Sometimes I totally fail as a parent. Yesterday was one of those times.
The girls have been taking swimming lessons for the last few weeks and have progressed greatly. It has been such a joy to see them working hard and learning new strokes, but it has also been exhausting. We have had to keep such a regimented schedule on Mondays and Wednesdays just to get through the evening with all we have to do. After a day of school we come home, have something like "dinner" to eat, Lux does her homework and Zaine reads, watches tv, or runs around for about an hour. As soon as homework is finished the girls have to quickly get ready for swim, then we drive over to the pool and are there until 7:15pm. We get home just before bedtime and eat once more, get school stuff ready for the next day, then head to bed. And it was taking a toll on the girls and me. Monday night was the last lesson of this session and after the chaos that surrounded the entire evening I think we all whispered a collective "Amen" when we arrived home and pulled in the garage. It had been so crazy trying to get out of the house on time each night.
It is fascinating to me that no matter how badly a child wants to go somewhere they take the longest amount of time possible to actually get ready to go! I gave us 15 minutes to change and get in the car, which should be plenty of time considering we are already packed up and only putting on swim suits. I cant tell you the number of times my children came out of their rooms not ready! One child came out with just a swimsuit--no shoes or a swim bag-- so back to her room she went. Her sister came out with school clothes still on unable to find her suit. While Im searching for the missing suit, child #1 returns from her room with swim suit and shoes but has taken out her ponytail because it was bothering her. I leave child # 2 searching for ANY suit that fits and redo child #1's hair. I ask #1 to put on her jacket and stay put while I help child #2. #2 is sitting on the floor in her skivvies, frustrated that she cant find her favorite suit. No other suit will do. At this point I begin to say ridiculous things like "I guess you'll have to go naked!" and "This is the last time I will help you find something because you cant seem to keep track of anything!"
Child #1 whom I left in the living room has now lost her towel and has her swim bag strewn across the floor in search of her goggles. I repack the bag and yell for child #2 to get herself to the car, naked or not! This sends child #2 into a panic that I would actually make her go naked to swim and she begins to cry. I spend at least 4 minutes consoling this child, who is now actually in a swimsuit but has no shoes or swim bag, with promises that I would never send her swimming (or anywhere) naked. I send both children to the garage to get in the car, and decide to hunt for missing items myself rather than attempt to keep the children on task. In the end we made it there with just a few minutes to spare.
My sister in law has compared this wrangling of kids to "corralling cats" or "chasing rolling marbles." I think both describe the process perfectly! I wonder how people with 7 or 8 kids ever get out the door! But as difficult as those moments were I am actually going to miss going to swim. Sometimes the madness of it all is worth it.
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