And so it begins

This is the busy time of year for our family. EVERYTHING that we participate in starts between September and October, so we go from having plenty of free time to do whatever we want, to scheduling just about every minute of the day. What, you may ask, is it that has us so busy this time of year? Leah has started her 4th season of hockey (moving up from mites to squirts.....I swear that didn't make me tear up!!) with practices on Tuesday and Thursday nights (Thursday nights also happen to be manditory hockey mom night, YAY!) and games on either Saturday or Sunday. Justin helps out on the ice with Leah's team (and possibly McKenzies too). McKenzie starts her first season of hockey, a 4 week learn to play program, which meets for an hour on Saturdays. Natalie and Leah start Odyssey of the Mind, with team meetings for one on Monday and the other on Wednesdays. And oh yes, I coach both of their teams....and possibly one other...... and of course we have the families all time favorite past time- Portland Pirates hockey with games scattered throughout the week and weekends. You may think that last one is an optional thing, but you are wrong. In our house it is more like a religious movement. All major events are planned around the Pirates season- our wedding, for example, and the birth of our youngest 2 daughters. Of course, Alyvia didnt really cooperate. There was a whole weekend of away games that she could have been born on, but she had to wait around for a game filled weekend! It worked out though, Justin and the girls made the game the day after she was born, and the whole crew, Alyvia and myself included, made the game the day we were released from the hospital. Everyone has hockey game outfits- Justin and I wear jerseys, McKenzie and Alyvia wear their dresses I make for them each season, and Natalie and Leah have decided this season to break with tradition and wear whatever they want. Such rebelious girls.
All of this is in addition to school for the girls and work for Justin and I. So when I say almost every minute of the day is scheduled, I really do mean it! With everything going on, sometimes it gets to be a little overwhelming and we all have our moments of irritability, which usually result in everyone shouting it out, a few tears (Justin is such a cryer!), and then we move on.
This year we have learned a few tricks that have helped streamline the process. We make a menu for the entire month, breakfast lunch and dinner, so we know what to shop for, what needs to be cooked when, and everyone knows what to expect to eat (I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to not have to answer the "whats for dinner?" question a bazillion times a night. I just point at the menu and keep going!). The calendar hangs right in the kitchen where everyone can see exactly what is scheduled (or they would be able to, if I could just get better at writing everything down...) and everyone pitches in to help get things pulled together when its time to go (note: I never once claimed that this was done without a fair amount of grumbling). The major difference I see is that everyone just seems to know what to expect more, and that seems to make it go smoother.
So this year, as in every other year, we find ourselves running around crazy as usual and still just as happy as ever about it (even the grumpy pants, though he won't admit it!)