Priorities

Yes, as a homeschooling mom it can be hard to decide what is most important and what needs to be done at any given moment.  You can focus on one thing and neglect others and then those things that are being neglected seem to rear their ugly heads soon enough and demand attention.  You are constantly trying to find a balance, AND trying to find a shorcut, or an easy way to get something done so you do have more time.

I was reading in the August Ensign and I came across a really cool quote.  The quote was attributed to "an extraordinary mother of 12 children" (she had my admiration already!)  This is what the quote said:

We cannot do everything, all the time, all at once.  We can, through the years, do many things, at different times, one at a time.  It is important to see choices as opportunities, not as frustrations.

This is a great reminder.  I don't need to be frustrated when I have 3 children demanding my attention all at once...very loudly.  I am blessed to have the opportunity to choose between the three of them.  LOL

Before I began the year I put together my schedule for the year.  I have every second scheduled, things I have to leave out, only 1/2 hour for things that can take an hour.  It's very daunting, very overwhelming.  As I schedule my time, I realize the time that I am not with my children is very precious.  Precious as in rare.  My last child goes to bed around 8:00 PM.  I go to bed at 9:00 PM.  I get up at 5:00 AM and my children are awakened from their blissful slumber at 6:00 AM by my husband.  I get two hours.  Only two hours!  At first I had exercise scheduled for that early morning hour.  Having just had a baby I really really would like to look a little thinner.  There's lots of other great things I could say about exercise too.  The evening was taken up with a shower, prep time, etc.

Then I had one of those moments where the Lord deluges you with information.  I kept running into references of needing the spirit to make right choices.  I listened to the conference talk that said that when you yell at your children you lose the spirit.  I taught a Sunday School class and a Relief Society class.  In both I taught the importance of having the spirit with you.  It seemed that all the scriptures I read, and all the Ensign articles I read said the same thing.  Enough already!  So, I changed my schedule.  That hour in the morning that I was going to use to exercise is now an hour of scripture study.  I need that more than I need the exercise.  (I am going for walks with my kids, if you're worried about my health.)  I know that I made the right choice.  I am feeling stronger and more in control of my life.  The things that are suppose to happen are happening.  The things in my life that are unimportant are falling out of my life.