Oh the Blessed Chaos...

Mayan Calendar

.....that is life raising four school-age boys!  The saying, "It takes a village" is our motto this month. Usually, we are the Kool-Aid house that latchkey kids are drawn to for company. But, whenever school starts and ends we find ourself thrown into this schedule conundrum x 5. The boys are in school, I'm in school, we have sports, birthday parties, church events and we both work. The hitch is that I work earlier in the afternoon now that I have accepted a promotion and this week I'm covering for a coworker who's at an out of town training meeting.... and that leaves the "village" to cover those two hours in between a few days a week.

 I tried to enroll the youngest boys in the afterschool program but it was full. Hence, I find myself dependent on Josh, 13, to fill in for me and if he's not available, ask the neighbor to cover those half-hour chunks in between him getting off his bus and me leaving for work the minute he walks in the door. This week my minivan was twice converted into a dressing room on wheels!  My mother-in-law said, "You're going to run into yourself coming and going!" Is this why the Mayans' calendar is in a circle? Is the guy toting his laptop, lunch, work-clothes and son's team jersey?

 But, I digress -  it's all good brotha'.....

What crazy things have you done to make your family schedule come together?  Change your clothes in the car? Send your son home with a friend so their parents will get them to the band concert on time while you go to work and your husband covers the concession stand obligation for your other son's baseball team?  Drop them off at Sunday school so you can run errands?