Let me tell you about a mother’s calendar.
Most people make a calendar for themselves. They mark other peoples’ birthdays, but generally they only have to keep up with their own vacations, doctor’s appointments, etc. Not so a mom.
It has taken me the better part of 4 hours to update my DayMinder for 2014. All you other moms can relate, I know.
- First I went through and marked everybody’s birthdays. Husband knows our immediate family and his mom, dad, and sisters. I keep up with those, my family, our nieces and nephews, our best friends and their children (who are like family to us).
- Next I went through and marked everybody’s school schedules. This has become much easier since my children are grown, but it has not gone away: I still need to know when they start classes and are out on break, including the need to potentially move them in and out of dorm/apartment (18-year-old college freshman). You think, “a 23-year-old (older son starting graduate school) doesn’t need Mommy to keep up with things.” That’s true, but I do need an idea of when he is going to need to fly home and back. My school schedule still involves all the early release days, etc., of the local school system.
- Next I made note of husband’s schedule for the year, his professional convention and mission trips.
- I have my own events, of course, like monthly Georgia Romance Writers’ meetings and the convention in October.
- This does not include the doctor’s appointments and other obligations I will have for my mother, particularly when I am on break and have time to cram them all in.
- I am also the keeper of user names and passwords for myself, but also for the family for such important sites as FAFSA.
- Sometime in July we’ll be spending two weeks in Europe. Tough, huh?
My life and scheduling has become MUCH easier now that I no longer have to work-in baseball, football, band, and other kids’ activities. To those who are still in the throes of this time of life, I both envy and sympathize: I wouldn’t trade those years for anything, but it is much easier not to try working around them.
A wonderful, busy life. I am grateful, but already exhausted.
bethwarstadt.com 