I just sat down and I can't get up

When packing up his school bag this morning, the boy took out a piece of paper ..

Boy: "Hey, Mom. I need you to sign this permission sheet. I should bring it back today."

Me: "Oh, what's it for?"

Boy: "It's for the cross-country team. I'm going to have to be at school every morning at 8 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Starts tomorrow. It's gonna be great!"

Me: "Uhhhhhmmm, o-kay. You do know that we're going to the rep soccer practice tonight, right?"

Boy: "Oh yeah. But that's at night, so I can so do this in the morning."

Me: "I guess we'll just have to get you to school and then I can bring G back and wait with her for the schoolbus at the regular time then ..." (by the time I get to the school and back the bus should be just about coming by to get her ...I'm so logical, it astounds me).

Boy: "Yeah!!!!" Enthusiastic? An understatement.

It was 8:30 AM. I was already tired.

*****

So here I am, almost 11 PM. I've got this meme-ish thing in mind, as for some reason I thought it was Thursday. It seems like it's been 48 hours since this morning. These are 13 things that I did today - after work.

1. Took the boy to the orthodontist. He got his braces off today - yay!!! Now he just needs a retainer to keep everything in place until his eye teeth grow in say in about 2 years... and the payments will keep on paying until the bigger payments start again.

2. Shopped for an outfit for the boy for the family wedding we're going to on the weekend. Three shops, in half an hour, in heels that were killing me.

3. Dealt with the girlie wanting to buy mittens to add to her mitten collection at home. Couldn't find a tissue for the tears when I said no.

4. Bought a wedding card.

5. Dealt with the girlie wanting to buy a stuffed animal in the card store. Still couldn't find a tissue.

6. Picked the boy up again after his appointment and brought him to all the stores again to try things on. Waited in a super long line at the Gap because it was 40% off day.

7. Got the kids home, popped a quiche in the oven.

8. Made sure the boy finished his homework while I unloaded all the lunch bags. Tried to get them to eat quickly so we wouldn't be too late for soccer practice.

9. Packed the girl's dinner as she wasn't hungry. Packed dessert and water for the kids as I hurried the boy to get in his soccer uniform. Packed the chairs into the minivan, and my computer for work to complete the memo I'd started earlier in the day.

10. Drove to soccer practice, set up the chairs, the DVD player, and patted myself on the back that I'd remembered to grab jackets for myself and the girlie.

11. Watched the boy play for 1.5 hours, at a level that I'd never seen him play before. Watched the girlie play with another little girl at the playround, didn't notice her fall and clip her chin on the balance beam, looked at the girlie in surprise that she DIDN'T cry over something that would be totally bruised. Fought with the mosquitoes hovering around my head.

So did NOT get to the work memo.

12. Drove home with the kids, and en route picked up my Pampered chef order from my girlfriend's.

13. (and then some). Ran a bath for the boy, got the girlie cleaned up, warmed up the boy's second dinner, let him watch the rest of America's Got Talent; vacuumed because the dust bunnies finally got the best of me, did the dishes, made the kids' lunches for tomorrow, got them into bed...

And now for the rest of the evening, I have to finish that memo and e:mail it to my group in preparation for a meeting with my boss tomorrow.

Please tell me you're as exhausted as I am. It would make me feel just a tad better.

*****

There is a colossal bottle of wine sitting in my fridge, and I am so tempted to drink it. After all, it goes so well with sandwich crust, doesn't it? Yes, I admit, I am a human garburator much like my Mom was when I was little. The kids don't eat crust and technically neither did I. Until I became a Mom.

Unfortunately there is still work to do. Alcohol will not help at this late hour.

Despite all my complaining, whining, bitching about how tired I am...I know that my Mom did all this and more for me when I was a kid. So many lessons, so little time ... but I was enriched. I look back at my childhood and I used to think that I missed out on so much, not having enough free play time, being so scheduled. But now as a Mom, I appreciate it. A lot.

Seeing the look on the boy's face after practice, hearing him shout for me to ask if it was okay to go to practice again tomorrow night... yes, he wants to do it again...reminded me that this was what I had signed up for.

When we decided to have a family, it was always our intent to let our kids try anything they wanted to (that was legal and within reason, of course). And now that they're asking, yearning to learn and to try new things, we've got to do it. Because despite all of the "what about me" that strikes me every so often, I have to remind myself that, this, this IS what I wanted. This is what We wanted. IT IS all about the kids.

They will only be kids for so long. And as exhausting as it can be and believe you me, it is ( because I really am getting too old for this) ... this is the time to cherish it, the newness of experiences, the thrill of sport, the fun through their eyes. I know this is just the tip of the iceberg, that more fun awaits us as they get older, and each become their own person. But honestly, they're a sure-fire investment.

For I also know that in 20, maybe 30 years from now, they too, will appreciate it.

And the ROI will be just awesome.