TODAY. I. AM. FREE. (For four hours.)

Will, fully clothed, soaking wet, and lying in the water
table...this is what I felt like at the end of every day.

To say I almost didn't survive the last last two weeks is not an exaggeration. Will's first week of school, Tom's first week of school, three days of in-service training, one meet-the-teacher night, company visiting, buying (plus insuring, inspecting, registering, and licensing) a new car, selling an old car, an in-home bug crisis, two school orientations, Hallie first week of school, three days of substitute teaching, one PTO meeting, four karate lessons, and one dance lesson ran together, one to the next, in what felt like a muddy landslide of stress, anxiety, and exhaustion. Add to that laundry list the fact that we rarely see Tom for the first half of the semester (so more often than not I wrangle the kids on my own) and my crazy plan - on which I followed through on six out of 10 weekday mornings - to workout at 5:15am...and you have a barely functioning Erin.

Last Thursday night I was so tired that I accidentally ate dinner twice. As in, I ate dinner, forgot that I ate dinner, and then ate dinner again 30 minutes later. Just as I was drifting off to sleep (at 8:45pm), I thought to myself, "hmm. I feel exceptionally full...what did I eat for dinner? Grilled cheese? Yes. Wait, I think I also ate a bowl of cereal and a piece of toast. Did I eat two dinners? I sure did. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now." And then I fell fast asleep until 6:15am when Will woke me up asking if he could "whip up" some eggs and oatmeal for breakfast.

But today, my fall begins. Tom, Will, and Hallie have all settled in at school. I'll continue to substitute teach at Hallie's preschool, but I certainly won't work every day. I've signed on to serve as the room mom for both Will and Hallie's classrooms, but I saved all of my email and paper communications from last year so that this year, the job will take less time. Karate, gymnastics, and dance will continue, and though baseball has yet to start, when it does, I'll be prepared to take on the job of team administrator. (Some may laugh at my self-assigned and unofficial title, but those of you who've coordinated the behind-the-scene details for a youth sports team know that the job deserves a title. And a badge. And an all-expenses paid vacation to a resort where children aren't allowed when the season is over.) My home, personal, professional, and shopping/errands to-do lists are each a mile long, but I'll finally have time to start tackling them once I get my hair cut and colored - my number one priority this week - on Wednesday.

Summer rocked, we survived the seemingly endless and utterly exhausting transition from summer to fall, and now my fall begins.

I love fall with every ounce of my being, and today, I feel like a million bucks. I hope you do too.