S is for Spontaneous or is it for Scheduling.

 

If you are a blog reader, you know that I am at the point in my life where I am trying to find Balance!  I need to find the balance between being spontaneous and getting the biz done, ya know?

I  mean I want and I do pick up and take my family fishing on a whim.  We head on out to cross the state line on a drive and return hours later, starving and with no dinner plans mind you.

I can and love to be able to do things at the drop of a hat.  I have absolutely no problem there.  The problem lies with getting the nitty gritty done.  The menu planning and prep work, the laundry, the taking out the trash, the well…. everything.

 

This past year we have resided somewhere between unschoolers and over achievers.   We would go days with out getting “work” done and then we would go days getting more than we could ever imagine done.  Often those were the same days.  

Most days, I am on the verge of being completely fine with how are last year went.

Do I want to repeat it again next year? NO!!!

No, sir. No, mam.  No, way. No, how. No, thank you!

I want the scales to balance more on the let’s actually get what is on the schedule done.  Some ways we are doing that is by getting it all out of our system.  We are having the Summer of a lifetime.  We are all traveling very much and experiencing so many fun activities. 

Hopefully we don’t get to attached to this lifestyle as we will return to our regularly scheduled programing.

R is for Routine

 

I would like to start with a truth. 

My original idea for R was to write about rebellion. 

Since I’m a rebel and all I am not going to write about what I had planned. 

Routine is what has saved my sanity lately. 

Remember back when I posted about how I wanted to be more spontaneous.

How do you plan for something like that?  Well next time I will write about other ways I plan so that I can be more spontaneous.

But the biggest way is by having routine.

If every day when my kids get up they follow their list then I know they are ready for the day and whatever we decide to do. 

With a bedtime routine if no matter where we are or what time we decide to go to bed they know the routine and can do it whenever, where ever.

The way I have began incorporating routines is with the bedtime routine. 

I found this great premade one, which is the one we use for bedtime.  I like this one because it is simple enough and has no bedtime snack or drink.  We don’t do those things.  I also like it because it has no time.  If we stay up late because we are watching a family movie, or went for a drive to the mountains to have a campfire it’s fine.  If we need to go to bed early because we spent all day at the pool or park and are just worn out, we can.

Our morning routine is a little more complicated and I am still working out the kinks of it.  I will post more about it when I have it done.  I will explain what I think I am going for though.

I want it to be like

• Wake up
• Eat breakfast
• Get dressed for day

Can I watch TV?  You must answer yes to all of these.

• Did I do all of the above things?
• Have I read for 15 minutes?
• Have I done something helpful?

Can I play outside?

• Did I do all of the above things?
• Do I have sunscreen on?

These routines are for my kids.  I am also incorporating routines for me.

Routines are allowing us to be spontaneous while still having some structure. 

 

Q–Well Quirky of course

 

Quirk is defined by Merriam Webster as being:

: an unusual habit or way of behaving

: something strange that happens by chance

 

Quirky is the adjective form.

I often refer to myself as quirky.  But after looking up the definition I realize that I we are all quirky.  We are all unusual.  We all have interesting habits.  Strange things happen often. 

This discovery is also helping me on my balance discovery journey.

  I often compare myself to what I think of others.

Suzy June can homeschool her kids, go to school full time, work part time, and all her kids are incredibly smart, oh and did I mention she is a single mom.   I think WOW! She is so amazing!  I want to be like her. 

But in reality, I don’t.  I want to be me.

Clara Mae is a stay at home mom, all her kids go to high end private schools, her family goes on extravagant vacations two or three times a year, her house is always spotless, he kids are impeccable in their looks, their education, their manner and they are all above grade level.  She has the life! I want to be like her.

Truth is, I don’t.  I want to be me.

Patricia April is a stay at home mom, all her kids go to normal public school, sometimes her family struggles to pay the bills, her only hobby is reading and she doesn’t get dressed most days.  WOW! She has it easy!  I want to be like her.

Nope.  I want to be me.

 

Alisha March is an amazing homeschooler.  She works from home. She always does fun hands on school that her kids just love.  She even writes her own curriculum most of the time.  She enjoys a very active social life for her and her children.  Her family travels often and there is always money left over.  He kids go to bed on time, get up  on time and her house is always white glove clean.  She is an amazing blogger with an insane amount of followers that actually read her blog daily and look up to her.

This one is the hardest one for me.  But I still want to sit down for a few minutes a day and not be stressed.  I just want to be me.

Sometimes I look at each of these people, each of their families, (and more) and I get envious of certain aspects of their life.  I try to achieve what they have.  Then I realize all I would have to give up of my life already or myself already to attempt to create what they have.

I am happy with my life now.  I am happy that we are all quirky in our own ways.  I am extremely happy to know such a wide variety of people and see a glimpse into their lives.

I am so grateful for blogs of all types.  I enjoy getting a look into how others do things so that I can decide if I want to try them in our home.  I am finding the balance of not thinking that I alone can do it all!

I will see you all again later.  Thank you, Thank you for your time in reading my blog and ramblings and dealing with all my quirkiness.

 

P is for Pressing On!

When we fall we just have to get up, brush off and press on. 


This year my word of the year is Balance!
I’ve been worrying about everyone else so much that I haven’t thought about time for myself, or doing things for me.  After reading my last post you may think, what? You  are doing more than enough for you.  I get it, I am involved in quite a few things. Many of them are just as much for my benefit as they are for my kids.

This has not proven to keep the scales balanced.  Sometimes I do things to make my life easier, like delegating, freezer meal swaps, changing up the schedules and more. 
I still feel like I am not getting enough done in the day.   I have always been a spontaneous flexible type and I love that about me.  Sometimes.
Without a schedule or a plan things get put on the back burner…. forever.  That could mean they are not important enough.  Sometimes they are.  Some examples of important things that I have let go over time that should have been more are important to me are:

• Budgeting
• Menu planning
• Schoolwork
• Cleaning
• Quality time with each child
• Yard work
• Educating myself
• Supporting my husband

As I am working on balance this year, I have realized all of these things play a role in what I want vs who I am.
Recently I had a few day of alone time with my husband.  We did some reevaluating and talking about how far we’ve come and how both of us have changed over the 10 years we’ve been married.  We absolutely do love each other very much and we are not having any problems, we just want more spontaneity in our lives, like we used to have.  I realize this year with trying to find balance in everything that there was a time in our lives where we had too much spontaneity, and then the time now where we don’t have enough.

How do you work on being spontaneous?  
To that I have no idea!  We are going to start by making less plans and being prepared for adventures.

Alright, I am going to stop now, since this is turning into a total ramble. 
Until next time!