Organize, organize, organize

The key to stretching the hours of you day, I'm told, is to be organized.  In my mind, that means scheduling everything.  I write down my appointments, my kids and husband's appointments, and the many appointments of my parents. (You'll have to read my other blog to understand why I need to know their appointments.)  I put them on my calendar on my I-phone too.   There's also Siri.  She's very helpful for when I have to remember to buy ingredients for the clam chowder my daughter's class is making for their week studying marine animals or for remembering the checkbook for piano lessons at the beginning of the month.

A friend of mine recommended using Google calendar and syncing it to her phone and other devices.
http://m.imore.com/how-edit-calendar-defaults-alerts-and-sync-settings-iphone-and-ipad But I have another friend who said this, " I put all my events in Google calendar, then instantly ignore my calendar, then frantically stress out getting ready for said ignored events".  That can be me sometimes.  It's almost as though I have to plan for my plan.

Around everyone's else appointments, there's scheduling in work, completing my assignments for my graduate class and including my husband's work schedule.  He travels frequently so I have to figure out when it's my turn to play "single mom".  My husband just recently came off a 17 week traveling schedule.  He's a camera guy for CBS sports and his last NFL game for the season was the "deflategate" game.  I thought I had made it through.  I did not get pneumonia like I did one year. My kids seemed to be good and I managed to get through Christmas buying everyone's presents and planning a dinner for 33 people.  But I learned last week that I did not make it through unscathed.  We received a letter from the school district saying one of my daughters had 13 tardies to school.  Let's see, that would be the 13 of the 17 Mondays my husband was out of town.  I got the kids to school on time, before the bell rang.  My older daughter's class is in the front of the school, so no problem there. She doesn't have any tardies.  But my younger daughter with the shorter legs has further to walk.  Her class is in the back of the school and poor thing just can't make it.  At first I was upset, but I'm doing my best..... it's good enough, I keep telling myself. 

Another note to self, I'm only a part-time single mom, so for more insight on the juggling act of single motherhood,  I'll direct you to the following blog:

www.jennifertubwell.wordpress.com
"When Good Enough is Perfect" comes into play when my husband is out of town.  It has to or I'll go insane.  I have to tell one daughter I can't go to "Take your parents to lunch day" because I'm on a field trip with my other daughter.  I try to take turns with my two kids for school events.  Fortunately they are scheduled in advance and I can work them into my work and school plans.  But there is the "mommy guilt" of not being able to do it all.  The guilt especially sinks in when I see some moms who are on the PTA, at every field trip, help out with every fundraiser, and they're in the classroom almost as much as the teacher.  I just have to tell myself, I'm doing my best and it's good enough.
 
For a working mom, it is more than just scheduling appointments and activities.  There's also dinner to think about.  If I don't plan dinner or ask my husband to plan, we wouldn't eat.  This takes work and the focus for next weeks blog.  I'm not so sure my family will accept "good enough" when it comes to food.

Thanks for reading!
Note: "When Good Enough is Perfect" NEVER comes into play for my professional or school work.