Are You Caught Up in "The Homeschool World?"
Saturday, July 14, 2012 at 6:00AM 
Summer is a time when everyone should allow their minds, bodies, and spirits to recharge.
For the next couple of weeks I am going to focus on several things that have nothing to do with blogging or the online world.
I will be spending a few days ALONE with my husband. (see that pretty lake in the picture? I'm going there.) Once home, some serious planning for this school year will commence, and we will also finish our summer swimming season with a synchronized swimming and diving show.
I had a huge heart moment last week. I truly believe it was the Holy Spirit gently whispering to me.
It came as I was watching my children at a senior center here in Atlanta. We visited the center as a part of our music camp - the children sang, and then sat with the residents to ring bells and sing Christmas Carols (it was Christmas in July). Then, they made Advent door decorations with the residents.
The caring and kindness I saw in each of the campers that day literally reduced me to a puddle of tears. When I saw my own children (Gman sitting on his sister's lap), that even further got to me.
That day I was clearly hearing that I need to SLOW DOWN and seek opportunities for my family to do the same. We need to find our fulfillment in relationship and service.
Sometimes I get so caught up in our "Homeschool World" that I forget about the big, wide world out there. I'm hoping you understand what I mean by that.
There are days when I literally don't think of much else besides homeschool lessons, blogging, and just making it to the next day.
Over the next couple of weeks I will be thinking about BROADENING the perspective in our home. I want to be more well rounded, physically and mentally, so that I can model this for my children. I want to seek ways to serve those in need in our own community. More time needs to be spent with a few dear friends I have here.
My children need a mom that isn't worn out and frazzled on the first day of school.
There is so much I need to do with these precious souls in the short time I have them with me!
I will be praying about ways to balance serving my husband, homeschooling my children, staying committed in our church, blogging, and my piano studio.
I will be reading books for FUN and also a few to help in our homeschool. 
Most of all, I will be enjoying time with those who are precious to me. We have a 15th anniversary to celebrate, and a certain young lady I know will be turning 11.
I don't want to blog the time, or tweet it along the way. Somehow that almost seems like a violation of my family's privacy.
I do hope you'll check back for another Homeschool Guest on Wednesday, and of course I'll have a Collage Friday for you.
It also should be added that I'm learning a lot about balance, blogging, and friendship through being a part of the iHomeschool Network. It has deepened my commitment to blogging, but at the same time opened my eyes to the fact that I need to blog smarter.
I'm coming to find that LESS sometimes really IS MORE.
Lots is swirling around in my brain right now, and I'm looking forward to a mental and physical vacation!
I pray you are taking time to recharge this summer. All to soon we will back into the daily grind and longing for these summer days again!
Here's a favorite poem of mine - which aptly matches my sentiments ... we'll be working on memorizing this for the rest of the summer:
Let us find a shady wadyPretty little brook;Let us have some candy handy,And a picture book.There all day we'll stay and play andNever mind the heat,While the water gleaming, streaming,Ripples round our feet.And we'll gather curly pearlyMussel shells while brightFrightened minnows darting, parting,Scurry out of sight.What if, what if, - heigho! my oh! -All the "ifs" were true,And the little fishes wishes,Now, what would you do?
~ Evaleen Stein
*image credit
Reader Comments (17)
I totally get that! I wrote out my goals for the children as part of my homeschool planning recently. I am alway surprised to see how many of the goals to not include school work.
Blessings, Dawn
good for you - "I don't want to blog the time, or tweet it along the way. Somehow that almost seems like a violation of my family's privacy." - that's it.
I was sharing prayers online and felt like God was asking me ... are you doing this to be closer to me or to be closer to them.
We are taking August off - just to relax and enjoy the remaining bit of summer. We have steadily worked through July and while we did not quite get as far as I wanted - my goal was to finish SOTW, what we did, we did well. The girls are enjoying Medieval times right now and there is no need to rush simply because I envisioned us finishing by August. We will finish early in the fall. I am feeling burnt out, my kids are feeling burnt out and we need to stop and relax and recharge.
Enjoy your time together. Greg and I have not taken an overnight trip in a very long time. Something always gets in the way...care of the dogs, care of the girls, work. Hopefully we can take some time for ourselves soon! Happy anniversary!
~Jess
I hear you 100% Mary! This is along the lines of what I meant when I wrote to you the other day that I was working on keeping things simple across the board, and working on projects that are quietly important to us. I have also been mulling over ways to become more involved in service.
I love the poem you closed with, by the way :)
Have a wonderful break Mary...Happy Anniversary to you and your husband, and Happy Birthday to your sweet girl!!!
You have a wonderful weekend. Love your family. Happy Anniversary!
Love this. I try to forge ahead with my homeschooling plans, get caught up in how far behind we're getting or not far enough ahead we are, and God throws something in my way to make me slow down. I need to realize more often how important these slowing down times are, and embrace the time with my girls and the life education they bring :)
I know my head has been whirling from all I've learn and continue to elarn there.
Enjoy your time away!
I so get this Mary. You know, I love the homeschool community. They are all so important to me. But I feel overwhelmed at times. That is why I mostly only blog on your Friday Collage. It just got to be too much to feel like I 'have to write a post'. And Keilee sometimes sits on the couch 'waiting' for me to finish. And it hit me..."What am I doing?".
I read something on someone's blog..maybe Jenn's at Little Homeschool on the Prairie? or Susan at Learning All the Time...not sure..anyway, about being so concerned about 'taking the picture' that you miss the moment. That resonated with me very deeply. I don't want to miss the moments. Love this post!
Happy Anniversary and have a wonderful trip!
Amen. In June I blogged up 70 posts to auto publish while I took a break from blogging. Some were drafts that needed editing and the month of July is filled with short posts showing past "field trips" we took as part of our homeschool or life experience. It has felt wonderful. Due to our long distance move and life adjustments related to that in the last year I focused on writing my blog posts and was reading less of everything on the internet, other blogs included, that also helped me find balance.
A bigger break that I took was to reduce and eliminate chatting about homeschooling on bulletin boards and discussion groups online. I enjoyed that for a long time but it got to a point where I was doubting our own choices and thinking the grass was always greener on the other side or thinking I'd made a wrong decision when what I did was really right for my own kids. Like trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Perhaps also reducing online social networking you do may be another helpful thing.
I also have been tweeting less and reduced FB time. I am relaxing more, thinking more, and doing more.
Enjoy.
Oh yes I am picking up whatcha layin down my friend! I sooooo agree! Have a great time with your hubby and relax!
This is where I am, Mary, and have been for a long time. My blogging is half and half--half for me (book reviews, etc.) and half for our homeschool. I don't desire to do any more than I am. When I first started out I did reviews of curricula, but I quickly saw that I felt that diminished the quality if what we did at home, to constantly be trying out something different. I really try to guard our time and seek the best. Hope you and your dh have had a great weekend!
Love this, Mary! Such beautiful words of encouragement to all of us.
Enjoy your week and the rest of your summer:)
Terrific, Mary! Days near a lake sounds wonderfully relaxing - enjoy it! Whenever I'm tempted to spend more time than I should online - or perfecting something on my site - I repeat to myself, "Use me, Lord." And He answers! This fall, I'm reading the Bible cover to cover again :)
You're reading my mind, girl! Trying to get my little duckies in a row so I can be smart and faithful with my time. xoxo Have a great few weeks!!
I love your posts, and your heart even more! I agree, it is so easy to get so caught up in one thing (homeschooling, blogging, crafting, etc.) to the exclusion of all else. I'm praying for ways for our family to serve this year as well and I'm seeking opportunities to broaden our life experiences.
I go get the desire to blog smarter. I love blogging, but I've found as I've had to be inconsistent this summer, that life goes on even when a blog post doesn't get put up. Serving God, growing in my relationship with Him, cherishing my family, and enjoying my life have to be my first priorities. Everything else has to fall into place behind that.
OH how I can relate! To just about everything you said! I think I need a weekend away with my hubby - we barely have time for talking, let alone date nights! Less is more...I am trying to watch that I'm not blogging everything, and I'm also learning through iHN that I need to blog smarter and watch my commitments! God first, family, then everything else.
Hey girl! I so hear you. God has been putting the same thing on my heart -- expanding our world to more than homeschool. Excited to see how He wrecks our heart for him. I"m reading The Core too! If you want to join in on our book club, it's not too late! http://www.granolamom4god.com/our-curriculum/classical-education (Scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see a listing of all the chapters.) How far into the book are you? See you on iHomeschool!