There really needs to be some kind of award or automatic email or something that goes out whenever you get your kids’ paperwork turned in. Like, every step of the way when you’re making the appointments, actually remembering to make them with the doctors, the dentists, the eye people. But it’s not enough if you can’t actually keep track of the papers for a month or two and until it’s time to actually turn them in.

Or when your womanly time of the month comes upon you and you haven’t just been in a huge fight with your spouse. Like, these are things to celebrate and be thankful for. To reach out your hand and do some kind of tender-hearted fist bump and hear someone say when that happens, “Nice job”. Oh I write it down in my journal and thank God.

This feels like such a full and busy season. Last night before class I was talking to the mom whose son went away to college last year. I feel like this is something moms talk about more, but she mentioned feeling like we are able to talk about babies and toddlers, but as your kids get older, you can’t talk about the struggles as openly. I mean, there really are all kinds of us moms out there. You just read through the reel comments in your Instagram search feed if you need to know you’re not alone.

During the day I’d been trying to decide whether or not I was bothered or hurt that he hadn’t texted me back from the five hours before when I told him his package was supposed to get there today. But when I was talking to the other mom he texted to say that Adam Wainwright was retiring from the Cardinals. He recently won his 200th game as a pitcher and it had taken him basically everything he had to get to that point.

I had recently been wondering about the whole Adam Wainwright thing. The Cardinals basically stink this year. I was wondering if he ever regretted not retiring last year with Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, the greats who he had the honor of playing with. They were the three who’ve been on the team this whole time, minus the ten years Albert Pujols left to play elsewhere. I feel like the Cardinals fans forgave him for that.

I didn’t tell him any of this. Instead I said something about Wainwright having a great career and having a lot to be proud of. And how the first time I ever saw him play was when he pitched as the 2006 World Series closer. Ethan was only a toddler then. But it was playoff season in Hoyleton and they were huge Cardinals fans there. Since it was the World Series we figured we probably should watch.

He didn’t say anything after that. It’s fine. Some of the acorns are really squished up now and I wouldn’t have thought we had enough cars for that. There’s a tree just off the road that always turns yellow in fall and I always thought it was a some kind of oak. But today it looked more like there were pecans falling around it. The other day when I was at the swings with one of the boys I noticed the squirrels hopping from tree to tree.

Dad and Elianna went to the store this evening to get the snacks we’re supposed to bring for the school kids tomorrow. I spent most of today doing wife and mom things. I cleaned our room, vacuumed, even wet-mopped the floor. There was laundry to start, fold, and put away. I deep cleaned the bathroom, cleaned the kitchen, and thawed a chicken for supper. Earlier in the morning I noticed that one of the outdoor cats had gotten inside again. Silly Tom.