Committing to a Busy Fall Schedule

     We have a month left of summer.  For me, that means I need to solidify our fall schedule.  K-Bear this year will be diving into full day Kindergarten (I am crying inside at the thought of my 5, almost 6 year old being gone most of the day!)  and Chair-bug will be headed to half day Pre-K.  That leaves me and the baby by ourselves for 3 hrs a day and then after Chair-bug comes home another 4 hours before K-bear will be home.    It's challenging when you have a half day kid, because that immediately means I can't go to the women's morning bible study, join Bible Study Fellowship, or go to the local Moms of Preschooler's Group.  All of these social mom's groups start an hour before Chair-bug comes home and end an hour afterwards around lunch time.  We dealt with this same issue last year when K-bear was in Pre-K.  It's a season.  At least that's what my husband keeps telling me.  He's right.  It's just hard for someone who enjoys people!

    I was going to keep the fall very simple.  The girls would go to school, play soccer, and practice their piano.  However, my two little girls are more ambitious than their mother and apparently my husband and I are suckers.  I mean, they are only this young once!  And I do stay at home for a reason, right?  The girls have requested to continue ballet/jazz class and to continue gymnastics.  That would mean soccer twice a week, piano once, ballet once, and gymnastics another.  Don't forget I work a few evening a week.  What this means is insane taxi shuttling for me.  I do like a challenge, though.  I have heard over and over from other moms, my own mom included, not to over schedule.  But I like to learn things for myself now and then.  The worst thing that could happen is we have to drop a class or two.  So, here's to the fullest schedule I've ever taken on as a mom.  I believe the key will be preparation and organization.  If I can stay on top of these two things, the fall will go well.  We'll take one day at a time.  And I'll keep you up to par with how it goes and what I learn from the experience as a mom.

      Why spend so much time and energy on my kids?  I am all for investing in my two oldest as much as I can because I know whatever is invested in them will be passed on to their younger siblings.  Think of it as a trickle down effect.  I witnessed this in my own family.  I am the middle child of seven and the oldest two were who we all looked up to.  We wanted to wear what they wore, play the sports they played, talk their talk, and mimic them in every way possible.  Kids mimic older kids..  It's what they do.  So if you want more than one kid, pay special attention to the character you are investing into the oldest.  It's bound to rub off for the better or worse on the rest of your children!  Especially when you're not looking!