Oh Honey: A Slower Pace

Today is Wednesday. Wednesday has become one of my favorite days. Sammy and I drop the kids at school in the morning, drive-thru Starbucks and come home. The house is quiet. It's just her and I.

I pour my hot coffee into a big mug and sip away while I do my Bible study and make a to-do list for the day. Sammy wanders off to play with her dolls and occasionally checks in to get a snack or tell me she's going potty. Sheets get changed and night stands get dusted. Sliding glass doors get cleaned and bathrooms get wiped down. We make lunch and read a couple of books.

She chats to me about all sorts of stuff as we wait in the pick-up line for the big kids. They are home just long enough to have a snack and mess up their clean rooms before Grandma comes to whisk them off to Awana for the evening.

Wednesdays are great, but life in general is great. Our pace has slowed down a lot. We have pulled out of activities and have chosen not to replace them with anything. We can visually see that a burden has been lifted off the shoulders of Juliana as she relishes the freedom that homeschooling three days a week has brought. Her countenance is joyful and her creativity has soared. My younger two aren't being dragged everywhere and I'm not frazzled from driving all over the place.

I recently ran into a friend of mine in Sprout's. Her daughter and Juliana were in the same dance classes, Girl Scout troop and soccer team last year. She told me that by Wednesday every week she was exhausted and ready for Sunday because Sunday is the only day they don't have anything that keeps them away from their house till 7 or 8 pm. My heart was tender toward her because I know the feeling. However, I came to the realization that my kids can't drive themselves places and I was the one who holds the reigns to our family's activity load.

All this to say, if you feel frazzled, LET SOMETHING GO!! I finally did and it was empowering.

Because by 7 or 8pm this is what should be happening...