Zen and the Art of Motherhood

Did I mention I'm a bit excited? The moment I have been waiting for all summer is finally upon us and guess what? Its totally anticlimactic.

It could be the hundreds of dollars I just forked over for supplies, fees, planners, lunch boxes and backpacks. Or maybe my zeal took a hit when I saw how big a dent those new back-to-school clothes put in our checking account. Anyway, the event that basically gave me a glimmer of hope as I muddled my way through summer with four kids in tow, is now leaving me in a slightly sour mood.

I guess the grass is always greener, right? But from where I sit now, it just looks like I've exchanged one over-committed experience for another. While I dreamed of days free of distractions, time to catch up and, yes, getting my nails done, I'm now facing carpools from hell, endless school fundraisers and the dreaded after school shuffle.

At this particular moment you may be asking yourself, "It can't be that bad?" Well....my situation is a little different from most. You see, in all my infinite wisdom, I enrolled my four children in four different schools. How stupid is that? Its a long story, so we'll leave it for another post all together. But in the meantime, I'm left with four start times, four calendars and four sets of volunteer duties. This doesn't even include the logistics of getting my brood to and from four locations (on opposite ends of the universe, mind you) each day.

I'm just hoping the little cherubs are worth it, because right now I'm tempted to send them all off to military school. And tonight, as we pack our backpacks, make our lunches and ready ourselves for the grind, I find myself secretly pining away for those lazy days of summer.