Harvest Parties - For the Grandparents

The children celebrate Halloween under the guise of "Harvest Parties" at their school. Last Thursday, I spend most of the day at the school to participate in the celebrations. Here is the day in a nutshell:

7:00-9:00 - eleven kids for play time, reading time and breakfast
9:00 - shuffle seven children out the door to walk to school - make sure they all brought their costumes and have hats and mittens
9:10-9:20 - Load four children into the car including two babies. Drive one child to preschool and drop her off
9:30-10:15 - Take three kids to Target to buy Sophie a winter coat and gloves as she was in tears this morning because of the cold
10:30 Drive to the school to attend Calvin's Harvest Party
10:40-11:30 - Watch Calvin's party and try and keep two mobile babies out of trouble
(impossible task)


11:30-11:40 - Drive back to preschool and pick up child
11:40-11:50 Drive back to school and pick up Calvin and another daycare child
12:00-1:00 Home with six children - feed everyone lunch. Try and deal with the latest crazy developments arriving via text from the ex
1:15 Get six kids into costumes and walk back over to the school to attend the parade and parties for Sophie and Max.
1:45 Drop off one child with his Mother who is volunteering at the school. Babies fall asleep (hallelujah!) Naps are short lived though and babies awake grumpy


2:00-3:40 - Wander back and forth between their two parties until school ends at 3:40. Wait for the kids to come out and walk home together with nine kids


4:00 Arrive home just as two more kids are arriving at the house
4:00-6:00 After school snack, play time and homework time
6:00 - All kids gone except my own. Hire Max as my babysitter, and drive to photo class.
6:30-9:00 Class
9:30 - home for the night, tuck kids into bed one more time, clean up the house, answer the emails and texts and end up staying up much too late trying to get caught up on life in general

Someone asked me the other day how I deal with the sadness and subsequent depression brought on by the challenges of life. Often I think the answer is to just stay busy.