just push pause

We wouldn't know what overbooked was if it smacked us in the face.  I wasn't alive 100 years ago (in case you were wondering) but I have this suspicion that mothers were not running their children all over town every night of the week to basketball practice, church, the local gym, the library, to wal-mart to get cleats for their game etc, etc.  All modern day moms know that the list goes on and on and on and......

WHAT IF...........we all slowed down?  Paused even.

I have recently settled into a new home and a new town.  I left behind my job, my breastfeeding support groups, MOPS, Teen MOPS, piano lessons, dance lessons, soccer, my babysitters, my family, my friends, my book club, my BUNCO group..................

Point proven.

I have been in no hurry to start our old schedule.  Partly because everything is new, and I don't know the ropes around here.  But mostly because something feels very right about our new, free schedule.

I used to be booked 5/7 nights a week.  My husband was away working late before so night after night, I would rush dinner or go through a drive through to feed my kids.  Yell at everyone to hurry up, grab this, grab that, put your shoes on we are going to be late.....you know the drill.  I was one woman trying to save the world. I have always been a people person.  Need and love to be surrounded by people and always thought I needed to be out and about whether it be visiting my grandmother or volunteering at church.  Thank goodness, my kids did well with this, and I am sure they learned a lot along the way.  Every experience is a learning experience.

A couple of months ago I started to see a clear pattern and routine.  Something I never had before.  I noticed we woke up about the same time everyday, naturally.  I noticed we ate breakfast together and had wonderful conversation at the breakfast table every morning.  I noticed we were accomplishing several hours of school daily, without much effort.  I noticed we were eating better and I was cooking and cleaning more.  I noticed we sat at the dinner table longer, not watching the clock, but laughing, learning and telling stories.  I noticed there was less chaos.

Now, don't let me fool you.  Chaos still happens.  Emma just took my Christmas decorations down for me on Sunday.  There is mud traipsed through our family room.  MUD!  The kids all took a bath tonight, but when I asked them if they washed up, they replied "No, but we washed the bath toys".  Chaos will still go on.

I miss my book club, work, my family, random cups of coffee with my girlfriends, MOPS-all of it!  But I have learned so much about myself and my family over these past couple of months that it makes it all OK.  Once I learned to let go of everything, I was able to focus on my family and all of their needs.

Many women fear and refuse to become just a "housewife" or a "stay at home mom".  Staying home with my kids everyday and working for my family has been the single most rewarding thing in my life, period.  It's like my business.  I pour my blood, sweat and tears into this daily and I love it.

Having said this, I know society makes it challenging to not participate in anything.  Societal pressures are lightened when you home school and it makes it easier to not "sign-up" for everything.  I understand how it is...we don't want our child to be the only one not on the team.  The only one out of their class not doing what all the other kids are doing.  But what if we just cut one thing out?  I think children, mothers, families are overbooked.  What if our kids only participated in one thing per school year?  Learn to play an instrument, and that is it.  Join the basketball team, and that is it.  I think if more and more families could cut things out, families would connect again.  Connect the way they used to when mothers and children worked together at home all day and waited on father to arrive.  Connect by sitting at the table for dinner every night and talking.

Slowing down has been the best thing that ever happened to me.