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Baseball season is running me ragged.

stepmasochist's picture

Submitted by stepmasochist on Wed, 03/25/2009 - 8:59pm

And it's only week three. We have two more whole months of this.
SD10 began practice two weeks ago. She has it twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays. She's with BM on Thursdays so I know it's only once a week but then throw SS5 into the mix who started tee ball practice yesterday.
FH takes the kids to practice. I go home do the whole homework, supper, bath rigamarole with the other two and don't get to catch my breath, much less get off my feet, until they're all 3 are in bed at 9pm. But with FH there, he usually helps out. Last night, though after practice he opted to play catch instead of help out - which is good for the kids, but bad for me.
Next week, SD10s games start. Every one of her games is at 7:30 and she has some that are twice a week!! How do I get homework and supper done from the time we all get to the house which is about 5:30 in time to leave by 7 to get to her games? Then when do they bathe? We don't even know what SS's game schedule is going to be like.
I also work sometimes in the evenings, mainly Wednesdays and one other evening every other week and every other Saturday. Last night, I was so looking forward to coming to my evening job tonight because I was exhausted after dealing with squealing kids all evening after SS and FH got home from tee ball practice.
I'm glad two of the skids are involved in sports. I know how important it was for me as a kid to play and have activities even though I wasn't even that athletic. And the skids are naturally talented. I mean, SD10, her coach is practicing her at shortstop and she's never played softball in her life thanks to BM's lazy a$$. Once I signed her up for soceer it was on for BM though, she wasn't going to be outdone by me, so I opened up a whole pandora's box of activities. *sigh*
I'm. just. so. tired. I have officially jumped into parenthood with both feet. And doing it right is really zapping my energy.
I see many sandwiches and tv dinners in our future if I can't get a handle on time management with this hectic schedule.
Sorry I'm so whiney. I'm sure I'll find my groove in this whole ball thing just in time for it to end then get out of practice by next year.
Any tips from seasoned mom's of active kids?

Comments

stepmasochist's picture

Submitted by stepmasochist on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 8:55am

The meal planning thing will help. I generally try to do that anyway, but have become a little lax in it lately.
Fh told me after SS's practice the other night that he is going to help his coach. He said it's just her and she seemed a little overwhelmed so he helped out with the practice and will probably continue to do so and with the games.
I was thinking of the leaving early from the game and taking the other two home for baths. That would probably help considering SD's game will probably go til about 9.

sweetthing's picture

Submitted by sweetthing on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 8:02am

Both skids play so last year it was a minimum of 4 days a week, then throw in some weekend games from late April to July. I told DH last year that he must talk with BM & that she needed to be responsible for leaving work early ( it is possible she coached the year before & takes off early for religion night) and run them to some of the practices. We have a little one & this year DH starts work later because he now does our daycare drop off & pick up rather than me. BM is going to have to help this year.

She isn't going to be really happy as she had to pay for the sign up entirely on her own. DH was not required by the decree to pay for activities & since he carries the kids insurance which went from being really cheap when he & she were married to costing us almost 200.00 per month just to carry the 2 skids on top of CS & summer daycare she had best not bring that up. We had paid for 1/2 the kids activities for the last couple of years, or should I say I have, but now since we have our own child & BM has $$ to buy vaction spots for her & BF my generosity has waned. Plus once we got married I got tired of the crappy visitation clothes she supplied so the kids have their own wardrobe at our house. I just took them shopping for a few new things last weekend & a new bike for SS8 & they will still need some more new summer clothes as well.

Any how if God is listening to my prayers hopefully the boys will play on the same night this year so we would be down to only 2 nights a week & then we also wouldn't have to spend 4 nights a week minimum seeing BM as well.

stepmasochist's picture

Submitted by stepmasochist on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 8:57am

Yuk, I don't want to see her every week much less multiple times in a week. I think she's working 3-11 now, so maybe she won't be at so many games. Oh please, please, please, let that be the case.

ferretmom's picture

Submitted by ferretmom on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 9:57am

When my kids were in every activity possible I found the most wonderful kitchen device in the world. The crock pot. I have 3 now and I couldn't live without them.

stepmasochist's picture

Submitted by stepmasochist on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 1:29pm

there are five of us though and I although I have a kind of big one, I can't seem to cram enough in it to feed everybody. I need like a crock VAT instead of a crockpot. LOL

I'll have to google that and see if they exist. Smile

Elizabeth's picture

Submitted by Elizabeth on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 2:02pm

My husband recently got me one with an insert that comes out (I had the old-fashioned kind, pain in the butt to wash). Anyway, he must have bought the biggest one possible, it's enormous. Every time I fill that puppy up it will yield two meals minimum, sometimes three (I freeze the extra and bring it out the next week). Love it!

lil_teapot's picture

Submitted by lil_teapot on Thu, 03/26/2009 - 2:02pm

My skids are in travel hockey and it seems that never ends. My fh(at least he is *today*lol) works 3rd shift, so he starts dinner. Usually we have something fast...the bbq grill is our best friend now.lol There's alot of ready-made stuff, like potatoes and frozen veggies that you can do. We're kind of stuck in a rut of certain foods on certain days just cuz of time (Taco Thursdays, be there.lol) We don't spend alot of $$$ on real groceries anymore because it's all going for fast foods that we can cook quick.
I don't have any advice other than that...don't buy alot of groceries, like meal-wise...get fast cooking things and ready-made stuff. Oh, rice too...rice is fast, nutritious and you can do a zillion things with it.
We try to split things so that we share getting the skids places and getting dinner on within our narrow time frame(I get home at 5:30 earliest and fh has to leave at 7). FH starts dinner and I finish it or clean up or drop off the skids afterwards...it's about sharing and problem solving (ok, thanks Dr. Phil lol).
One thing, try to find healthy snacks. We're terrible about having poptarts and all kinds of crap around...yes the boys are growing, but they need healthier foods than that(although they won't eat them), so we give them whatever crap they will eat even if it's poptarts and cereal. I'm trying to take my own advice and serve them healthier stuff but it's hard.
Another thing I do is make *alot* of something, like say, pasta. That way, I can use part of it for one meal and something else later. That saves a bit of time.
Also, just figure what nights are going to be really hectic and plan fastfood or something really really easy...on the other less-hectic nights(if there is such a thing lol) you can make up with healthier foods.
Good luck! You can do it!!!
Hugs LT