Finding the Balance

I have always been the organized one, the detail-oriented one, the one who is always on time, the one who has things planned two weeks in advance.  You know, typical Type-A.  Not anymore.  I don’t know what has happened to me and I need advice!

I was a school teacher until I had my first child and then decided to stay home with him, but I have always had some sort of income/job while raising a family.  They were all part-time gigs, and up until a year ago, I could still juggle it all.  I was still the first one to send a birthday card.  I was still always on time.  I volunteered at school.  My house was usually clean, and my family and I had plenty of quality time together.

Back in October, Katie and I launched Triad Moms on Main and I officially joined the full-time working mom ranks.  (Here is where I bow to the full-time working moms who have done it for years.)  Although we were super excited about our new venture, the downfall was that the week our website launched, it was the same week of my children’s Fall Fest at their Elementary School.  It doesn’t seem like that would matter except for the fact that I co-chaired the entire event!  Bouncy houses, DJ, Haunted House, pony rides, bake sale, silent auction, food vendors, raffle  – you name it – we had it.  So although we had a rockin’ committee to help plan, I will say that I bit off a tad more than I could chew.  (To my defense, when I accepted this co-chair position, I had NO IDEA I would be starting my own business and that it would launch that same month!)  Bottom line is that I started this school year off with a bit of craziness, thinking it would soon slow down, but as most moms would guess, it has not.

If you have noticed, during my summary above, I have failed to mention anything about my house, my kids, my husband or my friends.  That folks, is where the problem lies.  You see, if I am “Johnny on the Spot” with Triad Moms on Main, my house is usually a wreck.  If the house is clean, then my kids are usually glued to the TV.  If I am interacting and spending time with my kids, then my friends get the shaft.  And if I am out enjoying time with my friends, quality time with my husband seems to fade.  When my husband and I finally do get time together, guess what we end up talking about?  Work, the house, the kids, and all the other things we need “to do.”

Then we add to that all the little day to day things that pop up.  What about all the papers from school that need to be signed and that permission slip that needs to be notarized?  When is the last time I had the oil changed in my van?  When is the last time I exercised?  What about the loved ones who are ill or who may have a new baby and need extra help?  What about sports, activities, church, etc?  What in the world am I going to make for dinner?  And of course we all need the “me time.”  How do we fit all of this in without losing our minds?

I am truly hoping that I am preaching to the choir.  I am hoping that there are others of you out there nodding your heads in agreement saying, “I hear ya girl!”  If only I could have a few extra hours in the day, I think I could get it all in balance, but obviously, that is a moot point.  I do want to be clear that I am not complaining.  I enjoy every one of the things I have mentioned above.  (Minus the oil changes and exercising!)  If I didn’t enjoy them, I would not do them.

Back to the point of this long story … I think I realized how bad this whole situation had gotten when I was sitting in a TMoM meeting and received an email from my daughter’s teacher.  It was on a Wednesday, and the email was reminding me that I was supposed to bring in snacks for the entire week on that previous Monday, but it was OK because they had just been using leftovers.  MORTIFICATION!   I had seen my name in the class newsletter as the snack provider for that week and I even wrote myself a note to pick up the snacks, but what happened after that … who knows.

Today officially begins summer break in my household.  Today is the last day of school for my Kindergartner and 2nd grader.  Today is also my daughter’s birthday (holla!) and my son’s is this weekend.  We took the easy road this year and just planned a simple birthday sleepover because – you guessed it – I ran out of time to plan a party.

So I want this summer to be great.  I want to have fun the pool with the kids, relax with the Real Housewives of New Jersey, continue to enjoy writing my blogs, go out on date nights with the hubby, meet with amazing new clients for our website, make some trips to see family, take care of my loved ones who are sick, and keep my house clean all at the same time. Is it a pipe dream???  I need some advice from those of you who have found the balance!