Spinning Plates

I have been so busy in the last two weeks- but today- today it finally feels like not just my head, but my whole self is out of the water.  And to add to the visual images I'm using to describe my life, I have lots of plates in the air.

We started school last week, and are doubling up our goals for Grace and Patience, and adding Hudson in with Lily for Preschool.  Hudson obviously needs quite a bit of attention to stay quiet, still, and focused, but he's also very motivated by candy, and he's doing well- he's never missed a reward.  I used to set the girls off on something, and just need to be present- but I could be in the other room doing something- for a large chunk of school.  Now someone needs me basically every moment.  It's new.  And it will get better.  I just need to keep it up.  Honestly, school has been going very, very well when I look back on it.  But I've just felt incredibly stressed out- I'm not even sure my kids noticed.  So far none of those fantastic spinning plates have hit the floor- and yesterday and today I totally see things "clicking" for Grace and Patie- who've got a lot of new, challenging work to do every day.  I'm so proud of them.

I feel a bit like I was used to spinning three plates, and now I'm spinning 9.  And the "Full Life Fall Frenzy" of sessions is starting up this week and lasts into November.  I'm grateful for that, but, that adds, let's say, five more plates to my week.  And I've lost a greater chunk of my day that I used to use for accomplishing something other than school, like taking care of our house, answering business emails, blogging, quality time with the treadmill (and then showering) and all the other miscellaneous things of life.  I also lost my Monday, as we joined a home school co-op for the year.  Everything about the co-op is great, other than that I have to get everyone up an hour early on Monday morning, and we're gone essentially all day.  And Monday was always, always my day for laundry, getting serious about getting things in order for a new week, etc.  Now I'm all thrown off.  It will take a few weeks to get over it, and find a new spin to our schedule so things still get done.

Today Grace told me about a dream she had last night, and then she illustrated it for me while she was waiting for Patie to finish something.  Picture this:  She's at an apple orchard with our whole family, plus extended family, and the whole family is standing together, inspecting the apples and a neat garden.  She, however, is outside of the garden, walking through the orchard hand-in-hand with President "Ubamu", as she spelled it. 

And that's my post for today.