Don't Drop the Ball, Don't Drop the Ball, Don't Drop the Ball!

"No one is ever quite ready; everyone is always caught off guard. Parenthood chooses you. And you open your eyes, look at what you've got, say "Oh, my gosh," and recognize that of all the balls there ever were, this is the one you should not drop. It's not a question of choice." 

-Marisa de los Santos

All of the kids need lunch money in their accounts. Jessica has an F in her meteorology class which is actually an oceanography class, which doesn't really matter, because she has an F in it. Senioritis? Quite possibly. Jonah didn't get his homework done last night because I was too busy enjoying Shaun White's new haircut and crying over him not getting the gold medal. Spencer has play practice basically every night between now and the middle of March. I'm supposed to sign up to bring treats to one of these practices but can't quite get myself to put my name on one of those calendar squares. Oh, and I'm supposed to go out and buy him a bow-tie for said play.

I need to get onto Amazon and order Saint-Saen's Concerto No. 1 for Jessica. I also need to get a check to her sweet accompanist. Jonah has exactly one month to get his Arrow of Light. Where is that scout book? Last night Jonah asked me if I had purchased Valentines for him to hand out to his class on Friday. My response…"What are we talking about?" Apparently he has to decorate his own shoebox for the Valentine exchange as well. Can I please be done with elementary school now? All of this talk of Valentines brings out the question, "Hey Mom, did you buy us a Valentine gift this year?" To which I respond, "Um, you bet. I'm sure there's some unopened Amazon boxes around here somewhere bearing some sort of holiday surprise. I just need to hunt them down and maybe examine the contents." Insert nervous giggle.

Sabrina just informed me that she is out of any and all deodorant, at home and in her gym locker. I guess she's been rubbing her pits with an empty deodorant container to the point that there is little remaining underarm skin to speak of. You'd think that I would have picked up the deodorant while I was rummaging through the pathetic remnants of what was once a Valentine section at the grocery store, but you would be wrong. You see, I prefer to make multiple trips to the store in a day. 

Jonah's maturation program is today. Oh bother. Can I please be done ruining my children's innocence with stories of hair growing in weird places and birds and bees and other such nonsense? The kid just wants to play Legos. Let him play Legos. Jonah has been laboring under the delusion that the maturation program is a field trip. His older siblings keep reminding him gravely that no, it is not a field trip. 

Good news. We should be ready to close on our house in less than two weeks. Wait. That will be in the middle of Spencer's week of school play performances. And Jessica will be playing in the pit every night for the high school musical that week as well. I think there's some big orientation at the university that week too. At this rate, we may be moved in by the end of June.

I need to get over to the boys prospective new schools and get them registered. I think we have dentist appointments next week. Jonah is supposed to be memorizing his new pieces for a piano festival in a month. Excuse me while I stare blankly into space for a minute. There. I'm back now…but not really.

I'm sitting here in Teresa's old pink bedroom. I'm surrounded by boxes and school papers and tax documents without homes. I think we're locked into an interest rate. I think we've ordered blinds. I think I know where all of the kids are supposed to be tonight. I think I need a warm tub followed by a cold Dr. Pepper. I think someone was crazy when she thought it would be a good idea to move this family in the middle of the school year.