One of the problems with having older children is that everyone in the family starts going their own way. Coordinating any group event requires expert negotiating skills and a large measure of luck. Even coordinating the individual events often requires scheduling skills beyond those I developed when I worked as a medical secretary when I was in college. Once, just once, I�d like events to come off smoothly.

Tonight Kat�s school is putting on the play, �You Can�t Take It With You.� Everyone here was interested in going. We all dutifully set aside the evening. I made each person check for potential conflicts twice. I called and bought the tickets. The evening was a go. And then the invitation came in the mail.

The Legal Aid Society is honoring Mr. Philately�s former boss at a reception tonight. He could go and just put in an appearance and still make the play he says. Of course, we�ll probably have to meet there but it shouldn�t interfere much. Couldn�t I just give him his ticket? Actually, I couldn�t give him his ticket because they are holding them at the box office and I�m not prepared to stand outside and miss the beginning of the play if he gets caught up in chatting and loses track of time. He just better get there by the start of the play. Unfortunately, I now have a bad attitude and if he makes it in time I�m still not going to get warm fuzzies from the family event.

Oh, yes, and my brother-in-law and six teenagers are coming to town today and tomorrow. We just heard about it this weekend. I�m still not quite sure how I�m going to accommodate that event in the mix.

One solution might be to stop planning group events. It wouldn�t solve the problem though. Last Saturday night, we had a party that we had heard about weeks earlier. We had said we were coming and I was looking forward to it. Then they moved the Homecoming Dance on top of it. The whole thing worked out okay, I guess, but we had to arrive to the party late to accommodate the dance. We then had to leave early because Day-Hay hates to be alone in the house at bedtime and Kat was off at the dance.

Being in charge of this family�s schedule is hopeless. Sisyphus has nothing on me. Scheduling keeps changing. Doing laundry is more satisfying. Laundry stays done for a day or two.

Scheduling this family is like writing in invisible link. If I get another lifetime, forget the idea of the group tour. I may decide to fly solo.

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