Suffering through September

What a month...it started off with our decision to stain our cabinets, ourselves.  Wow!  What an undertaking that turned out to be!  About 3 weeks and 40 coats of stain later, our kitchen is still in shambles.  Football, soccer and baseball all started this month too, which is incredibly fun, but terribly time consuming.  We have two practices each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights with multiple games on the weekends.  It is a scheduling and driving nightmare.  Jeremy is travelling twice this month for multiple days, and I am attempting to maintain some level of sanity.  The real kicker occurred Wednesday night when Knox and I found it raining in our spare bedroom downstairs.  The room is a total loss due to faulty plumbing from our recurrent nightmare, Joe.  Leaking water is gross enough, but when it is filled with food particles from the garbage disposal, it is anything but appetizing.  Two days later, after a visit from the plumber and a renovation team, it is clean, drying and bacteria free.  I feel better, and I am ready for October!
 
October brings with it excitement.  Knox turns 3, and I am planning his first real party!  We are going to have a Halloween themed party.  I cannot wait.  While his guest list is short, we added enough family friends to make it fun.  He is SUPER excited.  He is going to be a "mean bat".  I have all sorts of fun food, decorations and games in the works.  It will be a lot of fun!  More to come on that.  At the end of the month, after another work trip for Jeremy, we leave for our Mystery vacation!  I am CRAZY excited for it! I am a terrible surprise keeper, but have managed to keep this one a secret so far.  It is getting really hard though.  I have little gifts/clues hidden from the kids in every nook and cranny.  I just cannot wait to see the look on their faces when we tell them.  YEAH!

It is amazingly difficult being a responsible parent and working mother.  I commend all other women in the same boat.  There is just not enough time in the day or enough of me to go around.  I know there are people with a lot more on their plate and doing it with a much better attitude than I have sometimes, but I try so hard.  I work so hard.  It just never seems to be enough.  Selfishly I want a little cheerleader behind me rooting me on, telling me I am doing everything right and that they are proud of my efforts.  For all those other Moms out there, "Keep up the good work! Hang in there!" If misery loves company, know there is someone else out there feeling your pain.  BUT...We can do it, with or without our husband's help or admiration. We will raise good kids.  Our house will not be destroyed by water, kids or a bad attitude.  We are women...hear us roar!!!! 

I feel better!  Time to make some sense of the 6 piles of clean laundry on the sun room couch. Back to reality!