Monday, June 4, 2012

Snafus: Life Gets in the Way of My Plans. Again.

It's been almost a week since I last posted, which I hate. But, alas, it had to be. Last week, I had to deal with a medical issue that had me on painkillers, sleeping quite a bit, and moving slowly. I'm still recuperating, but am getting back up to speed, bit by bit. We are awaiting test results, so if you're moved to do so, a little prayer would be fabulous.

My well-thought-out plans for our summer work has fallen apart in the face of reality. Tiny Girl has swim team practice at 10:15 every (yes, every) morning until 11:00. We're also trying to fit in riding time before the hottest parts of the day. One day, we rode before swim; but she's a girl who needs her sleep, and I am loath to wake her. So we watch the weather reports to figure out good riding times each day.

The girls also want to play with their friends as much as possible. Since we leave at the end of June for two months, I hate to be a wet blanket about this. And they also want to go to the pool in the afternoons/early evenings. Again, they only have this month, and they love to swim. They stay at the pool for hours, without me, now that they have their own pool cards. It's a win-win situation for all.

Adding to this mix, Miss Priss has begun lessons at our nearby Mathnasium center. I plan to post about this later. The good news is that she likes it; the other good news is that she wants to go every day. The bad news is that this messes up my afore-mentioned, well-thought-out summer work schedule.

Then there's their summer independent reading. Last week, we took loads of books to our closest used bookstore to trade for credit. Each girl selected several books, which made my heart go pitter-pat. But now they want to read them, for Pete's sake, and aren't that interested in closing their books to read school books (however good those might be).

Therefore, the girls and I discussed a new schedule. Instead of trying to finish most things up by the end of June, we're going to do fewer readings per day and shoot for a later finish line. Flexibility is good.

And you? Has summer's fluidity and opportunities exercised a siren call over you and your children? How do you accommodate all this joy and stick to your original goals? I'd love to hear about it!

2 comments:

  1. I'm just catching up and am so sorry to hear about you having to cope with so much pain, and tests, etc. Saying a prayer for you.

    My life has been thrown very far from what I once would have considered a shot-to-smithereens schedule! My goal is now to be as positive each day as I can, to acknowledge accomplishments even if small, and to enjoy my lovely daughter's company. No - my goal is now to do anything in my power to help her recover from ME. So everything becomes subordinate to that. We are still struggling mightily with trying to juggle jobs and trying to arrange some kind of schooling for her (I am not gifted in the homeschooling department as you are!). So having passed through months of getting all worked up about things that "should" have been happening, I have managed to develop a kind of "Whatever!" attitude. Quite something for a Plannie Annie like me!

    All that by way of saying my advice is, focus on all that you manage to do, and enjoy, and let go of the rest!

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  2. My children are older now but I remember these days! I think you need to ask them what they want and have them sign off on a schedule. That way, they cannot blame you for waking them up or not taking them to a specific event. And remember, mama, it is your summer too! Be fluid and have fun. And thank you for linking up with us at NOBH!

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