I am so not the only mom to feel this one. The end of the school year may be full of evening recitals and special nights and weekend events, but September is its own kind of special. It feels like you go from having a completely open week to rushing everywhere.
In our house, each girl has at least one activity four days a week. We really do try to streamline them to what they really want to do, and we have had them make some tough choices, but even with that, it's a minimum of eight activities a week that they need to be dropped off and picked up from. Not only that, but every single activity takes place in those two and a half hours of prime time - just after four o'clock until just before seven.
In the past, I've prided myself on managing that schedule on my own while still getting dinner on the table every night. Sure, it's nice to have Adam help, but with his travel schedule, I can't really count on him.
This year, it's bordering on too much. The first week we had our "full" fall schedule, I felt like I wanted to collapse.
Here's what I do to help:
- Meal Plan - with the crock pot as my best friend on those nights when the girls and I are rolling in around 7:00. I can't get in with two tired, hungry kids and start looking in the fridge for inspiration. It's got to be DONE.
- Double Check - On Mondays, we start at 4:45. On Tuesdays, 4:15. On Wednesdays it's 5:15, and on Thursdays it's 4:00. Sometimes I start at the gymnastics center. Sometimes it's the dance studio. Some days Reagan is first to start, but sometimes it's Madison. Some classes are an hour, but some are forty-five minutes and some are ninety. I can't trust myself to know it, I need to have it written down, and I need to double check it. Every time. Just in case.
- Carpool - I have it in my head that I can't carpool because of I really can't fit anyone between the two carseats, but that's not entirely true. That's been an excuse that I needed to find a way around this year, and thankfully, I have some awesome friends to work with. We sat down and worked it out, and I'm so happy for it.
You can't do everything by yourself, but you can help your friends while helping yourself too - and somehow, we're making it to October!
