Overscheduled?

Curtis and I both believe in downtime. Non structured quiet, family downtime. We like to play games or just sit out in the backyard. We need time to read or watch TV together. But trying to reconcile that with all the worthwhile activites out there has got us stumped.

We have a pow wow several times a week about how to juggle it all. Basically there aren't enough hours in the day. A few extracurriculars we're committed to:

1) Piano- I just don't know anyone who plays and wishes they didn't. But I know tons of people who wish they had learned. And let's face it, learning as an adult is way more difficult. I think one of my brothers says that his kids don't get their driver's license until they can play 25 hymns. I love that idea. So far Jonah and Isaac really enjoy it. Daniel is starting this summer. I know it's going to get rough, probably in about 2 or 3 years but I'm really hoping we can stick it out.

2) Scouts- I think it's a great program and want all of our boys to earn their eagle. I know several boys at church who earned theirs by the time they were 14 or 15. That way they are done before they get super busy with high school.

3) Sports- Both Curtis and I love to play sports. For Curtis it is the only way he enjoys exercise. Team sports offer all kinds of great lessons and I want my kids to have that exposure before they are awk pre teens and too self conscious to learn. Right now we are in swim team and we love it. The boys are really improving and have many good friends on our team.

4) Church acitivies- Sunday meetings, Family Home Evening every week and daily scriptures and prayers.

But now Daniel really wants to play flag football in the fall- actually they all do. And then Curtis and I have talked about letting Daniel be in a play at the local theater. And then of course there's lacrosse, which Jonah played last year but now we're thinking of bagging it because it is WAY more contact than I remembered. Turns out that I like the sport way less when it's my kid out there getting checked instead of my old high school buddies. :O Oh and Jonah wants to play the trumpet in the band at school and Isaac's been begging to try basketball or karate... arghh.

I remember listening to a talk in college at BYU about prioritizing. The speaker said that God allows us to have too many options (and I mean good options) so that we are forced to decide what's really important. I don't think I can get rid of any of the 4 above. I wish the school day could be shortened. I mean we all know half the day is wasted standing in line. But I don't see homeschool in my future, so... for now I guess we will just keep trying to juggle all the activities. I'd love to hear how other families manage things, especially those with older kids.

And now for your viewing pleasure: