BLUE

I've been feeling a little blue lately....okay really just since yesterday....when I really realized that life as I love it is put on pause for a bit....don't get me wrong, I still love my life....but the change that I dread each year as officially come full speed! In other words, the lazy days of summer are officially over; and school and all the busyness that brings with it is in full swing. I am not a fan of busyness, and I am NOT a fan of homework; but I am a fan of school....sort of....if I could have it exactly the way I want it ;)! I realize that homework is often necessary, but good golly miss molly....does one 7th grade student need to be completely drowning in it EVERY SINGLE DAY???? My answer to that question would be a very firm NO! My girl comes home every day, grabs a snack, and sits down to do homework....in the other room I might add....so she can have some privacy and limited distractions while she's doing it. She'll break for dinner and a shower and sometimes just for a few minutes to catch her breath, and then she's back to homework....finally around 10ish....she's off to bed. Help Me Henry....I live in the same house with my precious daughter, and I rarely have a chance to talk to her lately. She has her head stuck in a book....and not by choice, but by requirement. Also with school comes soccer, dance, choir, Bible Studies, jazz band, honors band, In Home Therapy for Cal, music lessons, after school clubs, and many other fun things. But honestly it makes me want to click my heels together and say...."there's no place like home, there's no place like home" or "Calgon, take me away". Although we do make a conscious effort to say "NO" to many things, and I do try to schedule it to accomodate our family....some things don't work out the way I wish they would. Church activities are always a "YES", and fortunately my children LOVE participating in choir and Bible Studies; so that's not something we have had to negotiate. There are other things that do have to be negotiated and some things they want to do but don't get to, because......well frankly......we don't have the time, money or desire (or at least I don't have the desire) to chauffer them somewhere every day. I like for my children to be home and have free time to play outside and play together. I like for them to have free time to read what they want to....when they want to. I like for them to have free time to help me cook dinner or make dinner on their own....which the girls LOVE to do....and eat dinner with the family. I like for them to have time to rest and read their Bibles every day. I like for them to have time to sit down and do our devotion and have time for a deep discussion if one emerges. Do I believe school is important? Absolutely. Do I believe all that other stuff is important? Somewhat with a lot of explanation that I won't go into right now. Do I believe that learning and celebrating Christ is important? First and Foremost. Do I believe that family time, together time, rest is important? Without a doubt. What would be ideal to me would be....homeschooling my children, but that's not going to happen anytime soon for reasons I will share at some point later. I remember when all of my children were really little....okay so a few of them still are....but mainly my first 3....I was excited for them to start school and dance and soccer and stuff, and I still am excited for them to start school and dance and soccer and stuff. BUT the difference is that now....that Addi is in middle school....I realize that what I've heard all along has come to fruition....once they get older, there's just no time left in their day for you....and it's not always by their own choosing but it is being chosen for them with the required practices after school and projects due and homework out the wazoo; and honestly it just makes me feel a little a lot blue !