What I Did on My Summer Vacation

I learned a lot. About myself. I learned that while I might be able to go, go, go and have plans all day every week day, I will eventually burn out.

In the beginning of the summer I was taking both boys to the YMCA almost every day. Then we'd either go to my girlfriend's house, to the library, out to lunch or all three. Little by little I found myself getting home later every day. Then one Friday I stayed home. And, bam, I discovered something. I'm a homebody. I love being home. I got so much done that day and couldn't believe all of the time I had to actually do things around the house. And my relationships didn't suffer. My girlfriend and I still text or talk on the phone fifty times a day.

A few weeks ago the brakes went on our van (while I was driving with both boys in a downpour on the expressway), and I was stuck home for over a month without a car. During that month (without a choice), I slowed way down. We took nature walks, started art journals, made a Spiderman Web across our living room,  and lounged around under tents we made reading books by flashlight. I cleaned out the craft room, school room, three of the bedrooms, three bathrooms and a bunch of closets. I donated bags of clothes, toys, and household things to Goodwill.

I joined two homeschool co-ops for the Fall, but we're only going to go to one for classes. We'll use the other for field trips. Bug is finishing up karate at the YMCA this Saturday, and decided he wants to continue by earning his belts. We're signing him up at the karate academy where he'll take karate twice a week. I wish it wasn't twice a week, but I'm very happy he's so into it.

Instead of making sure our week is filled with play dates, library trips, museum trips, the zoo and everything else, we do one or two things a week and play the rest of the time.

This past summer I learned probably my most favorite lesson of all. The art of slowing down.