DATELOOP:
while ( ($currentdate <= $enddate) && ($item < 5) )
{
    $item++;
    pipe *{$item},RETHAND;
    unless ($pid = fork()) {    
        print "$command\n";
        system($command);
        print RETHAND "Completed $currentdate\n";
        exit();
     }
     $currentdate = nextdate($currentdate);
}

foreach $item2 (@waitlist) {     
         $response = <$item2>;  # received from $item
            print "$response\n";
            $item--;
}

if  ($currentdate <= $enddate) {goto DATELOOP;}