Calming down?

This week has been really stressful. I've been working from home, while juggling the kids and their new school (which is going fabulously by the way.) My house has been a disaster, tornado-style, and not having a regular schedule is making me totally and completely a little crazy. I'm pretty much one of the most "schedule" oriented people I know. It takes a real effort on my part to step out of a schedule and just be... I can do it - but with effort.

So, this week has been totally different than "normal" - I've had my schedule down pat for the past 9 years. I know EXACTLY how long it takes me to get ready, to get the kids ready, breakfasted, lunches packed, school stuff packed - I know EXACTLY what time I have to be out the door in order to get the kids to school on time so I can get myself to work on time. I know which roads to take given the time I have left. I know which ones will be trafficy given the time of day AND the time of year. I have it down to a total and complete science. OCD anyone? I also know what my traffic will be like depending on when I leave between 4:30 and 5:15. If I leave at 4:30 I can get home close to 5:30 (assuming I was picking up the kids at their old school.) If I leave at 5:15 it'll probably be 6:30 or 6:45 before I get home.

I knew how to get the kids to soccer, baton, taekwondo, and baseball. I knew which sports I had to have the kids change clothes in the car for. I had it down. I was a master of the schedule (as damn hectic as it was.)

Now, it's all new - and significantly easier and harder

• Before: School starts at 8:00am - must be out of the house with EVERYTHING by 6:50
• Now: School starts at 7:50 - must be out of the house by 7:43. Forget something - that's ok, go back and get it.
• Before: School gets out at 3:30, after school activities at the school. They need to be picked up by 5ish.
• Now: School gets out at 1:20 for Bubba (really, 1:20?!!) and 2:20 for Prissy. But, I just walk over and pick them up. The walk takes me 3 minutes. But, what about work?
• Before: To get to a 5pm soccer practice, I had to leave work early at 4pm and RACE to get the kids, have them change in the car (and pray I didn't forget anything) and RACE to the practice. Afterward, we'd run home and cook dinner and the kids would have to start their homework and we'd eat and they'd finish homework and complain because they were tired.
• Now: For a 5pm soccer practice, the kids finish up their homework before hand, get a snack. Clean their rooms, do their weekly reading, at 4:45 get their cleats on and head to practice. Come home and eat dinner and relax a little bit..

So, it's easier. But, what I'm not sure how it's going to work when I'm not working from home. The kids get out of school at 1:20. I'm an hour away. Hubby is planning on working from home some. We were going to have our friends watch the kids a few days a week - but they are suddenly going through a nasty divorce and cannot help. So, I need to find some other people to help us out. I'm sure it will be fine - but it is causing me A LOT OF ANXIETY... I will need to also work from home some in the upcoming weeks as well.

Oh, but on a cool note. Prissy is bringing home a friend to play tomorrow after school. She's never ever ever done that... Never. Because all of her school friends live an hour away and that's a huge pain for everyone. Now, her friend lives down the street, and she's coming over tomorrow... I think we're all giddy with the idea.

So, with all of my schedule chaos - I needed some sanity and I started to "declutter" my house this evening. Already, it feels SO MUCH BETTER... I feel less stressed out because my desk isn't piled high will bills and other shit. My kitchen island is CLEAR - No major piles of papers of crap I need to take care of. I have a long long long way to go, but at least it's a start.

I know I'll get myself back into a schedule - it just feels like chaos.