My Rainbow Calendar

Like a true teacher, I have a little tic about keeping a schedule. In college I was forever getting those "organize yourself" sheets of paper, that they handed out at the Student Union to help organize your calendar. You know the ones, each day has the hours blocked off so that I could very easily schedule in when my classes were going to be, and where I intended on being during them...I could even schedule in showers, parties, and when to call my dad to tell him I was studying at the library...and I did (schedule those things, not study at the library...at least not my freshman year...honestly though, I did after that...) NOT that I ever stuck to the thing, but I always felt this real sense of security and accomplishment when I filled in all the little blocks with something meaningful.

So to this day I still have my little calendar with blocks of time, but now it is on my computer. And I tell you, the day it crashes is the day I will be found wandering around town aimlessly, with a far away look and disheveled appearance, not knowing where my kids are, or where I am supposed to be...this does concern me...but I have yet to back it up.

Anyway, I sat down last night and filled in my schedule, now color coded. (Can you see why the library loves me???) Red for Henry's things, Orange for Jamie's things, Dark Blue for my stuff, Teal for Gran's appointments and so on and so on...

I sighed as I entered the last thing, and hit return, to view the whole month...the rainbow of colors started blinking at me and blinded me with their intensity. I fainted dead away, and hand trembling asked for another glass of wine.


Now, I want to preface this next paragraph with, I am considered a "mean" mom. I actually have been told this, because I only let my kids do 1 sport at a time, and they aren't allowed to do anything else during that time. But clearly being a 9 year old athlete, is a much more serious commitment than it used to be. I mean...when I was 9 I played baseball, with boys, and we had one practice a week, one game on Saturday, and, well? I think I may have picked more dandelions than caught baseballs...and I was considered one of the athletic kids!

Now they have 3 games a week, on WEEK NIGHTS, that doesn't include a practice, which clearly they are going to need if they are going to become the next Ortiz...because, I have been informed that this is the American dream. To run your kids ragged, and make them something, so that you can relax in your older years, and they will buy houses for you, and plastic surgery and such. Playing for fun? Yeah, they did that when they were 3, and in "little league," this is the serious stuff.

I think I may have missed something...like an entire generation of crazy people... It is a whole new ball game now! (no pun intended!)

I am pretty sure I see how parental fights are breaking out all over America...parents have sports rage...kind of like road rage, but it comes from having to observe too many kids games, and practices, an unhealthy competitve atmosphere for an extended period of time, and depriving themselves of family dinners and swapping it for the quick takeout because that is all anyone has time for...I would get a little punchy too!

Folks, I may just be put under by a rainbow this month. I am not sure how I am supposed to be in 4 places at one time, but apparently, I am going to have to learn. All the other parents seem to be catching on...I guess I am just old fashioned.

They don't tell you when you decide to have more than one kid, that when they all get to be school age, (and I only have 2 thus far that are, and one well on his way) that you will become a slave to a rainbow calendar. Doomed to drive all over town, dropping your kids off around the corner, so that other kids don't know that you really are their mom, picking them up, baking brownies, making banners, and trying to maintain sanity all at the same time! And by the way, what ever happened to Car pooling??? I remember getting rides places...people don't do that anymore???

Well now with the raging rainbow on my computer and another glass of wine in me, I may have to march down to DC and have a little sit down with Dubya, 'cause, this gal ain't gonna make it if the gas prices stay where they are!

Hmmmm makes me wonder, what ever happened to walking to boy scouts, barefoot, in the snow, up hill, both ways? I am not feeling so horrified now, in fact? I am feeling a little...sports rage...watch out for me guys, I may just come in swinging to the next softball game...but then I might ruin my chances of the American Dream.

Uh-oh....I am starting to sound like my mom!