Tired, Busy. Busy, Tired.

Last week, so overcome by exhaustion of the bone-shattering type that I was finding myself unable to make dinner for my family or even stay awake for N's 8:30 bedtime (much less Em's 9:00 one), I went for a walk-in visit at our internal medicine clinic. The doctor talked to me, examined me. Much blood was withdrawn from my veins. I went home.

Here is what I have done since then:

Wednesday, I took Buddy the guinea pig to the vet because of a bald patch behind one ear (we think it's mites), returned home to work on a freelance article, picked up Em at school at 2:15, took her to Brownies at 4, went to my shrink appointment at 4:30, picked up Em from Brownies on my way back, took a walk to the library, threw something together for the kids to eat, collapsed into bed.

Thursday, I worked from 8:30 until 1:30, then stayed at the office until 4 trying to finish up the now-late freelance piece, then picked up N, went home, took a walk down to the local supermarket for supplies, baked a chicken for dinner, ate a bit, collapsed into bed.

Friday, I worked from 8:30 until 4:30, leaving early to pick up N, then run home, get Em and Baroy, and head on up to the elementary school's Fall Family Picnic, where I was supposed to already be selling school t-shirts, stayed there until 8:30 to help clean up after Baroy and the kids had gone home, realized I'd never gotten any dinner so begged leftovers from the guys who ran the barbeque, then walked home in the dark and went almost directly to bed.

Saturday, I took a walk from 9 until 10, when I arrived at N's soccer game, talked with the other parents on his team, cheered and hung out with Em while we tried to keep N interested in actually playing rather than standing on the field sucking his thumb (we mostly failed, but he did kick the ball a few times), then walked home while Baroy took the kids to get lunch, after which I got Em changed into her soccer uniform and over to her game at 1:30 (with practice half an hour beforehand), cheered as she scored her team's only goal, came home to make a video birthday card for Baroy's half-sister, ran a load of laundry to get the kids' uniforms ready for picture day the next day, took N for a bike ride, went out as a family to Shakeys (aka Hell) as a celebration for a good day of soccer, came home, collapsed into bed.

Sunday, we went to a sorta-nearby temple's open house, did a tour there, and sat in on a religious school class with Em (we all loved it; more on that another time), then ran back home to feed the kids, wrap a present for a birthday party planned for later in the day, and get Em dressed for her 2:00 soccer pictures, took her to get the picture done, then drove directly to her friend's birthday party, which was half over by the time we got there, tried to find someone to take Em home so I could go help Baroy with his (and N's) team picture at 4 but couldn't, left the party at 4 and came home, made dinner (spaghetti and meatballs in a tomato sauce made from the tomatoes and basil in my garden), put both kids to bed early, finally sat down to finish the now-very-overdue article, and went up to my bed, finally, at 1:30, only to find myself in the midst of my first bout of insomnia in weeks, so came back downstairs, lay down on the couch, and listened to an audiobook until I fell asleep.

This week promises to be even crazier, what with my usual workweek (28 hours over four days) a Brownie parent meeting tonight after Em's soccer practice, an open house at another temple we're still considering joining (though it's less likely now...) Tuesday night and if not, Em will probably be going to religious school at the first temple that evening, a doctor's visit for N Wednesday along with a half-day at school for Em and her school's Back to School night that evening after my (by then crucial) therapist appointment, a psychiatrist visit for me and Em's gym class on Thursday, and...is it possible? Do I not have something that Must Be Done on Friday? Oh, yeah, we might go to Friday night services at the temple we saw this week. And then Saturday is soccer for both kids again, my brother-in-law will be coming over at some point, and there's another birthday party to attend this weekend, and religious school on Sunday, and I really would like to see my girlfriends, and...

And I thought I needed a DOCTOR to help me understand why I'm so exhausted? Mother, heal thyself.