I opened iCal this morning to make my daily list of chores. A while ago, I decided that I needed to put my housewifely chores on the calendar and then check them off. Watching the kids and keeping the house from collapsing is a job and I need to treat it like a job. Some days, I get no writing done, because the kids are home and stuff needs to happen. A print out of the daily calendar with chores that have been crossed out makes me feel less like a loser. Look! I did stuff! Lots of stuff! 

One of the chores on iCal this morning is to make the yearly calendar. I know that the kids start school this week, but I'm not sure if it's a half day or a full day. When are the Jewish holidays? Do the boys have the same Spring breaks? (Please, oh please, make them have the same Spring breaks.) I'm not sure of any of that. I have to plug in the dates.

After school activities need to be tackled next. When does CCD start? Did I sign up Ian for that art class? How am I going to get Jonah to soccer practice and Ian to the Y for swimming at the same time?

Mysteries that still need to be solved. 

I am rather shocked that it is September. It feels like the summer slipped by with very little of requisite activities that mark summer. We never even drove down to the Jersey shore. Maybe we can squeeze it in this weekend, though I think it's too late. I can smell Fall. And the smell of dead leaves means Medieval Fairs, Octoberfests, and other outdoor drinking/meat on a stick events.

As I get the kids ready for school, I keep getting flashbacks of Jonah's first day of Kindergarten eight years ago and all the other Back to Schools after that. The new shirts from their grandmother. The Lands End backpacks and fresh smelling lunch boxes. The corny pictures on the front porch. If I really stopped to think about how old we're all getting, my heart would break, so I keep rushing around and making my calendars and arranging plans for beach and fair and making my writing plans and, maybe, that way I won't notice that Ian grew a foot over the summer and Jonah is starting 8th grade.