Jill Petri lives in San Antonio and is the wife of a high school coach and the mom of three children. Her son is a senior in college and her twin nine-year-old girls are in the fourth grade. Jill works full-time as a sales coach, change leader and facilitator for a Texas-based financial institution.
With a degree in Journalism from Baylor University, Jill started her career as a reporter but has always been and remains a writer with the countless diaries and journals to prove it. Her blog is fourthpart.blogspot.com.
Along with taking care of her family and writing, Jill enjoys working out (yes, she really does), watching TV, reading, and planning and taking vacations.
When I put up the 2021 calendar, I craved the normal. I hopefully added remaining basketball games and projected track meet dates. In pencil, I wrote in gymnastics meets and volleyball games. I tentatively scribbled in some vacation possibilities with fingers crossed. I wanted our usual back and yet, I knew, I would eventually yearn for the unusual.
So how do we figure out our season budget? Here are the tips we go by for our family, which includes twin 10-year-old girls who look at the candy in the concession stand as if they are seeing those brightly wrapped balls and ribbons of sugar for the first time every time.
It’s a balance around here. I’m not talking about work and life balance. I’m talking realistic expectations of projects getting done over fishing.
Two days a week when I kiss my husband good-bye in the morning, I say three words. In the midst of twins, backpacks, lunch boxes, school papers and jackets, I say these words. As he tries to go get out of the house on time directing my twin girls out the door, I say these words.
My husband’s truck is his rolling locker and closet. Water bottles, Gatorades, and towels take up the most space. Various keys and Academy bags litter the floorboards.
So, my first-year coach’s wife self, you’ve got this. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, care for you, and have your back. Find the good. Try and ignore the not-so-pleasant.
The games are on the family calendar, as they are every year. Yes, we will get to the home games and may make the away games. With renewed enthusiasm and optimism for this season and because we love the energy and community at the games, we will do our best to support from the stands.
That service cost me concession stand snacks, a stop at a fast-food restaurant on the way home and a $10 bill.
That service saved my mind.
