Both boys play Club level hockey. Duncan also made the high school varsity hockey team - as a freshman. (yea - I think). Think two practices per person, per team, per week. Then add at least two games per weekend, per kid. Then add orthodontist appointments, dentist appointments, well visits, high school shadowing, piano lessons, ukulele lessons and school activities. Oh yes, then add my work appointments, my appointments. Everything is schedule this time of year. It's all color coded. Blue for Duncan. Beige for Nolan. Red for my phone calls. White for something I want to do, but don't have to be there. Yellow for school breaks. Green for when the boys are with me. Thank goodness they have an incredible involved father - this is only my half!
Oh, wait, then add the holidays, Duncan's birthday and maybe a few unscheduled "fun" things thrown in. Meals, grocery store, laundry and on and on and on. Birthday parties, seeing friends, sleep overs.
Honestly - it's not like this September through May. Mainly just November - February. My "survival" period. Four months out of the year. During this time, I try and appreciate the moments. The moments that get me through.
"You are going to miss this" we tell people this all the time. And I can tell you, "No, I'm not going to miss this". The over-scheduled, over-worked, over-everything time of the year? NO, I'm not going to miss this.
What I am going to miss though:
- That moment in the car, when it's just two of us and I get told a funny story about practice.
- Or told a "riddle" they learned in the locker room
- Having the boys as an 'excuse', not to do something I do want to do
- Family dinners
Okay, I'm having trouble here trying to think of things I'm going to miss about this "season" in my life. I know there are moments I do love during the chaos. Right now, my creative liberties are scheduled. Ask me in July, I MIGHT be able to tell you what I miss about these months. Or I might just look at you like you are from another planet.
And we do get stolen moments that aren't color coded. They are unexpected. They feed my gypsy soul and let the hockey mom stay in charge.
This week for example. Yes, we had 3 hockey games in addition to everything else. My running buddy called and asked if I would like his 6 season tickets to the Broncos game on Sunday.
"Yes, yes I would". Believe it or not, there was only one conflict. I took my other running buddy, both boys and they each took a friend. 6 of us went. 45 yard line. 32nd row. Two of the five had never been to a Broncos game (one of those was Duncan). The guy behind us, bought me a beer. I was then informed by the 15 year old friend "Leasa, he's flirting with you!". Smile. "You think so?" He wasn't sure I knew, after all they think I'm ancient.
It was a beautiful day. In fact, I was colder at the Rockies (baseball) home opener in April then at a Broncos game in December. Who woulda thought......
The Broncos won. Then I took them to Taco Bell. We all thought we had a perfect day.
We did have a perfect day. It was unscheduled, it wasn't planned. We did have to put it on the schedule or we would have never made it on time.
During my "survival" time, it's the moments that get me through. The moments I can think of. The moments I will think of later. The moments not planned, not color coded just appearing when they know you need them.
Looking at the color coded sheet, it's not manageable. It's over-whelming. But in all that space that isn't scheduled are moments that keep us going. Keep us dreaming. Keep us holding on.
And, if I keep repeating those last few sentences, I might just begin to believe it.
Repeat after me.....
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