The Gift of Balance

I am the only person I know who can trip on a flat surface. I sprained my ankle that way once. I was 12 and the flat surface had wheels under it. But I do sometimes trip on nothing (like the current Reitman's commercial - minus the music).

I will never get used to dressing in my winter clothes for the hockey arena when it is 26 degrees F outside. I can't bear to put socks/shoes on yet, so my toes freeze in sandals.

A insisted he needs one big binder this year with index dividers for all his subjects. The school apparently outlaws the carrying of backpacks into class, so only a binder will do. Tell me, if he only has three minutes to get from room A to room B and he has two textbooks and two binders, how is is NOT going to make a mess dropping them while jostling in the hall with 600 other kids or leave one behind. School with no backpacks? Really. How about a car with no trunk? Pants with no pockets? Kangaroo with no pouch. sheesh.

I bought two binders, in case they were cheap and the first one began breaking in 3 months, he can just use the identical one. If that one breaks too, I'm going to Grand and Toy for a leather version.

I must say, the one binder business did motivate a very quick organizational streak in the org challenged tonight. I would have made pretty labels with my label maker for his divider tabs, but my non-perfectionistic child decided handwriting was quite sufficient. I didn't say anything other than "All caps are easier to read." I should get an academy award for my restraint.

When I begin work in 3 weeks, will I be able to maintain a sustainable pace? The gift of balance - not working so feverishly to make sure everything is covered perfectly but rather relaxing and accepting handwriting over labels and surrendering my demand for 100% when 85% is more than sufficient. I'm not saying sluff off, I'm saying do the best you can with the amount of time you have and be content with that.

I'm feeling more relaxed already.