School's in session, why am I so tired?

CINCINNATI - One week down, and how many more?

Ahhhhh. We made it. The first week of school is now over. Thank goodness. It was exhausting for me. How about you?

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled they are back at their lockers and desks and studying at night. All that learning is fantastic. But if they think going to school is tough, try being the "coordinator of their lives".

Frankly, I feel like an air traffic controller when school goes back in session. One kid has practice Tuesdays and Thursdays, but not right after school. The other ones have practice every day right after school and, go figure; the start and end times for all the kids don't match up.

You get to drive to school six or eight times in the course of a day. Or, if you're a working mom like me, you work the phones. "Can you drive such-and-such kid of mine to practice? I'll drive home!", I sweetly (I think) chirp into the phone. With any luck, it works out. To be quite honest with you, I don't know how. So many phone calls and arrangements, my head spins.

The bus picks up. The bus drops off. The homework, the meals. It's so much stuff that I'm pooped at the end of the day.

Like a lot of moms (OK, let's say "parents" - plenty of you dads are doing this stuff too), I get up before the sun to wake those kids up over, and over, and over again until they finally get their butts out of bed. And somehow, I manage to shower, give them lunch money (thank goodness they prefer not to pack, I'd never sleep), arrange for who is picking them up, or who will be in the house when they come home and then start my day.

Sound familiar?

And then you get "the look". That look when a kid pulls a smelly gym uniform out of their backpack at, oh, let's say 10 minutes until you're leaving the house for school and says, "Um, mom, I forgot to tell you. I need this washed for school today".

It's a wonder some children make it to adulthood.

Usually I pride myself on being organized. The uniforms are clean, the meals pre-made or pre-seasoned just waiting for someone to pop it in the heated oven. But this year, I'm off my game.

So far this school year (which is five days in), we've eaten at or close to 8 p.m. multiple times. There's just so much going on.

"It's an adjustment period", I keep telling myself. You'll figure this new schedule out. Repetition is key and it's early on in the game.

But already I need a time out. I guess that's what the weekend is for. T.G.I.F. That's my new motto. I'm headed for the wine (whine) bar. Cheers! Monday's almost here!