Here we go again. The summer is long over and school is starting to hit the homework phase where kids are now coming home with the first waves of math and science review. The leaves are starting to turn to colour and there is a nip in the morning air. What does all of that mean…. We are again a slave to sport.
I don’t want to make it sound like it’s all bad but it sure sneaks up on your weekend plans. Mary and I were discussing what was on the go this weekend. She is a week into the recovery on her surgery and under doctor orders to not drive. When we started running through the agenda for Saturday, it was spretty clear that we were going to become the lowest paid UBER driver in the city, shuttling kids to and from sports events.
We have been down this road before. We knew what we were getting into when the boys were signed up for hockey/basketball. Like all parents, we want to spend time watching the boys play and get great enjoyment out of their successes while agonizing in their struggles. The part that shocks us every year is how quickly it takes over your life and dictates what your schedule looks like. For some reason, we just cannot get our act together in the weeks prior to this kick off, and that has a carryover into sport season.
Groceries… no chance. Thankfully Superstore is open until 11pm nightly or we might not eat. Clean up the house…choose your poison. Unless you are out of dishes or underwear, it is difficult to make the time needed. Walk the dog….think again. The days are shorter and shorter so your pooches will have to enjoy a run around in the backyard. Sleep in on the weekend…..are you kidding? You have a better chance of passing out in your mashed potatoes on a Saturday night. See some friends….what friends? The memory of a summer BBQ floated away like the waft of that steak you cooked yourself in July. The more kids you have in activities, the smaller your chance is of salvaging anything in the fall schedule.
September really is an incredible economic boost to your community. Back to school costs, school fees, sports/activities fees, childcare fees and costs that re-emerge with working, all take it’s toll on families. Besides or pocketbooks, we are poorer in time. The blessing of the summer months sure kicks us square in the balls in September. We milk th summer right up to Labour Day and when the calendar turns to September, you have to look back at those months and ask yourself, “could I have been better prepared for this onslaught?”
We all know the answer here is “I should have but summer is so short!” Canadian summers are in short supply and should be enjoyed and relished. To hell with organization in your life. Most families pay the piper for that fun and we are all ok with it. So while you are stuck in traffic to get to dance school, shoving Tim Hortons into your kids on the way to basketball practice or walking from 12 degree weather into what seems like -100 degree flash freezing in the proverbial Canadian ice rink, smile about what your August looked like. We earned that time away from the grind and equally, we earned the shock of what sport season does to your family. Hang in there everyone. Hockey season is over in March.
Marco