When I tallied how much I spent last month taking the kids places, I had to do a double take. First off, I know last month was Christmas, and there were so many cool things to do. Christmas only comes one time per year, etc. But then, I realized just how much stuff I had purchased in September, with a promise to my loving, mostly supportive husband, that we would use it all, and that we had to have the pattern blocks, the magnetic letters and numbers, etc. How am I to use these things, if we are never home?
Seriously, here is an example of our schedule. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, you can catch us at the gym. The boys are able to play, be with adults other than family, and use things we don't have at home. Tuesday morning we had music class, but have switched back to attending our play group. Tuesday afternoon we do "school" with our very dear friends...which usually means play. Thursday morning I am trying to make our play date morning, so that again, the boys are "properly being socialized." (Don't get me started on that topic right now.) Friday is usually up in the air...who knows what happens after the gym. Then I see all of the cool things on the weekends that we can do as a family, and off we go again. Why do I have this constant need to be out all the time? Why do I have this constant need to find places to go and things to do? I cannot stand being home! I truly feel like an addict to exploration.
Well, I started putting the breaks on it this week. I stuck with the gym - that is my sanity, and plus the boys love to go there. Combine those facts with the simple fact that we had ridiculously cold temperatures, and it became clear that traveling to the gym was a needed thing to do and use their gym for tons of running. The nice part? It did not cost me (rather my hubby) anything but our membership cost and gas. Tuesday we ended up grocery shopping, since our play group was canceled due to snow. Wednesday we did the gym, and used their open gym after, so I could play basketball and run laps with the boys. Thursday I did an oil change in my car, and then stayed home with a sick Pierce man. And then Friday was the best day we had had all week.
The temps were amazing- we reached the upper 20's. This meant we could actually be outside, and enjoy the fresh air. The morning was not so awesome. I went ahead and did some errands during the morning with the boys, and their behavior just meant they truly needed to run. I almost paid for us to go to our local children's museum, and even started traveling that direction as I left the grocery store (again). But then I stopped. We didn't need to spend money to be happy. We needed to do something together, without us all being distracted by TV, phones, and society. So, I turned us around and headed home. I made sure I did some cleaning first, and the boys even had fun helping me. They were learning while we cleaned, and they truly appreciated contributing to the house.
I packed up our skate bag, and off we went to the lake. I did not expect to be out there for 2 hours. But, the boys were having so much fun. To be honest, I was as well! There is nothing better, to me, than watching my children work so hard at something and then finally succeed. Pierce had been working for the last week on skating without falling. He nailed it; he was even turning while on the ice! Carter finally gathered the courage to skate, and be in the cold. We laughed, and laughed, and laughed. We cheered each other on, we created games, and we had a blast. The cost? Nothing. Except for the gas it took to drive to the lake 15 minutes from our house. They learned all about their bodies, how to balance themselves, and how to talk themselves through tough spots. The most important lesson they each learned? Don't doubt yourself. Believe in yourself. That is how you accomplish things in life.
Then yesterday, with a cold, nasty rain falling from the sky, Dan and I packed the boys up to play at their favorite indoor playground. Yes, we had fun as a family, and yes we had to pay to get in, as well as the gas for the 35 minute ride there. However, on that type of day it was worth it.
I am instilling a new limit on myself. One paid thing per week. That is it. We don't need to go everywhere and spend a fortune. It is not the boys that are truly wanting to travel, it is me. I have the problem. I am the one that cannot stand being home. I am also going to downsize all of those awesome supplies I bought. They need to play now. They do not need to have special pattern blocks, color chips, workbooks, and such. Maybe I will not truly downsize by selling them, maybe I will just take all of that stuff out and put it into a tote until a few years from now. I know there were plenty of people that told me I would not need to have all of this stuff, and that are probably saying I told you so. But, as much as this has been a journey in schooling for the boys, it has been a journey discovering myself too. Teaching the boys and really being on call all day has taught me way more about myself that I would have ever learned.
To my boys, thank you so much for everything you have taught me this "school" year. Thank you for showing me my own faults, as well as showing me my strengths. I originally started this concept of teaching you school, but in the end, it has really become you teaching me about life. Thank you both times a million. I love you to the moon and back.
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