Momma's Taxi Service

Something dawned on me this evening on the way home to the zoo. I've become one of those mothers that spends her evenings and weekends shuttling her Heathens around to multiple activities. How did I reach this point? How did I allow this to happen after I swore when they were little that I wasn't going to do this?

Let's take a look through the schedule for Monday thru Friday. All these events are taking place after school. And between the end of school and going to bed, I require three additional things from my Heathens. 1. They WILL sit at the dinner table with the rest of the family for the evening meal. 2. They WILL take a bath. 3. They WILL do their homework. Keep in mind that bedtime is 8 pm for everyone.

Mondays
4-6 Tristan has swim team or
5:30-7:30 Tristan has football
4:30-6 Gavin has ballet
6:30-8 Tristan has scouts
6:30-7:15 Landon has swimming
7:15-8 Gavin has swimming

Tuesdays
4-6 Tristan has swim team
6:30-7 Tristan has drum lessons

Wednesdays
4-6 Tristan has swim team or
5:30-7:30 Tristan has football
3:30-5:30 Gavin has youth club
4-5 the Asst. Zookeeper and I have dance lessons

Thursdays
4-6 Tristan has swim team
7-8 Gavin has cub scouts

Fridays
4-6 Tristan has swim team or
5:30-7:30 Tristan has football

Now, the weekends...

Saturdays
2-3:30 Gavin has ballet
Tristan has swim meets these days

Sundays
Sunday School & church for all 3 Heathens
Lunch with the Asst. Zookeeper's family
Tristan has football games

I don't think that I've over scheduled the Heathens, despite what it looks like on paper. It is a lot of running here and there, no question about it. But the Heathens have all asked to participate in these things specifically. They only thing we required them to do is take swimming lessons until they are competent swimmers. Heathen #1 chose to add swim team after he finished with lessons.

Maybe I am crazy. But I keep looking at my neighbor's kids who just graduated the last two years. Her children do nothing but play video games and talk on the phone. They were involved with nothing. Their house is/was much calmer than my zoo - I never saw them dash out the door on the way to something. But, in six years of living next to them, I don't ever recall them being excited to do something when you talked to them. They were just "blah."

Oh, well. So I'm crazy for having the Heathens involved in things. I was at their age and so was the Asst. Zookeeper. And we both loved it. The Heathens are happy - in the end, that is all that matters.