What are your hobbies?

[-M-]

I work as a writer and editor (although over the last four years, I have been able to whittle my project and client lists down to "just enough to claim uninterrupted work history" -- thank you, Mr. M-mv!). And, as it is for so many others, reading is food, water, and air to me, so that leaves the following as my pursuits:

 

■ bicycling

■ backyard birdwatching

■ archery

■ music (fiddle and piano, in the past; flute, more recently)

■ art (classes at the local college)

 

Good movies, quality theater, a bit of opera and symphony orchestra, and board games round out my interests.

 

If someone else hasn't already stated the obvious, let me: Everything was a wee bit exhausting when my children were young, and while I was generally careful to care for myself (physically, emotionally, and intellectually), I did realize that *most* of my resources needed to be directed to my family and my work.

 

In other words, please cut yourself some slack. You are not boring. You're just in the midst of a particular season, as some on this board would say. You have a toddler and a baby? The oldest is five? My oldest was eight when my youngest was born. Twenty-one months separate the middle and youngest. The oldest was a *HUGE* and generally unbidden help to me, but I can still say (again): Everything was a wee bit exhausting when my children were young. Be gentler on yourself.

[Element]

OP, I don't think reading is a boring hobby at all! The purpose of a hobby isn't to make you a cooler person, anyway. :tongue_smilie: The purpose of a hobby is to relieve stress by doing something you enjoy, right? I sew. I had crazy, awful in-law drama on Friday. I sat down at the sewing machine and just kind of mindlessly made some cute notebook covers (pics here, but no tutorial) for dd and I felt better after a couple of hours. It's very therapeutic for me.

 

ETA:

I just went and looked at the ages of your dc after posting.

 

:grouphug:!!!

 

In other words, please cut yourself some slack. You are not boring. You're just in the midst of a particular season, as some on this board would say.

...

Everything was a wee bit exhausting when my children were young. Be gentler on yourself.

 

I totally, wholeheartedly agree with this. I don't even think I could read for 10 minutes for the first year after dd was born, let alone do anything crafty. When my youngest was your youngest's age, my hobbies consisted of "not killing anyone" and "napping when I can." I actually got to be pretty good at the first one. The second one never really panned out.

Edited August 5, 2012 by Element

[ereks mom]

I'm a member of a choir. We sing two concerts a year, in December and May. There are rehearsals once a week on Friday evenings, and I probably spend a total of about ten hours working on the music on my own for each concert.

 

I have a large garden (yard) encompassing an acre of woodland which we have partially replanted and continue managing, a new orchard with long grass where we are encouraging wild flowers, and a more traditional area of lawn, patio and flower beds, which I am gradually planting up. I spend most weekends in the summer on this, and often do some weeding after Hobbes is in bed on the long, light summer evenings.

 

In winter, when I am doing less in the garden, I go for long walks often with the family.

 

I read every night, but like you I often fall asleep quickly.

 

Laura

 

Sounds a lot like me! I am also a choir member, and we also have two concerts per year in May & December. Our weekly rehearsals are on Monday evenings.

 

I also enjoy my flower garden, and I'd like to do more with it, but it's just so HOT during our growing season that I hate to go outside except for brief periods in the early morning and just before dusk.

 

In winter, I like to sew and do crafts and bake. I enjoy making gifts for my family and friends.

[laughing lioness]

Everything was a wee bit exhausting when my children were young. Be gentler on yourself.

 

:iagree:Yep.

[stripe]

I've only VERY recently started doing the things I want to do again and my kids are 15 and 11.

:001_huh: oh no.

[Ibbygirl]

:001_huh: oh no.

 

Well, they're both Autistic so it's later than normal kids. Kinda like dog years vs. human years, kwim? :D

[Desert Rat]

I digiscrap and read. I like to do small craft projects to decorate out home.

[Mothersweets]

Reading, knitting, and buying super-fab yarn to knit with.

[Mothersweets]

OP, I don't think reading is a boring hobby at all! The purpose of a hobby isn't to make you a cooler person, anyway. :tongue_smilie: The purpose of a hobby is to relieve stress by doing something you enjoy, right? I sew. I had crazy, awful in-law drama on Friday. I sat down at the sewing machine and just kind of mindlessly made some cute notebook covers (pics here, but no tutorial) for dd and I felt better after a couple of hours. It's very therapeutic for me.

 

 

 

I love the notebook covers!

[JessReplanted]

I made a new friend recently, and she tried to ask me about my hobbies.

 

:confused:

 

And then she asked me, "What do you think about when you don't have to think about anything?"

 

:confused: :confused: :confused:

 

I homeschool 3 children and I have a very creative (and unpredictable) husband. When I find a quiet moment, and I'm not thinking about laundry, money, or making dinner, I try to pretend I'm somewhere serene, like the ocean.

 

"Hobbies." :lol:

Edited August 6, 2012 by JessReplanted

[acablue]

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but apart from a few months here and there when my kids were babies/toddlers, I've had time to keep up the things that I enjoy.

 

Currently, I run, swim, go to the gym, hike, read, do sudoku and crosswords, watch sports, play in a softball league, and golf. At other times in the year, I play basketball, coach several sports, and ski.

[Ibbygirl]

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but apart from a few months here and there when my kids were babies/toddlers, I've had time to keep up the things that I enjoy.

 

Currently, I run, swim, go to the gym, hike, read, do sudoku and crosswords, watch sports, play in a softball league, and golf. At other times in the year, I play basketball, coach several sports, and ski.

 

LOL It's called "being a man". hehehe ;)

[SunnyDays]

LOL It's called "being a man". hehehe ;)

 

:iagree: Um, yeah. That!! :D

[Joani]

LOL It's called "being a man". hehehe ;)

:iagree:

There's a stay-at-home dad of four in my neighborhood who does absolutely everything in their household and runs marathons for fun. It's sickening, really. ;)

 

As it stands, my youngest is 7 and my hobbies are swimming, reading and spending too much time on the computer.

[ShannonS]

It doesn't happen as often as I like, but whenever I can get a sitter for a few hours in the late evening, I run like mad to the local Bikram Yoga studio. Give me that heat!

 

Lots of hobbies WITH the kids: Reading, gardening, cooking, quilting, piano.

[Nestof3]

:iagree:

There's a stay-at-home dad of four in my neighborhood who does absolutely everything in their household and runs marathons for fun. It's sickening, really. ;)

 

 

Sounds simply dreamy! :001_wub:

[JadeOrchidSong]

I want to add that aside from singing several styles of opera, I also love love love learning languages! Greek, Arabic, and French (refresh since I studied French as my second foreign language for three years) are on my list to learn and teach! My kids are doing 4 languages now including English, which is my foreign language.

I play hacky sack and/or jump rope every day when it is not too windy and have taught some fascinated kids to do it with me at my park while inspiring some men in their 30s and 40s to refresh their skills with me. I sometimes feel like a star when old and young (especially toddlers) people at the park watch me play attentively. I just wish more people would play it no matter what age. I am in my mid 40s and enjoy it immensely! I go through 5 or 6 in one season. I need to find better hacky sacks. Mine are with feathers. They fall apart easily.

I wish American adults can play/exercise more in parks! Parks are not just places for kids to run off their energy. Adults can be active while supervising their little ones.

 

Here is the one sold on Amazon that I play with.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Kikbo-1st-Edition-Kick-Shuttlecock/dp/B004ZRN7J0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344316650&sr=8-1&keywords=chinese+hacky+sack

 

They call it shuttle cock??? I am never sure about the English name for this, but people at the park call it hacky sack.

Edited August 7, 2012 by aomom

[crazyforlatin]

I want to add that aside from singing several styles of opera, I also love love love learning languages! Greek, Arabic, and French (refresh since I studied French as my second foreign language for three years) are on my list to learn and teach! My kids are doing 4 languages now including English, which is my foreign language.

I play hacky sack and/or jump rope every day when it is not too windy and have taught some fascinated kids to do it with me at my park while inspiring some men in their 30s and 40s to refresh their skills with me. I sometimes feel like a star when old and young (especially toddlers) people at the park watch me play attentively. I just wish more people would play it no matter what age. I am in my mid 40s and enjoy it immensely! I go through 5 or 6 in one season. I need to find better hacky sacks. Mine are with feathers. They fall apart easily.

I wish American adults can play/exercise more in parks! Parks are not just places for kids to run off their energy. Adults can be active while supervising their little ones.

 

Here is the one sold on Amazon that I play with.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Kikbo-1st-Edition-Kick-Shuttlecock/dp/B004ZRN7J0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344316650&sr=8-1&keywords=chinese+hacky+sack

 

They call it shuttle cock??? I am never sure about the English name for this, but people at the park call it hacky sack.

 

Aha! I'm going to order that at amazon and give it to DD. :D. I mean, I'm willing to try in the park, but I bet she would love it. Do you just use your legs and feet and kind of kick/bounce it to another person?

[JadeOrchidSong]

You can play solo, with another person, or with as many people as you like in a circle.

I mainly play solo. I can do as many as 30 kicks at a time. I can use one leg/foot or alternate legs/feet. I have to chase it in all directions that it goes to (which makes it a great workout) even though I can generally control where it goes or how high it goes.

I usually prefer solo because most people can't do it well and keep it in the air long enough.

You can watch YouTube videos to see how it is played.

Edited August 7, 2012 by aomom

[crazyforlatin]

You can play solo, with another person, or with as many people as you like in a circle.

I mainly play solo. I can do as many as 30 kicks at a time. I can use one leg/foot or alternate legs/feet. I have to chase it in all directions that it goes to (which makes it a great workout) even though I can generally control where it goes or how high it goes.

I usually prefer solo because most people can't do it well and keep it in the air long enough.

You can watch YouTube videos to see how it is played.

 

That's great! These threads get us to see a different side of people. I'm usually only on the k-8 board, but it's awesome to see how diverse our interests are.

[Mommyof4ks]

Dh and I dance even though our house is not well laid out for that. I do a variety of crafts, and I try to read and work on Christmas crafts while I ride my stationary bike to get some exercise in while I do other things. I enjoy hiking, so weep that some in the cooler months.

[LucyStoner]

I am a reader. I roller skate- used to train with a recreational roller derby league, planning to go back sometime when the kids are older and I have more time. I skate 1-2 times a week now. I get a fair bit of exercise in- at home, at the Y and a local parks. I like to bike but it is less a hobby than just a way to get around and be active. We host a board game night a few times a month. My husband and I like music and dancing- we are going to a country dance on Thursday night.

[TammyinTN]

What do you do besides homeschool and all your mom/homemaker duties? And about how much time per week would you say you spend on these hobbies?

 

I used to knit. I used to write. I used to sew. I used to enjoy cooking, baking, and cake decorating. I used to hike and roller blade. All I do nowadays is read...and usually I fall asleep about ten minutes into it. I just feel like I've become a very boring person, but the thought of trying to pursue my old hobbies is exhausting.

 

I love to read, but usually at bedtime. I cook and bake weekly. I'm making blankets for the grand-babies all 3 of them. I cross-stitch and embroider. I love to decorate and I'm learning to build furniture...thanks to Anna White. I spend about two hours daily on hobby stuff.