Time Management

Is it wrong to want to request that all sports be played during summer?  During summer, I can't schedule enough for my boys to do so that they stay busy and don't kill each other.  I feel we did nothing this summer except swim at our friends house and count the hours in the day.  Now that school is back in session, I am suffocating because it seems like I need to be at ten places at once.

This past week was chaotic.  And my husband still insists on riding his bike to and from work daily.  That's all.  Just that tidbit of information for you to think about while reading below. 

 On Monday AND Tuesday both boys had either games or practices...at the same time at two different locations.  Again, with only one parent with a car.  Enter the saying..."It Takes a Village."  Luckily we know several parents on each team because I was activating the phone tree in a very big way.  On Wednesdays now, because Rich thought we had an hour an fifteen minutes of uninterrupted time to spare, he signed the boys up for Catechism.  So I have a fifteen minute block of time in between my staff meeting to get the boys to St. Anne's, and then a fifteen minute block after Catechism to get Ryan back across town to practice. 

Thursday I had a doctor's appointment at the same time Matt had practice.  Of course.  And practice is right down the street from our house.  So...it was decision time.  Do I cancel the appointment and make sure he makes it to practice okay, or do we leave him home and teach him to lock up the house and go on his own?  The latter won.  Of course he was thrilled!  It was only going to be for an hour, but at the same time...it was an HOUR!  I must have asked him a thousand times if he knew everything he needed to do and never looking up from his homework, he always answered yes.  I couldn't take it, he acted like this was no big deal and I was freaking out.  So I said, "Listen, I don't feel you are really listening to me right now and it is making me rethink this.  I'm just going to write down all the steps I want you to do before you leave, okay?"  He replied..., "Mom!  I've got it.  Just go!"  I looked at him and said..."I know, I know, but just look at the list before you leave.  Please."  I grabbed Ryan and dropped him off at my Dad's and headed to my appointment.  While I sat there for an hour, I texted Rich three times to call home and see if he was okay.  Rich replied, "I'll call once and he is fine."  By the time I got back into the room at the doctor's, my blood pressure was elevated enough that the nurse looked at me and said, "Well, that's not exactly a safe number, is everything okay?"  Whatever.  I'm not explaining the past hour to her.  I looked at her and said..."I'm fine. When exactly will the doctor be in here?"  By the time the doctor got in and went over my chart she said..."What's up with the blood pressure?"  I said, "Nothing, I just left my son alone for the first time for an extended period of time and I am worried about him."  Her response, "How old is he?"  I said, "He's ten."  She looked at me and said, "Heather, cut the cord already."  I get points for not replying with the first thought that popped into my brain.  I calmly smiled and said, "Can we just get this over with?"  By the time I got home, Rich was already down at practice with him.  I walked in the door and looked down and found the list that I had left with each thing checked off by him before he left. Baby steps. I am not ready to cut the cord, but I may entertain the idea of letting go a little more.

Oh...and side note.  I miss my nice camera,  It hasn't worked in a while and I miss it like crazy.  I want to share pictures of the boys during soccer season, but I would be embarrassing them to no end if I walked out to the edge of the field to get a better shot with my phone.  More pictures to come soon, I'll try to zoom in.