I Need Serious Help

Posted on 05.07.07 in Family and there are 15 comments.

I have a problem.

A serious problem.

I think the clinical term for it is calendaringitis.

I am utterly incapable of properly entering information into my calendar and/or remembering dates and times of events.

It’s sad really.

Today I got all three kids dressed and ready to go to the dentist. I loaded them in the car and drove to the office. I unloaded all of them and herded them inside only to then learn that our appointment isn’t for another month.

This is the second time it’s happened. And, of course, my kids - in all their perfectness - actually LOVE going to the dentist, so they’re always near tears when we have to leave without having their teeth “counted”.

Then a few Saturdays ago we were getting ready to go to an 11:00am birthday party. At 10:30am the mother called to see if we were still planning on attending. Apparently it started at 10:00am - not 11:00am.

The ”coup de grace” was the time I arrived at 6pm on Sunday for a “Princess Party” my daughter was invited to that had actually taken place at 6pm on SATURDAY. She was all dressed up like a princess in the backseat for a party that I’d hyped all week and we missed it. It was pretty much the lowest point in my life.

I think I need therapy or something.

Anyone have any tips on keeping a calendar? If not, do you have any stories that might make me feel better?

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In college my roommates and I had a costume party one Halloween weekend.  The night after the party, there was a knock on our door.  We opened it to find a nurse and George Bush dressed and ready to party.

So, you’re not alone.

No advice but I’m taking a lot of comfort in the fact that there’s someone else out there like me.

I have done that several times and it’s terribly embarrassing.  Showing up at an appointment that isn’t for another day or week.

Well, my wife seems to be pretty good about keeping up with appointments and stuff. So my advice would be to marry her.

But I’ve already done that, so she’s spoken for, sorry. She’s the only thing that keeps me from being ten times worse than what you describe yourself as being.

When I was a kid, my mother forgot to change the clock for Daylight Saving Time once, so we showed up at church on Easter Sunday, all dressed up and wondering why people were on their way out when we were just arriving. (I guess that’s not quite the same thing, but this made me think of it.)

I have a calendar hanging on the kitchen wall.  Everyone records everything they want to do on this calendar, and if it isn’t on the calendar, they don’t get to do it.  Now, my kids are teenagers, so it’s easy for me to hold them accountable, but they have seen me doing this all their lives, so as soon as a friend calls to say birthday party, school dance, basketball games, practices, etc. they head for the calendar on the kitchen wall. 

I also put things (dr. appts, dentist appts, haircuts) in Outlook, which has a handy reminder and it helps me to remember to do things I would most certainly forget. 

I keep my wall calendars for years; I just file them away in a drawer.  My calendar is also sort of a short journal for important events.  (Mostly dealing with my step-daughter since we’ve have difficult situations with her mom in the past, I tend to keep track of little “incidents” so that I can refer back if I ever need to.)

I don’t think I could keep up with three teenagers and their schedules if I hadn’t raised them this way.  It gets hectic when they’re all playing different sports at the same time.  You’d better get started now!

Something like that pretty much happens to me on a daily basis.  Except that part about showing up in a princess outfit.  That never happens.  Well… once.  But it wasn’t my fault.  I SWEAR.

Nope, I’m too obsessive/compulsive to let something like that slide.  I will miss a little item here or there, but I check and double check things too many times to miss much.

I do feel for you on the princess party thing, though.  I know how devastated Lil’E would be.

Stephanie,
Wow. It’s good to know I’m not alone. Even George Bush has trouble with it all. That’s cool that he came to your party.

Michelle,
You too?! You’re like “perfect mom” though. I really feel better about it now!

C-Hammer,
I’ve often worried about forgetting daylight savings time. Fortunately, our church service is 2 hours long so we wouldn’t miss it all.

Cristy,
The scary thing is that I do all that. I have a calendar on my computer AND I keep the invitations so that can double check the info later. The problem is that I sometime enter the info incorrectly into my computer AND I fail to check the invitations. Ugh. Perhaps it will be easier when everyone enters their own information…

What it really need to do is just double check all events and appointments each week....or call before I leave.

Seth,
TGFA (Can you decifer that?)

Euphrony,
I was actually able to redeem it a bit. We had a Mommy/daughter date and we went to the pet store and then Applebee’s. Since she was still in her princess outfit, everyone treated her like royalty and she had a really fun time.

Of course when people asked why she was all dressed up, I considered it my opportunity to pay penance for my poor scheduling and I told each and every person my terrible misdeed. My sweet daughter would just take my hand and say,"It’s ok Mommy. I got to go to the pet store.” She was such a good sport about the whole thing.

Ummm pshawww.

TGFA= Telepathic Grandma Feels Alturistic.  Who doesn’t know that?

Get you one of those little tiny pocket calendars. That is what I do. I throw mine in my backpack I carry around with me. And when something arises, I jot it down in the calendar.

Otherwise I would spend my life wandering around late to everything.

Psst. Caption Contest on my page. You really should enter a caption for the rediculous picture of myself I posted.

I would get one of this big desk/wall calenders and put it up in your kitchen. I know it’s not high-tech or anything, but for me, just being able to see the big picture helps. If you want to get really ambitious, you can color code it for different kinds of things, bills, appointments, etc. Plus, everyone will know what’s going on for that day & week.

For the invitations and bills, I would stick them in some kind of basket next to the calender so you can double check. I’ve found that the more stuff is readily available to see and check, the easier it is for me to know what’s going on.

Aren’t you the GTD queen?  Shouldn’t that be a part of your system?  You got me hooked on the stuff, btw.

"Anyone have any tips on keeping a calendar? If not, do you have any stories that might make me feel better?”

Marry someone who is good at keeping a calendar.  At least that’s what keeps me in line.

This is my favorite type of calendar:
Mom’s Family 2007 Wall Calendar
Click on the picture, then click the link to view the back of the calendar.  It took me a little while to get used to it, but with three kids, it made it easier to look at.

Proof that my system only works when used properly: After I left my comment for you yesterday, I realized my kids have a haircut scheduled either this week or next...and it’s NOT on either of my calendars!!!  DOH! I left a message at the shop asking, “When am I supposed to be there?”

You should come up with a form for that!

Seth,
TGFA = Thank God For Amber!

Steven and Bekah,
Unfortunately, I DO write things down in my calendar. I just either write it down wrong or I forget to check it often enough...ugh.

Cach,
I like to read about GTD. Doing it, I’m not so good at.

Mamasboy,
Hmmm...judging from all the comments from the men on this post, apparently I’m supposed to be the one good at schedules. It’s a good thing my husband isn’t as calendaring challenged as I am.

Cristy,
Ha. I’ll have to check out that calendar. I love organizational tools...I just stink at using them properly.

Kristin,
Oooo...that’s a fun idea. Maybe I could use my label machine for each event…

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