The Greatest Show On Earth

I finally have to admit it.

I have a few too many plates in the air.

I really can't do everything.

I am waving the white towel. Pardon its appearance. I am a little behind on the laundry.

We've already established that my life is a whirlwind of torch juggling acrobatic trapeze acts. And don’t worry. This is not going to be some running diatribe where I whine about being a single parent. This is a life I raised my hand and jumped the line and volunteered for. You won’t catch me lamenting “if only there was a man about the house.” No way, no how.

It is more that because I am divorced and have shared custody of my two little darlings – and they live one week with me then go to live with Lars for a week – what I spend my time doing, or getting accomplished, or where I go is not determined by what I feel like doing when. It is dictated by who is with me when, who needs to be present when something is done (such as the right head for a hair cut…) and my sense of what is fair to torture the kids with (summer clothes shopping for them) vs. what can be more easily accomplished and with fewer complaints by doing it when they are with Lars (Mammogram, for instance.)

And there are lots of things – things planned by other people with their own separate and distinct litanies of scheduling demands – that I simply have to skip. With such limited time to spend with the kids, it would not seem right to get a sitter and race out the door to the annual beer swilling canoe trip.

So my nights without the kids tend to be jammed with social events and errands and obligations that are distinctly kid-hostile or just for my own entertainment (and to distract me from the fact that it is bizarre and unnatural for any mother to have to go without seeing her cubs for so much as a day) Seeing Scott falls into the more selfish category. I make an effort in that department.

Therefore, by my own hand, I turn my life into that of a trick seal most days.

One week recently, I had a hat trick. One day of rest (and laundry and mail and bill paying) after a weekend at Scott’s, I had a Tuesday outing with my cousin. One where we’d sip wine for two hours and diligently assemble 12 amazing meals each to be carted out in coolers and prepared with the greatest of ease at a later date. The genius ladies of A Dinner Afare (http://www.dinnerafare.com/) have already done the shopping and placed the ingredients conveniently nearby with all the right measuring tools and containers and instructions to follow later while your children are fighting about hotly divisive YouTube videos and you have 10 minutes to get dinner down their gullets and whip them out the door to scout meetings.

On Thursday, I have my sister’s CAbi demo (http://www.cabicanary.com/) Fabulous clothes brought to you to touch and feel and try on and order – all to be delivered to your home. Like catalogue shopping without the guesswork and disappointment. And of course more wine drinking.

And on the day in between, I make plans to see Scott. He’ll come west to my house for the evening. We’ll have dinner at the pub and plan something with the kids for the weekend. And maybe we’ll drink more wine. If there is any left.

Busy week but not unusual or insane.

Or so I thought.