The Madness of June

Ah, June. The end of school. The start of summer.

It should be a happy month of sunny weather and smooth transitions.

Okay, is that true for anyone else out there? Because in my house, chaos is at the helm.

Two of my children are "stepping up" out of their respective schools this month, and just brought home detailed day-by-day calendar sheets of the "transition" events taking place. The older child also has "Step-Up Day" at his new high school to check out, which is an out-of-district choice (read: mom has to drive) ... and the soccer team won the division so there are soccer tournaments to fit into the schedule... And the end-of-year concerts for my musicians are coming up so we need to squeeze in a few extra practices ... oh, and Garden Club decided to run right up until the last day of school... and the 8th grade dance committee needs help decorating for the semi-formal...

If you have kids, you know what it's like to juggle calendars and commitments. If you have more than two kids, you've known chaos. Three kids in three directions is too much sometimes... but I'm not sure I'd want it any other way. Would it be better if they came home every day and sat quietly watching television? Quiet? Calm? Stress-free?

No. I'd rather have them joining teams and clubs, playing instruments and singing in the school chorus. These are the things that add color and texture to the fabric of our lives.

June is just crazy-quilt month.

Do you have a secret to keep all your various end-of-school happenings and commitments organized and stress-free? If so, please share! I'm sure we'd all love to hear strategies that work!