College Flashback

I've always admired those creative people who see art in everything and can create positively anything out of any material. Many of those people also seem to be so flexible and easy going. I, on the other hand, tend to be a master scheduler. I schedule EVERYTHING. I plan our weekly meals in advance, vacations, budgets. I'm a little OCD apparently. And I'm not really flexible and easy going. I aspire to be flexible and easy going. But sadly, I often feel like the character in Alice & Wonderland, "I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date!"

I also inflict change on myself. I always joked that with all the yoga I've done, one would think I'd be much more flexible -- about a lot of things! But I stir up my own pot and then freak out. I've got to learn to go with the flow and mellow out. Ironically, when I tried zen meditation a couple of years ago, even that got stressful. I just couldn't quiet my mind. And finding time to do it was really killing me.

Anyhow, Rex is in school. I've got field trip dates, PTA dates, book club dates, class volunteer dates, scout dates, etc. all over my calendar. The girls, however, are going to be attending a new school. I'm really excited about it too. They were originally scheduled to start just after Labor Day. But since their school is moving to a new facility, they are having to deal with the city and permits and other beaureaucrats who don't have the same priorities as staff, teachers, parents and students. So, at this moment, I'm not entirely sure what their school year looks like. But I am pretty sure that with the late start date, they will be attending school straight through next June.

I'm sitting down trying to make a weekly schedule. I have to plan what times I'm getting which kids to school. Am I carpooling with someone else? Are we riding bikes or driving? Amira needs to be picked up earlier than anyone else -- everyday. Valerie has half days every Thursday (which is actually great). I'm trying to work out a time everyday to go to the gym. I'm also trying to work out a time to do my job. I need to be able to volunteer in the classrooms of three different kids. I still need to go shopping, plan and make meals. Oh, and both girls are signed up for soccer. Although I know when Amira's practices are, I still have not heard from Valerie's coach. That shouldn't stress me out. But I have this fear that practices will be Wednesdays. And I have NO time left on Wednesdays. We already have piano lessons, CSA pick up, soccer practice for Amira and scouts for Rex that night. I'm still trying to figure out when we'll eat dinner that night!

I feel like I'm putting together a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle but I just realized I only have 497 pieces. How frustrating is that?

My junior year of college I remember taking 18 units and working two jobs. I sat down and made a giant schedule blocking out 4 hour chunks of time in which to sleep. I'm having a flashback to that kind of schedule!

In the mean time, I'm not locked in to anything. I'm in limbo until the girls get into school and I hear from that soccer coach. I think this is life's way of reminding me that the world does not revolve around me. I do not get to control everything. Sometimes we're going to miss a soccer practice, I have a feeling. Or something ... And perhaps I shouldn't sign up for so much. We all need some down time. (I think that's what I'm missing about summer already).

NEXT YEAR ... (I hope I remember this!) I'm scheduling time on the calendar to NOT SCHEDULE ANYTHING. I would like to see some blank spots. Right now I'm going to carve out a few hours on Thursday afternoons (when the girls don't have scouts, every other week) to just chill out.

Back to School ... Back to Summer

Oh,my goodness! School started for Chico Unified on August 12 this year. It feels like the summer gets shorter and shorter. By the time we're in a vacation groove it seems we have to snap out of it and on to a schedule.

Amira started kindergarten on August 12 and Rex started 4th grade. Valerie came to her old school with me to say hi to old friends and hang out at the PTA coffee table on the first day of school. She's looking forward to starting 3rd grade at her new school (a Waldorf school) the more traditional Tuesday following Labor Day.

After the first week of school being in session, the realization that an extended summer break can be lonely when all your friends are back in school settled in on Valerie. Fortunately the "games teacher" from her new school was running a day camp at Bidwell Park for students in her position.

On Valerie's first day of camp, it was blazing hot. She ran out of water. She had a blast. That girl had a smile from ear to ear. She got to play games and swim in the creek all day. I thought for sure she'd want to run home as fast as possible. But she really wanted to hang in the park with her new found friends.

Meanwhile, Sleeping Beauty (also known as Amira around the house) was having quite an adjustment to getting up at 7am and to school on time at 8am. She trodded into kindergarten daily with 29 other students. Mrs. Potter-Jones, her teacher, is a fantastic teacher. Rex and Valerie each had her. Of course, when they went to kindergarten, class sizes didn't exceed 20 students. And both Rex and Valerie didn't seem to have a problem getting up in the morning.

As I watched Rex settle nicely into the fourth grade, Valerie excitedly looking forward to her camp and new school, I watched Amira try to socialize in her big class and struggle to get up each school day. I kept thinking of all the work sheets and homework Amira was going to get at Neal Dow versus the fairy tales, art, games, handwork and cooking at the kindergarten in a Waldorf School.

I began to think ... Rex only has a year or two left at Neal Dow. Amira is on the wait list for the Waldorf school to start first grade next year. Why am I forcing her to socialize at Neal Dow knowing I'm going to move her? Why didn't I just put her in the Waldorf school. I do not want to be running through three schools a day in a couple of years (Middle school, public school, Waldorf school). And I don't want Amira to keep having to make new friends and then be moved.

I panicked and called the Waldorf School to see if they might have a kindergarten spot open. Bingo, they did. It just opened. But I had to make my decision yesterday.

Now, the new guilt came over me. I needed to say good-bye to Mrs. Potter-Jones after looking forward to working in her class this year. Amira was going to be fortunate enough to gain a week of summer vacation and sleeping late before she had to get back into a routine. But then why did I put her through all the anxiety of starting at Neal Dow?

Hopefully Amira will be more flexible and forgiving than I am. At this moment I'm battling the feelings of relief (I really believe that Amira is going to benefit from the move on so many levels) and anxiety over having let down Mrs. Potter-Jones with basically no notice. I'm pretty sure Mrs. Potter-Jones is over it. And Amira woke up this morning with a smile on her face. I asked her how it felt to be back on vacation, she gave me two thumbs up!