Let's Talk About Capacity

Where in we can't be everywhere...

I don’t know that I’ve ever finished a parenting book, but Luke and I have one mantra we’ve come back to time and again as parents: “Leave while it’s still fun.”

Meaning, that if we’re at the pool or a party or a theme park, we try to do the hard thing and leave while everyone is still having a great time, before the proverbial wheels start to fall off. I think kids can often be the driver of the domino effect of meltdowns, but adults aren’t immune to this; it just looks a little different. Less tantrum, more sarcasm and brain fog.

It’s the end of May, and there are class picnics, graduation parties, exams, swim meets, recitals, an endless litany of places to show up, sometimes multiple times a day. This past weekend, we had a swim meet Saturday morning, my nephew’s graduation party Saturday evening, and then volunteering at church and his Baccalaureate Sunday.

Luke had to work both days, so I took the kids to the swim meet solo. We were out in the heat from about 7:30 to 1:00, and I thought 2-3 hours at home before the party would be ample time to rest and recover from our morning. Dear reader, it was not.