Step Away From the Ledge

I need someone to come and talk me down from the ledge.  I'm having a panic attack.

I've known for a while that I would be "going it alone" on Saturday, January 8th.  Kris is doing this all day hike with a men's group.  He's really excited about it-he has new hiking boots and everything.  I have also known for a while that January 8th would be the start of basketball, which two of my kids are participating in.  I was told that the games would always be in the same location...i.e. if the girls' team plays at the kids' school, the boys' team would too.  And so I have been trying to convince myself (and been quite successful I might add) that I can indeed handle all the driving and juggling and "entertaining" the two younger girls while I try to watch the basketball games.   I was prepared.  I knew exactly what I was up against, and have worked with my anxious self to ensure that the day goes smoothly and that I can do it.  Without Kris.

So when Katherine was invited to a slumber party Friday night, I thought, no big deal...we'll pick her up by 10:30am and be able to get her to her 1:30pm basketball game easily.  I added that into my mental plan.  I wasn't sure what time Kaleb's game would be, but I took comfort in knowing it would be in the same location, so surely the timing wouldn't be horrible.  The only conflict I could foresee (I always think in "worst case scenario") was if Kaleb had a game during the time I needed to pick Katherine up.  But I had this solved too...I would just pick Katherine up early if need be.  Problem solved, right?  It was all planned out...in my head.

Oh how wrong I was.  Kris comes home on WEDNESDAY NIGHT and proceeds to tell me that Kaleb's game is NOT at Grace, which is where the kids go to school, is close to my house, and where Kat's game is going to be.  It's out off of Manchester.  Which would be fine.  If I lived ANYWHERE near Manchester.  And, to make matters worse, his game starts at 8:30am (WAY TOO FREAKING EARLY!).  Before I go into full panic mode, I asked Kris what time he had to leave for his hike.  He looks pained...and tells me that he is supposed to meet the guys for breakfast by 7am.  Well, Kris can't drop Kaleb off 35 minutes away from our house by 8am.  So that means I will have to get up early ON A SATURDAY, get three kids ready (remember one will be at a sleepover), and then drive Kaleb out to his game 30 minutes before game time.  I will spend the next 30 minutes entertaining my 5 and 8 year old, and the entire game I will rotate between trying to watch the game and worrying that my two younger girls will fall and hurt themselves, or annoy someone (it will likely only be me), or get into trouble.

Next, I will have probably 30 minutes to kill before I need to go and pick Kat up.  So I will then pick Kat up from her friend's house, go home and feed everyone lunch, and head right back out the door to get Kat to the school by 1pm, for her 1:30 game.  During which I will do much of the same juggling my attention, this time with one extra kid added in.

And, to top it off, I have NO clue when Kris will get home on Saturday.  It will probably be AFTER bedtime, which most everyone who knows me knows I hate.  Sunday cannot come faster!  When will the husband learn that he cannot change my plans without at least a month's warning, to give me time to readjust my mental schedule?  If he would just read my blog, :-) maybe he'd see that springing this on me tonight when I am an emotional mess probably wasn't the best idea he's had.  I love the man, but how does he not know me???

So if you want to say a prayer or 20 for me on Saturday, bring it on!  Hopefully I'll be more calm and resolved to handle everything by then!