Finding Balance

With four children under 8, it's hard to find balance. There are so many great opportunities for each of them that it's difficult to keep us on a sustainable schedule. After pushing myself crazily through the past few weeks, however, I realized again just how important balance is. This week I had a minor meltdown that made me certain that I've been doing way too much.

So, we're paring back. We still have some really fun activities coming up: the state fair, Walking with the Dinosaurs, and a Billy Jonas concert. Overall, though, we're changing our tack from one of "Yes, certainly!" to one of "No" or "Most likely not". We're not throwing out our favorites (like Cabin and Aikido and Gym and Ice Skating), but new commitments are going to have wait until the spring, or longer. One of the reasons that we homeschool is to find our own sensible path -- it doesn't seem very sensible to undermine that with an overburdened schedule.

We need more time to sit quietly and watch the clouds; to read books like The Green Fairy Book, and discuss the Grimm Brothers' very long and interesting lives. We need time to bake spice cookies and make applesauce and cook curry cauliflower and rice. We need time to talk about the elections and what challenges our country is facing now, and what challenges it has faced in the past. We need time for art and knitting and music. We need time to walk and bike and think and talk. Time to breathe.

I think we'll start our winter hibernation a bit early this year. :)