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.