Balancing Act.

I have survived and enjoyed my first week. Seriously, I really am digging the new job. The paycheck is nice too. I love volunteer work, but it's nice to get paid too.

Here's the question of the week now. How do I successfully balance the volunteer stuff. I'm managing okay thus far, and am open to delegating some of my tasks. Still, I am a bit of a control freak and like to run the show, if in fact I have the chance. My friend and biggest supporter and my VP/co-chair/Design Guru/Spouse Extraordinaire (we really need a title for her) is wonderful. She has offered to take on a lot more work for one particular organization that I have/share what-have you. Still, I feel a bit guilty.

You see, she is a giver (bless her heart) and she likes to do a lot for a lot of people. She is worth her weight (and then some) in gold. Though, I don't want her to take on too much. Know what I mean? I'm having this dilema as she is a million miles away helping out another friend of hers and knee-deep in that admin stuff. Again, she is a giver.

What suggestions do you all have for:

a) Maintaining/increasing the success of an organization without delegating too much; and,
b) Recognizing someone who means so much to you that is often an unsung hero?

Leading troops of a gentler kind.

It's official. I'm going to be leading again; Girl Scouts that is. Once upon a time, I was a co-leader for a Brownie troop. This was before I even had kids. I even assisted with a troop when I could when stationed in North Carolina at a church not far from Camp Lejeune. The Girl Scout organization just appeals to me. It's truly a great outfit. As a young girl, I only actually participated for one year, but I hope my daughters will enjoy it for years to come and maybe even become leaders themselves one day.

Girl Scouts of America has recently restructured, well recently as in the past year. One little example of that is that Daisy Girl Scouts will now be 2 years instead of one. This is perfect because, we won't PCS for 2 years so at least I can finish out here, and if we move she can bridge to Brownies at our new location and our younger daughter can start her scouting adventure there at the same time. I was so concerned that my oldest would start Brownies next year and have to switch troops.

So, it's all very exciting. And, what's better is my co-leader showed up planning on only registering her daughter, who happens to be my girl's friend from school. I think someone convinced the mom to lead because by the time I saw her again, as I was leaving, she said she was going to co-lead with me. Yippee!

That's the news of the day. Now, to find a venue for our meetings. We used to hold that at leaders' homes, no apparently you are not allowed to, which is fine with me. That's just one less group for which I'd have to clean my house. ;)

Frustrated and watering a tree that doesn't want to grow.

I'm so frustrated this week because I'm running in 20 different directions. Isn't that every mom's story though? I have three meetings tonight, and I missed on last night due to finding out too late and having no back up childcare plan. Last night was a Marine Corps League meeting, the first back from summer break. I was so disappointed about this.

So, tonight, we have Open House at my daughter's school, which also happens to be the same evening of a parenting group session that starts tonight. We have to forgo one. Next week, I have a class that commences on Wednesday night which also happens to be the first PTA meeting of the year. Oh, yeah, and I'm SO going to be THAT parent. So, I'm hoping to make at least half of the PTA meeting before my class.

Of course, all of this begs the question, Am I the only one who feels like everything always happens on the same day or at least the same time? If the times didn't coincide, life would be peachy. One might say that this is where cloning might be a good idea. Scratch that, with my split personality tendencies my husband alleges I have, cloning might be detrimental to my reputation or that of my child.

I'm also trying to raise funds--beaucoup bucks to fund and initiate IRS filings for an organization. The money tree is not growing. I keep watering and watering and it looks at me, sad little sapling that could, and taunts me.

Yes, my dreams are bigger than the tree. Fear not! I have confidence in the universe. My mother tauts the powers of the universe, Put it out there, and it will happen, she asserts. Now, I enjoy a rousing discussion of entropy and energies as much as the next gal, but sometimes I don't have the intestinal fortitude to wait for the universe to spit something back at me in the form I desire. I'm impatient. I think (rarely brainstorm). I decide. I create. I like to see my plans realized instantly. You know, One shot, One kill instant. However, I know that just like red stuff in a plastic bottle, good things come to those who wait. So, I wait (drumming my fingers).

I think I need to go take a dip in the hurry-up-and-wait pool to bring up some of the patience I once had. Maybe if I wait really long, I'll be the next Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawkins. Hey, maybe I should talk to Mr. Hawkins about that whole universe thing. Maybe he's got some pull. ;)

Genius is eternal patience.

~Michelangelo