Halcyon Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 We are not an extremely busy homeschool family, but we are busier than some. Since before christmas, things have slowed down a lot. Less activities, no piano, no homeschool fitness, etc. And you know what? I LOVE it. We are baking bread, going on walks, relaxing at home, I am cleaning and organizing, reading...anyway....I am SO reluctant to go back to doing all our activities, and I am torn. Both kids do hockey. Practice once a week for each (differentn evenings) and games Saturday from 8 am until about noon. Piano is once a week, but we are thinking of splitting them up as younger wants to take voice lessons. So that woud be 2 separate lessons at different times, I think. I work 3 afternoons a week. That isnt changing. We go to HS fitness on Thursdays from 1130 to 1230 and the timing just stinks and it's far away, but the boys really enjoy it. so that's our life, which will presumably resume in a week. But I am so relaxed now, doing less. I guess this is just a moan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I hear you. I guess I am a homebody - I love the more relaxed pace when we don't have a lot of outside activities. For us when things are really crazy is in the fall and spring when Miss P is doing a theater production - practices every night for a month, we don't all get to eat together, by the end of it I hate it and am so ready to get my family back! But she loves it. But because I know we have that twice a year I really try and keep down our other activities so I don't lose my mind then. I've really enjoyed this break, reading and cooking and going for walks. I'm sad that Mo goes back to school and dh goes back to work on Monday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I hear you too. We were absurdly overscheduled in the fall. Co-op on Mondays pretty much all day, science group on Tuesdays all afternoon, Piano and drama and soccer and ballet for one of them on Thursdays, Shakespeare class for the other on Friday mornings, Ballet AGAIN on Saturday mornings and a soccer game. I'm telling you, I have felt like I was losing it. Christmas was SUCH a nice change of pace. My to do list *mostly* managed to clear itself off! I made proper meals every single day! We went to the Building Museum and the Hirshhorn for fun and out to eat in Chinatown like we like to do! Sigh... it's a little better for the winter. Soccer ended awhile ago. No drama or Shakespeare, though we're doing Destination Imagination again. I really struggle with this. We like everything we do and I'm glad that we're active and engaged. I'm trying to figure out the right balance... Spring will bring soccer back and then summer will be too empty, I'm sure, which will cause me to overbook the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 You're telling my story. I think the most important word in "homeschool" is home. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 You're telling my story. I think the most important word in "homeschool" is home. :laugh: I was thinking about you saying this while I was writing!!! It's how I feel too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I feel the same way and have already decided to cut out some things because its been so nice. I already told the kids no soccer in the spring. so far all 3 kids have church and Awana on Sundays, homeschool group every other Friday and homeschool science class once a month dd10 piano on wednesdays and 4H once a month plus she is starting a bible study class ds6 boy scouts twice a month When we had soccer we have something everyday of the week except for fridays and I am not ready to do that again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acablue Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I'm kicking myself now for how much we've signed up for this winter. I can't figure out why I thought putting the boys in four sports was a good idea... We definitely wouldn't do well with activities during the "school day." Having to leave the house at all before 2-3pm on a week day completely throws us off. A fitness class at lunch time (for kids who are already active) would drive me crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Don't know if you read any of my recent posts. but I feel the same way, and I am doing something about it. I emailed the book club organizer; we won't be participating this month. Ice skating--taking off for this session and skating as a family once a week or so instead. Tomorrow I tell the church choir director that we will be taking 1- 1&1/2 months off from driving to the church and back on Weds to spend 3-4 hours out of the house for choir/organ practice. We haven't cut out dog classes completely, but I've scaled them back. We all feel relieved and most people seem to understand. What helps is that we set a goal to get back to the activities after we've had some time off, so we know we aren't walking away forever, just taking a much needed break. We are keeping up with 4H and piano, but I've cut piano lessons to every other week for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted January 6, 2013 Author Share Posted January 6, 2013 I guess I am a homebody too LOL. I already have to work outside the home...sheesh, isn't that enough??? LOL I think we will put off starting piano and voice until Feb, and I will reconsider then. Hockey is non negotiable, but I am going to cut back on Homeschool Fitness, the timing just kills us. Plus it's a half an hour away. I think that's a start. My younger definitely likes being home more, but older needs to out and about more. We'll figure it out, I suppose! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I guess I am a homebody too LOL. I already have to work outside the home...sheesh, isn't that enough??? LOL I think we will put off starting piano and voice until Feb, and I will reconsider then. Hockey is non negotiable, but I am going to cut back on Homeschool Fitness, the timing just kills us. Plus it's a half an hour away. I think that's a start. My younger definitely likes being home more, but older needs to out and about more. We'll figure it out, I suppose! See, homeschool sports are generally done in the morning, which is a total time sucker. Don't do anything that happens before 3 in the afternoon. Also, you might think that your older dc needs more time out, but it could very well be that you've just created a frankenstein, with your outside activities. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 My kids have had a little too much togetherness the past couple of weeks. I complained in the fall about being over scheduled, and now I remember *why* I over schedule. Bring on the activities, please! (I remember my idealistic time when I thought my kids wouldn't ever fight because only brick-and-mortar-school kids fought with their siblings. Ha!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Swim team and music lessons. That's it. If they want to go out more than that... "Have fun at the park!" I have high hopes for the Mother of the Year award, so I am happy to prepare fresh water bottles for their outings. :D ETA: We also take school to the park sometimes, but that doesn't count because it is not a commitment. If it stresses me out too much, we just don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawlas Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 My kids are very young so this hasn't been huge, but I just moved from the town I grew up in to a ranch an hour from anywhere on a sporadically maintained road (and a foot of snow lol) where I know not a soul. We went from swimming on Tuesday mornings, my working out of the house on wednesdays, strongstart on Thursday mornings, and library on Fridays to having been nowhere since the 22nd of December! There's a pretty active homeschool group in both towns I'm nearby, but I can see the yucky road making us really think twice about what we want to travel for. Apparently a blessing in disguise cause I'm a major homebody. . . Unfortunately my son is a social little thing and I'm gonna have to find some compromises! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFM Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I have been be very guarded about our time. I was doing Bible studies in the a.m. and co-op, piano, etc. While these are great endeavors they were taking away from the main goal. So, we have scaled back this semester and I am hoping we will feel more at ease. One of the reasons I chose to homeschool was that I did not want my schedule dictated by other commitments or obligations. So, no co-op this semester and I am really happy about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Our extracurriculars are clustered into two days. I love the days we are home all day. I am with you. I have really enjoyed the break, and wish it could be longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I hear you, too. We're about to start back into choir, karate, piano and guitar, Spanish class for ds, my own Spanish class, regular get-togethers with friends, my volunteer work. And ds got a month's worth of ukulele lessons for Christmas, so we're squeezing those in too. Whew. I just want to hike and clean and read and play games for another week. Or two. Or ten. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briansmama Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 It's so tough to find that balance. Everything starts back up tomorrow and that includes piano lessons on M, homeschool sports class on T, art and science on Wed. If this were all we were doing the rest of the year that would be great, but when Little League starts up this spring that means two evening practices plus an evening game and a weekend game. The organized team sports are what get to me. I like us to eat dinner together as a family, and during LL that just isn't possible 3 evenings per week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I was loving the break, too! I even thought I did such a good job not signing us up for anything this spring! But then... There was play they wanted to be in, so there goes one night a week and all of April. Then dd reminded me about soccer. And that's on top of speech twice a week. And a trip to Florida, Boston, and Utah and CA all before July. Oh well. It was a nice thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I guess I am a homebody too LOL. I already have to work outside the home...sheesh, isn't that enough??? LOL Me too. We've cut back fairly significantly on outside activities lately, and it has felt really good! My kids have agreed to keep it down to one activity each right now, with Park Day - Friday afternoons - for everyone. Do ds will keep going with fencing Tuesday afternoons for 1-1.5 hours, and dd will keep going with roller derby on Monday evenings for 1.5 hours. And that's IT for now, except an occasional playdate here and there... oh, and if field trips come up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennay Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 For the first time since we started homeschooling we are taking a session off of our co-op. Our schedule wasn't too bad but we are down to one vehicle and that made it difficult. So now the only activities are on Mondays - piano for DS#1, followed by swimming lessons, and then 2 times a month Cub Scouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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