Jumping Through Hoops

Sometimes I can be very skilled at jumping through hoops. It's funny...sometimes the presentation of a hoop can be the very excuse I need to get out of something. But SOMETIMES, I want something so badly that I am willing to jump through hoops to get it.

What am I talking about? Well, just a couple of days ago my nephew posted on Facebook that he had made it to regionals on his high school swim team and that the meet would be held this Thursday (I get all my latest news from Facebook). We have two functioning adults in this family so we are used to tag teaming to get it all done. Thursday night is our ultimate tag team event! It is totally my luck that this would HAVE to fall on a Thursday! Did you ask what was scheduled for Thursday? I thought you did. Here is what I saw when I looked at the calendar:
3:00-4:00 - Sam's play practice
4:00-6:30? - Kyle's Regional Swim Meet
5:00-6:15 - Abby's volleyball practice
6:00-7:00 - Ben's soccer practice
7:00-8:00 - Abby's soccer practice

Time to jump through hoops.
--I texted my friend who coaches volleyball, asked her about the carpool of girls that goes from volleyball to soccer practice and if Abby could hop in this time (there are quite a few on both teams). She said that should be fine. She then was nice enough to offer to take Abby home from school and BRING her to volleyball (which I felt too guilty to ask her to do). Yippee! She asked me how Abby would get home and I told her that Ted coaches Ben's team and their practice is held on the same field as Abby's and that Ted is already there coaching Ben's practice when I drop her off...so he stays and helps her coach and takes her home after her practice.
--So Ben's practice is taking care of since Ted is the coach, and Abby's volleyball and soccer were just taken care of with one phone call. Now on to the play practice!
--I texted another friend who lives near us, who we carpool for Boy Scouts with. I asked her if she could bring Sam home from play practice. She said she wasn't sure if the boys had play practice because Friday is Parent Teacher conferences and they may not have it (this is a lady who is always ON TOP of things...her act is TOGETHER and I rely on her for all the latest information when my act is NOT TOGETHER). She texted me back today letting me know that they don't have play practice! Another yippee! I'm totally cleared to go to Kyle's swim meet!!!

Not so. In reading my e-mails after three busy days, I discovered an e-mail that came in Monday from Mary's Daisy leader saying that the meetings for the month are November 4th and November 18th. Really? THIS Thursday? I just want to go to a swim meet! Why is this so difficult? I don't know Daisy moms well enough yet to ask for a favor. She already missed the first two meetings. She can't miss another. She has to go. They are working on a petal for the daisy flower (really...that's their badges) and I can't have her be the only one missing a petal!

So I drag myself to ask Ted for a favor for him to leave work early and pick up Mary from Daisies. He proceeds to tell me how busy he is with work and he has to get all of his sales in before Thanksgiving because after Thanksgiving it's too hard to nail people down. But he senses how hard it would be to say no to me because the more hoops you have successfully jumped through, the more you do NOT want to go back. He knew if he didn't do it, then I wouldn't be able to go. I got a very begrudging "Yes" from him.

Fall is crazy with one volleyball team, and three soccer teams on top of Daisy's, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, play practice, speech practice, piano lessons and whatever other miscellaneous thing you want to throw on top of there. It's not easy. But the volleyball, soccer, speech and play practices will be over in three weeks!! Then it's on to two basketball teams and one little six year old cheerleader who will learn to cheer them on. Darn. That still sounds busy.

The point is...I'm willing to beg, borrow and steal to not miss something that's important to me. It can feel a little selfish. But I know if I sacrifice too much, then I lose myself. And if I lose myself, I'm not happy and no good to my kids or husband.

(Raising wine glass) Here's to making time for things that matter and husbands that pitch in so you can. Cheers!