Good thing I wrote about procrastinating not too long ago because I am smack dab in the throes of it. Today’s my day to write. It’s 4 pm and I’m just starting. I usually write earlier during my daughter’s Capoeira class but this morning she had an “issue” that required we leave before she even got started. Then she had ballet for the very first time ever. Of course I set everything aside to give her my undivided attention during that most special hour. (She has loved ballet ever since she could walk and has been asking to take classes for over a year). The teacher was nice and it all went well. This is officially one new thing on the schedule!
We’re also trying piano tomorrow. When I say we, of course I mean she is.
As parents, we want to offer her as many opportunities as possible. We want to encourage her to discover her passions, to fill her life with truth, goodness and beauty but we must be careful not to cram so many activities that we upset the fragile balance of our family’s ecosystem (i.e mom’s nerves). If we do too much everyone is rushed, stressed, frazzled. And when I say everyone I mean I am. There is nothing good nor beautiful about that.
Scheduling is a fine art. Some people hate doing it. I love it. It’s calming to know what I am supposed to be doing and when. The downside of course is that I sometimes have a hard time being spontaneous and I can be very disappointed if I do not achieve everything that is written on my calendar. I’m getting better though.
One of my goals for 2017 was to wake up early again. My alarm was to be set for 6 am so I could have 30 minutes of quiet time to read and meditate. But so far this year, sleep has beckoned me every morning and I’ve succumbed to the appeal of my comfy warm bed. Even the sun sleeps in these days and I am not ready to be up before him. Luckily, since I am my own boss and my daughter doesn’t go to “school”, I am allowed to ignore the clock.
A few years ago, I would have called this lazy. I would have berated myself and I probably would have proceeded to remain negative for the rest of the day, wondering over a breakfast of maple syrup and whipped cream, what was the use of even trying to be better at anything if I couldn’t even make it out of bed on time.
But now that I am a 40 year old mature woman (ha!), I’m not so eager to beat myself up. The truth is, the extra sleep is serving me well right now. I’ve been diligent with exercising and eating healthy. I’ve been more patient with my daughter. Our homeschool has been fueled by excitement and good humor.
My calendar is here to serve me. I am its master not its slave. I get to set things up. I get to cross them off.
We’ll go ahead and proceed with ballet and maybe piano. We’ll continue swimming and Capoeira. We’ll re-enroll for the Science Co-op. We’ll go to library story time. We’ll read and do math often. We’ll eat healthy and exercise on most days. We’ll do the office work and prepare the taxes. We’ll squeeze the other one zillion things that somehow make their way on the agenda of a work at home, homeschooling mom.
But that work at home, homeschooling mom will get the zzzs she needs and not feel one ounce of guilt about it.
I have the luxury of sleeping as much as I want to and gosh darn it, why shouldn’t I?
My younger self called this lazy. Well I call it smart.
I call it a privilege.
I call it awesome!
Next week’s essay is titled “Worry Worry quite contrary, weeds are all that you grow”. Subscribe using the widget below to be notified when it gets published. Thank you for reading.