Somebody stop the wheel, I want to get off!

Tuesday was an especially exhausting and exasperating day on the Hamster Wheel, otherwise known as my life. I got Trent up and out the door. It is so nice that Trent can just take himself to seminary and school. That has made my life easier. I had to take Jared to school, so he could make up a test that he missed when he was sick last Friday. He usually rides the bus, which is also very nice, but not today. After that, I managed to get Diana to school. I was supposed to help with student elections, but I had called and told them I couldn't do it, due to over scheduling. The nice lady on the phone works in the health office. She told me that I didn't even need to give a valid reason for canceling, after all I don't work for them, I am just a volunteer. As Diana was walking into the school building, I notice that she does not have her glasses on her head. Yikes, that is not good. I don't know why, but we are having the dickens of a time remembering her glasses. The first week of school there were at least three days when I had given them to her, and then she took them off at the last moment to do her hair or something. After this method failed a few times, I have started just putting them on top of my head when I see them while running around in the morning. That is part of the problem also, she never leaves them in the same place so it is hard to find them at times. Monday morning, we were walking into the school yard and she said "Mom, I forgot my glasses again." And I was able to feel on the top of my head and sure enough, there they were and I gave them to her before the bell rang. Well, that was not the case this time. I asked her teacher if she thought Diana would really need the glasses that day. She replied that well Yes, vision would be a requirement of the learning process planned for the day. So I walked home and got in the car and took the glasses back to the school.
Next on the days itinerary, was a doctor appointment for me. I had my blood tested for my annual check up and it came back that I am anemic. Maybe that accounts for why I can not seem to sleep enough and why everything around me seems to take on the shape of a bed when I stare at it long enough. Anyway, my appointment was suppose to be at 10:30 and I arrived five minutes early. Finally at 11:10 they called me back. Thank goodness I was listening to a good book on tape. Sadly, I had a dentist appointment at 11:15. I was finally going to have someone look into fixing my broken tooth. So I had to reschedule my dentist appointment for 2:00.
I got out of the doctors office by noon and ran some errands. Jared has been obsessing about getting a bag to carry all of his lacrosse gear. I ran over to Savers in the hope of finding something that would work. No luck. Then I went to Goodwill, again No luck. I went to the bank and went home and got some lunch. I did the dishes and then it was time for the dentist.
I went to the dentist. The assistant took a picture of my tooth and then I had to wait for the dentist to come in and look at it. Jared had to stay after school so he could make up a test in another class. While I was waiting for the dentist to come in, Jared called to say he was ready to be picked up. I think it was about 2:30 then. I told him he would just have to wait. I tried to call Marion, but he did not answer at school or home. Finally at 2:45, I told the dentist that I really had to go. He then came and looked at my tooth. I have to get a filing replaced and he wants me to get a mouth guard for at night because he thinks I am grinding my teeth. Gee, what reason would I have to grind my teeth? So now it is 3:00. I finally got a hold of Marion at home and asked him to go and get Jared in the front of the middle school. I tried to call Jared back, but he did not answer. At this point I am wondering why am I paying an exorbitant amount of money each month for four of us in our family to have a cell phone? Marion doesn't routinely carry his and Jared is not answering the dang thing that he just called me from a minute ago. Crimeny. I am now running out of the dentist office to go and get Diana by 3:20. At some point Jared calls me back to see what is taking so long and he tells me that he has walked a ways home down to a gas station. Marion does not have his cell with him, and so I can not call to tell him of the change of plan. I get to Diana's school, just in time and finally talk to Jared and find out that Marion has managed to find him. Sheesh.
I took Diana home and told her to start on her homework. Marion had to leave to go to soccer practice. I had to take Jared to buy a cup. I imagine that I won many most embarrassing mother awards during this expedition. For instance a 13 year old boy can not be to impressed when his mother calls his friend, and the friend's mother is not home, and so she asks her son's friend what size is his cup? And then when the boy does not know, she insists that he go and look so he can tell her. Yeah, that went over real well. Then there is the process at the store when the horrified son has to watch as his mother holds up different kinds of cups and discusses publicly the pro and cons of each type. All of this had to happen very fast because the Hamster wheel stops for nothing, not even embarrassing catastrophes. Once home, Jared put on the purchase and it was extremely humorous to watch as he demonstrated its efficiency at deflecting blows. Anyone who has ever watched a son wear a cup for the first time can relate to what I am talking about.
We returned from the store at 4:15. Just in time to see if Diana was ready to go and run frantically through the house looking for her faith in God book. We raced out the door and picked up a less active girl who attended activity days for the first time. I dropped them off at 4:30 and sped back home to get the boys and take them to Lacrosse. Sometimes speed limits, stop lights, and other drivers can be such a nuisance. Once the boys were deposited, I returned home to an empty house. I sat down for a moment of rest in front of the computer. This is when Trent walked in from his day. He requested a sandwich, which I quickly threw together on my way out of the door to pick up the girls from Activity days. We dropped of the girl we had given a ride to and returned home to work on Diana's homework. Marion came in from soccer for a few minutes, then he went down to the church for scouts. I went and picked up the boys at 7:00 and returned home. For diner we dined on frozen pizza, it was all I could manage. It was then that Jared informed me that it was picture that the next day and so he needed a check, and also he needed money for his orchestra shirt. Trent needed a bit of help with some home work and so it went until finally I was able to collapse into bed.
Today was a little bit better. I went to institute and the temple, but no doctor or dentist appointments. And my neighbor drove the boys to Lacrosse, so I could take Diana to Family Fun night (a misnomer if ever there was one, but that is a topic for another post) and then we went to the church for an enrichment class on wise shopping.
I have finally managed to buy myself one of the those day planners thingy-boppers. After sitting on the counter for two months, I have started to use it. My dream is that it will help cut down on these issues of double booking things at the same time. The problem seems to be that I am not the only one scheduling things. It is all these other people who keep telling my kids what to do and where to be that are the problem. So now I am doing better at writing it all down, but what do I do about how tired it makes me to see it all written down in one place?