{thoughts from behind the wheel of my mini-van}
With all of the stuff on our schedule this week, I feel like I am spending most of my waking hours behind the wheel of my van, sitting in waiting rooms, or watching a practice/lesson from the sidelines while entertaining Drew. Two birthday parties, three dentist appointments, two soccer practices, two gymnastics classes, an OB appointment and ultrasound, a class at Little Gym....this is the kind of week that I actually kind of despise.
I am happiest when we are hanging out at home and when the kids have plenty of time to play. This week's combination of rushing from one place to another and finding time to complete homework with the kids, make dinner, do housework, and deal with all of the other aspects of normal family life has me feeling so tired and frazzled. ( ...and my kids are only seven, six, and two!)
It's such a conflict for me, finding the right balance of having well-rounded kids without overscheduling the family. It is really important to me that I don't look back and remember their childhoods as a hurried, rush-from-one- place- to- another kind of time. I want them to remember afternoons playing together after school. Quiet evenings coloring or playing board games at the dining room table. Leisurely nights of relaxed dinners, long baths, and lots of bedtime books- the opposite of how this week is going.
On the other hand, I want them to be exposed to as much as I can and I want them to have the ability to explore their interests. Right now we limit their activities (we currently do gymnastics and Brownies for Grace and soccer for Luke), but have a few other things we'd love to let them explore as well. Gracie asks often about both art and drama classes. Ben and I would love for the kids to start piano lessons. Luke wants to play baseball. All three kids would love swimming lessons. To add more to our schedules though....
Any other mamas struggle with this?
I was just telling Ben last night that I really look forward to this summer when life can slow down just a bit. It might seem naive of me to honestly feel that adding a newborn to the mix will cause our family life to slow down, but I kind of love that I-just-had-a-new-baby hibernation thing that has happened each time we have welcomed a little one. For the first two months, we really don't go much of anywhere. With this little one joining us just as the kids are wrapping up their school years and spring activities, we won't have to have much of a schedule this summer. I can't wait.
This post was written on the back of a piece of junk mail while sitting in the kindergarten pick up line with poor Drew catching his nap in his car seat, post dentist appointment and a drive- thru lunch. :)
I am happiest when we are hanging out at home and when the kids have plenty of time to play. This week's combination of rushing from one place to another and finding time to complete homework with the kids, make dinner, do housework, and deal with all of the other aspects of normal family life has me feeling so tired and frazzled. ( ...and my kids are only seven, six, and two!)
It's such a conflict for me, finding the right balance of having well-rounded kids without overscheduling the family. It is really important to me that I don't look back and remember their childhoods as a hurried, rush-from-one- place- to- another kind of time. I want them to remember afternoons playing together after school. Quiet evenings coloring or playing board games at the dining room table. Leisurely nights of relaxed dinners, long baths, and lots of bedtime books- the opposite of how this week is going.
On the other hand, I want them to be exposed to as much as I can and I want them to have the ability to explore their interests. Right now we limit their activities (we currently do gymnastics and Brownies for Grace and soccer for Luke), but have a few other things we'd love to let them explore as well. Gracie asks often about both art and drama classes. Ben and I would love for the kids to start piano lessons. Luke wants to play baseball. All three kids would love swimming lessons. To add more to our schedules though....
Any other mamas struggle with this?
I was just telling Ben last night that I really look forward to this summer when life can slow down just a bit. It might seem naive of me to honestly feel that adding a newborn to the mix will cause our family life to slow down, but I kind of love that I-just-had-a-new-baby hibernation thing that has happened each time we have welcomed a little one. For the first two months, we really don't go much of anywhere. With this little one joining us just as the kids are wrapping up their school years and spring activities, we won't have to have much of a schedule this summer. I can't wait.
This post was written on the back of a piece of junk mail while sitting in the kindergarten pick up line with poor Drew catching his nap in his car seat, post dentist appointment and a drive- thru lunch. :)
Comments