Shifting Gears

When you have kids in school Labor Day means shifting from the lazy, sleeping late days of summer (kind of like having you life in first gear... you know your days still go forward but not at a neck breaking speed and sometimes there is jerks and bumps that changes your day)
Then Sept comes and BAM your in fifth gear racing.  Mornings you drag yourself out of bed and groan at the list of events, chores, things that need your attention.  You call, threaten and finally drag the kids out of bed ... settle fights, look for homework papers, scrape up money for any number of reasons and fly out the door five minutes before first bell... as you wait in line to exit the school parking lot you notice you have on two different shoes and have to go home which means you'll be late for work.
Work is the easy part of your day unless one of the kids get sick, or get in trouble, or they forgot something...
Then comes late afternoon... football practice or games, cheerleader practice or games... many more sporting events, school functions eating up your afternoon... and after doing all of this you have to cook supper, wash at least two loads of clothes and get the kiddos started on homework.
Then comes evening... getting everyone in the shower and if you have a pre-teen boy, trying to not lose your cool when he balks at the mention of water... settle more fights and clean up the kitchen, pick up clutter, give kisses goodnight and tell your husband... "Not tonight honey, I have an entire body headache."
Then on Saturdays you start at the same time but you'll trying to get the house clean and all the clothes done, grocery list made ... then the kids get up and it's birthday parties, shopping, picking up kids, dropping kids off, running errands for everyone in the family, friends over for cook out that night and dropping into bed at midnight.
Sunday's are crazy too.... getting everyone ready for church.. ironing clothes, putting on buttons, finding shoes... you doze during service if you kids sit with friends but if they sit with you ... well your breaking up fights and making threats in church.  After church... dinner, then watching a movie with husband who has felt neglected, then getting ready for school tomorrow.  Fun times!  You will miss all those crazy times.

If you're old as I am... summer is crazy... with garden and flowers and of course my part time job is busier in summer... dog grooming... but when fall comes I look forward to slower pace.  Watching football games with my husband, quilting and I always write more in fall and winter.  So I guess you could say that with cooler weather, I shift down to a lower gear and enjoy the scenery more.