutes...or an hour...once in a while...and I've even been known to putter away a weekend on frivolous endeavors on occasion. But an entire page of the calendar? How. Is. That. Possible?

Then I actually glanced at the schedule, innocently hanging there on the wall next to the refrigerator...that white grid bearing a veritable plethora of rainbow notations covering almost every inch. (Yeah, I'm THAT person who assigns a different hue to each family member and marks their activities/obligations accordingly. Call me compulsive if you like...or maybe just...colorful? I'm totally okay with either one...or both...) Oh, now I get it...based on the visual chaos of the Master Plan, we appear to be...crazy busy. Take this past week, for example, which was pretty typical. Mondays are Errand Day #1 for me, with the absolute Top Priority being: a major stock-up-for-the-week grocery shopping extravaganza. (Which sounds so much more fun and exciting than it actually is...darn it...) I also try to make all doctor and dentist appointments on Mondays; last week's delightful visits included the chiropractor (aahhh, neck and shoulder de-kinking...) and podiatrist (mmm...foot...fixing...never mind...). Tuesdays involve me going to work, then back-to-back soccer practices for the boys. One parent shuttles them to the field, and the other one is responsible for preparing the meal they will need to devour once they arrive back home and clean up. (All I can say is: thank goodness for Costco frozen chicken patties and fish sticks. These have saved our evenings, over and over and over...)

Wednesday (or Run-Around Day #2, as it shall hereafter be known) often includes a pilgrimage to the aforementioned Costco, as well as Target. Then there are more soccer practices, with the drill proceeding as the previous evening. The only difference is, I try to go to a Yoga Class either Monday or Wednesday night, so sometimes there's rapid-fire dumping of children at home and racing back out the door to go get my stretch on. ('cuz arriving at the studio in a frazzled state is soooo good for the zen attitude I'm seeking...whatever, it's the instructor's job to help me calm down, right?) Thursday is work again, then my regular Jazz Class at 7:30. Somehow amidst all of this frenzy, homework gets done (I trust...based on those Mid-Term Grades), lunches get packed, and important papers get sorted and signed (don't ask me how, it's just some kind of...Scholastic Miracle...and we choose not to examine it too closely lest we jinx the magic...) Friday (pause for a rousing Hallelujah Chorus...resume) is just work and...collapse--I mean "relax". Except this week Derek was invited to a surprise party for one of his friends, so he was out past 10...but the rest of us totally chilled.

Moving on: the first weekend day is, of course, Soccer Saturday. We have 2 games to watch/play, at varying times, which determines whether we actually get to come home in between to regroup, or we just stay at the fields for the duration. Yesterday, as if the children hadn't already seen enough of their pals while dribbling and passing...and/or spectating at each others' matches, they arranged a Sleepover Switch, subject to parental agreement. In this scenario, the younger brothers hang out at one house, while the older brothers cozy up in the other. (This time, Husband and I opted for the 10-year-olds, which turned out well, as we were informed the next morning that the teenagers had managed to remain awake until 1:30 in the morning. So in summary, we hosted the duo that wouldn't empty our pantry, and would obey when ordered to bed at a reasonable hour. W-I-N!) Sunday morning, no sooner had the correct sons been returned to their rightful parents, when I got an email from yet another teammate of Riley's, inviting him over for a playdate in the afternoon. Of course, in order to deliver him in a non-grimy, non-smelly state, I first had to retrieve him from a neighbor's house, where he'd reportedly been playing a game they invented, called Scooter Soccer...and eating chips and hotdogs.  (Seriously? Who are these boys with the thriving social lives?)

And tomorrow morning, we start the whole circus over again. Yep, I'm exhausted just thinking about it. After a (hopefully) good night of rest, I believe my first order of business once Riley has safely been ushered onto the bus will be to stop at McDonald's for an extra-large iced coffee. That should give me enough incentive to at least tackle the food purchasing expedition!

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