Routines, Schedules, Transitions

September is a hard month for me. I don’t usually do well with transitions. Going from summer to school year is a big change here. It means alarms and drop offs and pickups and early bedtime for all of us. It means I have to adjust everything and re-caliber my schedule. I have to make sure work, school and family can be juggled seamlessly while still giving me personal time to do what feeds my soul.

We spent the last week on vacation (which is why there were no evening updates) and then we came back and I had a huge amount of work for two days and then we were off to the 3-day weekend which I spent doing a lot of art and family time cause I will be away this coming weekend and won’t see my kids or hubby. I am on a hectic cycle at work. I am the room parent for Nathaniel’s class. Nathaniel starts a new school this year and neither of us know exactly how it will work. I am gone for three days this week. I have two online classes that started and then my in-person class starts in two weeks. It’s my hubby’s birthday tomorrow and mine next week. David, of course, is in a new class, too. New teacher. New routines.

There’s just a lot going on.

I know that by the end of September, it will all settle down into a routine and we will have our new schedules and as October starts, we will have found our new normal. Nathaniel will be comfortable in his class, David will find his groove and I will have a new schedule in place that gives me the room to do all I want to do.

Until then, however, life will not be so wonderful.

The next few weeks will be stressful, chaotic and unpleasant. While I know this and I know I likely am causing a bit of it with the expectations I am setting, I am also preparing myself and increasing my awareness. I am trying to work ahead a bit so as to not have last minute time crunches. I am remembering to breathe. I am remembering to pause and be grateful that I have two healthy, happy kids who love school. Grateful that they like to learn and have healthy bodies, minds and souls. Grateful that we go to a school we love. Grateful that I am home and can drop them off and pick them up and be here when they come home to hear all about their day. I know these are all privileges. I know that all will work out eventually. I will find a new schedule and it will work well. So I am remembering all of this even during the more stressful moments.

I am also trying to be present in each moment. While I am in David’s class, I am trying to be present there. While I tour Nathaniel’s class, I don’t think of what’s coming next but I am in the now, the here. Same with work, and art, etc. I try to be here as much as I can and not jump ahead.

If that means less gets done for now, so be it.

Maybe one day I will learn to go through these periods more seamlessly. Until then I will breathe in and breathe out. And remember that every single moment is precious and it’s all I get to have now. Good or bad. Transition or not.