Mom Of The Year

17.more.days. I keep dwindling that number down every morning for the last two weeks, and yet it seems like it’s taking forever. As a parent today, I just can’t comprehend when other parents say they don’t want school to be over, or at summer’s end “I can’t wait for it to start back”. Those are words that you’ll never hear escape my breath.

Each beginning school year, I’m all geared up to stay completely organized…completely engaged…and completely committed to every school related assignment the kids have…then, fast forward to these last few weeks of testing and exhaustion, and it’s all I can do to stay completely committed to getting them out of bed every morning. Between extracurricular activities and living life outside rather than on a game or computer screen, it is just so hard to stay afloat. I hope the teachers know how much I love and appreciate them….how I couldn’t begin to do what they do every day (I’d heap rather see patients and take care of their girly parts)…I also hope they know I love my child, and I want to stay engaged, but we are on the STRUGGLE.BUS. Field trips, signed progress reports, homework, projects, teacher appreciation week with super specific instructions from the room reps, study for standardized testing, and projects…did I mention projects?!….for God’s sake, I’ve probably only managed to pick Effie on time from Chorus once this entire year—I’m sure they know this just isn’t my year, and that I’m just not capable of a morsel more. I used to scan folders nightly…now it seems the teacher is probably super near to sending a note directly to me asking me to clean it out. Three kids…three different schools this year, and the little one has probably been walked to class three times…it’s pretty sad…it’s a good thing he’s not clingy.

Good thing is…there is 17 more days of survival for me, my kids and all the teachers…there is an end in sight. WE.CAN.DO.IT! A short summer break full of activities, vacations, sports, farm work, and then it’s back to school again. Next year I’ll stay organized…I’ll stay committed…I’ll sign every paper on the first night (rather than the last day when the kids are shoving it in my face at breakfast as I’m cooking breakfast), I’ll check folders nightly……next year, I’ll be mom of the year.