chasing the unicorn of routine

g'mar tov to those who observe. my kids are off today as a result of our school system finally adopting a more inclusive holiday calendar. we're happy about it.

i just wanted to share something i've been struggling with recently: establishing a routine. and i wanted to ask how others deal with the relentless demands on their time from home, work, school, family, social media lol? i am all ears.

when my kids returned to school in august, i was taking it day-by-day the first couple weeks. i'd kept my youngest home during covid so it was an adjustment. she had trouble making friends at recess because "all the kids just run everywhere" and it would stress her out at bedtime. eventually, she found some playground buddies but it was tough on both of us. her brother had the same issue when he returned in-person last year. he sat on the bench and watched his own friends play for weeks and would cry about when he got home but eventually found his way. thank goodness (and teachers!).

by september, i kept telling myself i just need to get through the month. as a room parent for my kids' classes i am responsible for sending out welcome emails, organizing meetups, and meeting with teachers to plan out the upcoming year. my son's soccer started up (they give us a lovely few days notice before the season starts). we found a new music school and isa decided to take up violin. both do tennis. i'm so glad i had the foresight to wait to sign up for gymnastics. rocco already complains about "doing too much." when people ask him what he likes to do, his response: "relax." and, of course, both of them got sick. most of the month, one or the other wasn't feeling well.

enter october. HOW I LOVE OCTOBER! and how i brace myself for the birthday-halloween sandwich it brings. the kids' birthdays are right before and after halloween, so once we traverse that gauntlet, it's full-on holiday season. i spend the next few weeks debating "cook-or-cater" while trying to gather wishlists together for christmas so i can get all the shopping done by december. i avoid malls like the plague.

and then BLAM. NEW YEAR.

in efforts to create some routine, i made an october to-do list which has been pretty useful. to-do lists are not my jam but letting people down isn't either, so here we are!

in all honestly, i'm beginning to wonder if this unicorn exists...you think it does?