What Struck Me

I thought I was doing so well getting ready for the school year. I’ve got a bunch of different projects going on:

• finishing up a site design for a client
• taking over as treasurer for our Cub Scout pack
• also acting as Tiger Cub coordinator and helping with recruitment of new scouts when school starts up
• taking over as treasurer for Project Graduation
• last minute planning for our vacation
• getting supplies, clothes, and paperwork taken care of for school because I won’t have time after we get back
• ordering a tux for Tim to wear to SIL’s wedding on 9/18
• assorted other little things like ortho appointments, haircuts, phone calls, bills…

But I completely missed a meeting I was supposed to get to yesterday morning- I felt like an idiot. Fortunately the woman I was meeting with was understanding and we’ve rescheduled. I’m trying so hard to get organized, and I know I’m making progress, but it’s taking so long! I literally spent 3 hours this morning just getting our family calendar updated with the new school calendar info and fall sports, etc.

I used to be so well organized. But looking back it was easy then- I really only had one life to deal with. Even when the older kids were little, there wasn’t much chaos. But now, all the obligations and all the stuff have accumulated and I’m responsible for at least parts of 5 lives plus a dog (the dog who needed to get to the vet and get her shots so she can go get her bath and haircut so she can go stay with Aunt Kathi & then Grandma & Papa when we go away…) I even have to know what’s going on with Pat because he’s got meetings that conflict with my meetings and usually on a night one of the kids needs to also be somewhere…

Sigh.

With the nice weather we’ve been having, finally, after belonging to our pool club for 8 years, we’re getting our money’s worth this year. I’m there with Tim & Nick nearly everyday. Last night was the adult pool party, first time we got there for that. Unfortunately none of our friends were able to make it but there were enough friendly aquaintances that we had a good time. There’s this one major clique- they all live on the same street, mostly young parents who tend to party a lot. They’re fun, mostly nice, but it feels a little high school, at least around some of them. Then there’s the people who’ve been members since before we joined, who have kids Andy’s age or older. I feel like I’m somewhere in the middle, not really belonging on either end. It was kind of funny listening to both groups mocking the other- guess both sides didn’t see me as belonging to the other, so that’s good (?)

I’m sure, as always, something will cause a rift and the clique will disintegrate. Not being catty, just something I’ve observed over the years.

Anyway, I did learn one lesson. While tea lights floating in the baby pool on kickboards may look pretty, don’t expect the kickboards to survive intact- they mostly have holes melted through now, or at least a tea light permanently attached!

So today was the “family fun day” which was thrown together last minute. It was just a few races and a balloon toss, but it was fun. I really love watching the kids, including the lifeguards who I’ve seen grow up. Really good group, and Nick’s been having fun hanging with them- teens I trust him being around for sure.