Surviving September
Every year I write about September! Every year I find myself trying to survive crazy September. I know I am not alone in feeling this way about September! I told my husband Seth that I wish I had a better attitude. I wish I would look forward to September and new beginnings. Why can’t I get excited?! I find that I simply try to get through September standing! Believe it or not, every year they get busier and I know that is all my fault! I am the mom who says yes. I am the mom that can’t bear to say no to my children doing an activity that they may love! It is ok to say no to my child! It will be ok! I will keep telling myself that!
My son came to me a few times and told me he wanted to switch soccer teams. This was all coming from him! I was completely content with the team he was on! Max is my serious, intense, smart first born child! He wanted a serious premier soccer team! What is with being eleven years old and already worrying about learning and growing as a soccer goalie! Why did he have to be so driven? I am totally kidding! I am proud of Max! He wants to be a really good goalie and is loving the goalie training he is getting on the new team! So, here we are with practices three times a week! I don’t even know his game schedule yet! Let’s hope I can pull this off! I will keep you all posted! I know there are many of you traveling for soccer, hockey, baseball….you know the drill! For those of you who don’t know how travel sports work, I am sure I will give you an earful!
My daughter Ella is all about performing! Ella is her happiest on stage! She was just Cruella in 101 Dalmatians and she did such an amazing job! The charisma and happiness ooze out of her when she is on stage! Can you tell how proud I am of her? This year we are up to four days driving her to theater classes! She gets to dance, sing and act when she is at the Academy of Theater Arts. If she could she would go every day! Let’s not forget Hebrew school for all three children and Girl Scouts for my daughters! I know! I ask myself the same question…..What am I thinking? Too much stuff!!!
Max loves soccer, Ella loves theater, and Lillie loves everything! Lillie would probably tell you that she loves to dance! Dance class, gymnastics, tennis, cooking class, Girl Scouts, Hebrew school…..what doesn’t Lillie do? I will tell you what Lillie doesn’t do! Lillie doesn’t do soccer or softball! She has asked me to do both, but as of now my answer has been “are you crazy?” See, I can say no!!!
My husband has two businesses and works a lot! At this point I am still not officially working but being Co-President of the PTA at my girls school and Co-leading two Girl Scout troops definitely counts as jobs! Committees, emails, meetings, texts, phone calls, fliers….September is rocking for the PTA. I haven’t gone a day without some sort of PTA work to do! I am not complaining! I signed up for this! Just like I signed my kids up for fifty activities!
Somehow we all manage to fit homework and open houses into our crazy September. I think homework should be illegal in September and June! No, I am lying to all of you! If I really had my way there would be no homework ever! All of our kids are at school all day! I want after school to be for activities and playing and family time!
Just when we all think September couldn’t get crazier, the Jewish holidays Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur appear! Every year they are in September and every year I act surprised! They are the holiest most important holidays of the whole year for Jewish people. It is like Christmas and Easter. Christmas and Easter are these big special holidays that everything stops for. If only it was the same respect for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur! Life just goes on as normal! The kids had soccer and gymnastics on Yom Kippur. That just floors me!
I have a very bad relationship with September! I love June! It tells me that summer is coming! Summer is my very favorite time of year! I get to spend time with my children and not be as crazy busy as I am during the school year. I am busy driving them to camps but I just love summer! I can feel the air getting chillier and I can feel sadness settling in. I would like to form a better relationship with September! I can’t break up with it, so somehow I have to learn to embrace it!
Let’s start by looking at what I liked about September! First, my girls both love their fabulous teachers and are loving going to school! Yay! Second, my son, who didn’t like fifth grade at all (First year in middle school where we live) is liking sixth grade so much better! I met all of his teachers last night and really like all of them! My kids are loving all of their activities and the PTA year kicked off well! My daughters school is really amazing! The principal, the teachers, the staff, the PTA….all a very well oiled machine! School is going well, activities and PTA are going well, and Seth’s businesses are keeping busy! I survived a tough summer and will survive crazy September! I am trying to like you better September! I really am! Maybe next year I will succeed!
September suggestions:
1. You probably shouldn’t sign your children up for fifty activities!
2. Use your supports! My husband, my friends and my parents all help me get the kids where they need to be and help to keep me sane!
3. Take some time for yourself! I am not very good at this! I need to listen to this one myself! I spend the whole day getting done as much as I can while my children are in school! I need a date on my couch with a good book!
4. Choose to do the things that you really want to do!
