Those Irons in the Fire.

Here is your answer, Aunt Connie.

The past few days have been full of planning. From the new school year to the holidays, to making time to visit with family we haven't seen in too many years to even mention. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this time of year is swamped. From August through April we have birthdays just with our kids and grandkids. Actually, if you include Mother's Day and Father's Day and the one kid who waited until July to be born, our entire year is taken up with something to celebrate each month. This time of year is the most wallet emptying time, though with the holidays and the kids' activities.

Since I am easily overwhelmed, one would think filling up my plate to the point of overflowing would not be a good idea. I beg to differ. It actually depends on what it's filled up and overflowing with.

For a couple sad years, I got to the point of not getting the kids involved in anything, letting them do whatever they could to find something to entertain them. It resulted in me becoming quite lazy as far as not wanting to go anywhere or do anything that I didn't deem necessary. I lost a lot of connection with my kids, and they became lazy as well, spending too much time with friends away from home (because I'd rather the friend's parents entertain than me having to do it), and if they were home, they were always in front of some type of screen. Now, that doesn't mean I didn't spend any time with them, because I did. After all, i do homeschool, remember? We played games and went on family vacations and such, but it still wasn't the way it used to or should have been. Times flies by and kids grow up too quickly to worry about anything else but raising them and making their childhood the best to your ability, even if it's board games every night.

I spent too much time in that mode and I became depressed. Clinically.

So, with that skeleton out of my closet, with our family moving back to our hometown, it has become easier to get back on track with the way things always were back in the day. I've gotten rid of the things that just simply doesn't matter. This is why sometimes I change my mind on things I do plan to do. It has to fit in with the important things. When I realize it's a waste of time, I get rid of it or the idea.

That's not at all to say I don't ever get overwhelmed, because I do. I'm very much a go getter and want to "do it all", MYSELF. I'm learning that's impossible and I just have to live with it. Delegating really is a good thing and when you are delegating kids, it really doesn't hurt them. In fact, it helps them. That's a different point, though.

These kiddies of mine get to choose what activities they want to do. What they have chosen for the next few months is as follows:

Morgan: Jazz Dance, Guitar, Piano

Allison: Jazz Dance, Piano

Emily: Drums, Piano, Soccer

As for me: Stained glass and finishing my pharmacy classes (stopped when I started homeschooling)

Mondays are filled with drums and guitar, Tuesdays with piano, dance, soccer, Wednesday, church, Thursday, soccer and stained glass, Friday, free, Saturday, soccer games.

I'd much rather spend my time watching my kids spend their time doing something that helps them become more well rounded than see them in front of a screen or being idle.

As far as things I get myself into, well, I've always been for self improvement. I'm a lover of learning.

Back to the calendar. ;)