It's [Not] All Gravy

Today I was sitting in the faculty lounge reviewing lecture notes and preparing for class. One of my female colleagues was in there baking greenbeans, chicken, and, well, working.

We started to chit chat and wouldn't you know, her meal was for the Thanksgiving Holiday Feast at her daughter's school. Ah yes, the Thanksgiving feast and parent sign-up sheet. I'm pretty familiar with this requirement. My colleague goes on to say that this week alone she had already been at the school one other time for another Thanksgiving obligation- the holiday play. And before you know it, were talking about all the requirements of having a child in school.

Preaching to the choir sister; try that times three!!

Finally, her chicken was done and she was off to the races to deliver her food, decorations and paperwork in hand, of course.

Poor thing. I know exactly what she is going through. Trying to juggle her work and family requirements all with a smile on her face.

I always thought that raising kids would get easier as they get older (so cliche, I know). But really, it just creates new challenges. This week alone I have three Thanksgiving events to attend. Each one with a please bring X item with you. As organized as I try to be, I'm not. So each night this week I've been looking through my class lists to make sure I didn't forget to buy vanilla, not white, whipped, not cream cheese, cake frosting. And if I did forget, I had to decide whether I would make a run to the 24 hour Walmart at 11:34 pm, to buy said cake frosting, or wake up at 6 am while the rest of my family sleeps peacefully for the next 45 minutes.

As much as I look forward to the holidays, it's not all gravy! It means extra time in three classrooms for me, making costumes for plays, reciting lines, practicing songs, and extra activities in the evening. And don't be fooled into thinking that the minimum one hour of homework each night eases up during the holiday season. No sir, not second grade homework.

And, after all the turkey eating this week, the kids will be home with yours truly for Thanksgiving break which, wouldn't you know, is a week long and this would be the perfect time to catch up on all my other work.

Sigh...

I'm not sure how my full-time working moms do it but I can tell you, I'm beat even with my "flexible-work-from-home-a-few-days-a-week-schedule." (Notice those air quotes around my flexible-work-from-home-a-few-days-a-week-schedule? That's because that used to be my mantra, however, I have many a weeks throughout the semester where I'm working like a high paid attorney at a high-powered firm except that I'm not well paid and I'm not at a high-powered firm. But that's all a topic for another day.)

What happened to keeping it simple during the holidays? I don't know. Maybe such a thing does not really exist. If it does, I don't think it can co-exist with a working mom's schdule.

What do you think?

P.S. If you haven't read our MamaLaws that should govern the unviverse, take a moment to do so now. Enjoy!