The Frenetic Pace of Spring

I don't know about you, but this time of year is enough to put me over the edge.

As a parent, it is nearly impossible to coordinate all the places your kids need to be and the things they need to do...simultaneously, mind you... the practices, games, dress rehearsals, recitals, trophy days, birthday parties, play dates, school activity nights, homework, projects, etc.

My son is also in some sort of superhuman growth spurt where he has literally grown 1.5 inches in just over a month (according to the doorjamb). Should the average 6 year old be able to eat nearly a 1/2 pound of pasta in one sitting? The end of the school year is also hard for him as transitions are not his forte - and he has an AMAZING teacher this year and is in class with his best buddies for the 2nd year in a row. The boys know that they will be in separate classes next year, and leaving this teacher is going to be tough for all of us.

My poor boy also did not make the age cut off to play on the "peanut " baseball league with said buddies. He is in the younger league and no self-respecting 1st grader wants to get stuck on the "baby team" with all the kindergartners. "Why couldn't you have just had me a little bit earlier?!!?" he sobbed. Are you kidding? You were 8 days late and ten pounds - I'd have given an eye tooth to have had you earlier! Needless to say, my house has been meltdown central as of late.

Then there are all the end of year expenses. Teacher gifts, coaches' gifts, $15 ea. recital tickets (rediculous), $50 dance costume (worth every penny - hysterical!), $25 dance photo package & $40 recital DVD (you are only allowed to take pictures and video on your own at the dress rehearsal - it's forbidden on the night of the show), Little League raffle tickets (b/c I have already hit up everyone I know for the 3-day and blogged about kidstuff fundraisers - so now I feel like I cannot ask folks about the raffle...$5 ea - want one?), gifts for my teaching assistants, birthday gifts, a 7th birthday party...minigolf, summer clothes for the kids - and me (5 sizes smaller than last year - yeehah!), graduation gifts, wedding gifts, and cases of Advil and Claritin.

At work, the madness never ends as my sophomores deal with MCAS anxiety, my seniors demonstrate "regression in the face of transition" (a colleague said that today - doesn't he sound smart?), my juniors think about college and freak out about the SATs/ACTs, and my freshmen...well, they're freshman! I am eyeball deep in progress reports, paperwork, phonecalls, emails, and student teacher assessments.

So today, afterschool, as I was emptying my son's backpack, making a To Do list, cleaning up from snack, and watching the kids in the backyard from the kitchen window, I caught sight of my daughter. She was heading across the yard toward her favorite tree. I kept watching because sometimes she steals our things and squirrels them away behind the tree. She marched right over, picked a comfy spot, and lay down with her arms behind her head to watch the helicopters fall from the branches. I dropped everything and went out onto the back deck. When she saw me she said, "Come in the nice shade, Mom." And that was exactly what I did. My son joined us, and we just lay there enjoying the day. Want to know what happened next? I fell asleep. It wasn't long, maybe 2 minutes or 10, I don't know, but it was all I needed to remind me to slow down. I am grateful that there is a carefree 3 year old in my life to remind me to take a little time to lay in the grass.

Off to find the Calamine lotion...