Tired

We women who are crazy enough to have "Irish Twins" (or close enough to make any difference) consider ourselves part of our own little tribe.  We seek each other out at playgrounds, soccer fields and even airports.  With a knowing nod and smile we ask "So, how far apart are yours?"  Then we swap stories about the audacity of other parents who think are kids are actually twins or compare continual months of potty training and then of course we have to launch into "You know they say that having them this close together is actually harder than having real twins."  Though I suspect a Mom of real twins might have something to say about that if she overheard us.  By this point in my conversation my kids are probably arguing over who gets to slide down the slide first or yelling that the other one touched them and so if I am talking to a parent of older kids I asked my standard question "It gets easier right?"  Most of the time, they say yes.  I have had more than one parent tell me that now that their kids are teenagers that they are best friends, which is comforting and adds a ray of hope to my day when my kids fight over EVERYTHING.  But about a year ago, when I asked that question, the Mom just smiled at me and chuckled "Well I don't know about easier, but it does get busier."

Was she ever right.

In the last 3 months I have become the busiest Mom in America.  OK, that may be a tad of an overstatement, but it feels like it some days.  With two kids in school and two kids doing competitive sports (and in Greyson's case 2 sports at once) I feel like I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off pretty much 24/7.

Hockey practice Monday, soccer practice Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday night football games most weekends.  Three different games in two different locations on Saturday morning.

Two children in two different schools with different schedules and special days.  Can I tell you how much I cringe at the announcement of a "special day?"  Hat day, jersey day, spirit day, wear fall colors day - all additional details I have to cram into my rapidly diminishing memory bank.  Did each child finish their homework? Does Greyson have an A/R reading quiz? Is it tomorrow that Quinn needs to bring in a zoo based stuffed animal to play zookeeper in dramatic play? Special assignments like making a rocket based on their favorite book or putting together a Me-Mobile.

Then pile on working at Raif's office two days a week, volunteering at the school's library and helping with teacher prep day.  Sprinkle on top the grocery store, Costco, various other menial life errands and my insistence that my children get a home cooked meal (not fast food) every night even when we have 30 minutes between school and practice and you can see why my hair is turning grey.

If you spend more than 20 minutes with me at one sitting (which is pretty rare these days) you would come away thinking I am the most popular person in the world the way my phone constantly goes off.  Little would you know that those constant beeps are reminders going off of all the things I have to do these days because I have given up on actually remembering them.  Thank God for technology, my second brain, because I probably would have forgotten one of my kid's names at this point if my phone didn't remind me.  Oh and I would caution you to stay upwind of me because since I don't pencil in a shower these days there is a good chance I haven't had one.

All my complaining aside, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I am thankful that we have the means to allow our kids to do all their extra curricular activities and go to amazing schools with so much going on and I am especially thankful to Raif for working so hard so that I can be able to volunteer at school as much as I do.

I probably should thank him sometime....I guess I will need to schedule that in two weeks from Thursday!