Hemmed In

Long weekend, eh? So nice. So good. So restful. So extended in our case, because my husband had a week of holidays prior to the Canadian long weekend and OH was it good to have him here. We were very productive and checked lots of things off our to-do list. That felt good. I also took the very wise advice of a veteran homeschool mom who told me to "take time to laugh and rest and just enjoy the family". That was a good word to have bopping around in my brain. Stopping to laugh is not something at which I excel. I'm much more likely to work and forget to have fun, or to stop working and sit on my behind with a book in front of my face ignoring the world. Either way, not much fun for the kiddos.

So we stopped and played and laughed and sight-saw and worked and loved together. It was good.

And I slept. Slept in in the morning. Napped in the afternoon. Went to bed early. That was lovely too. But really, not so helpful in the long run.

My theory with sleeping is that if only I had 3 days of solid, uninterrupted, blissful sleep that I would be thoroughly caught up on the last 12 years of motherhood-sleep (which we all know is often broken and fleeting) and would be able to conquer the world and stay caught up on my sleep with a mere 8 hours a night.

That, my friends, is a heap-load of hogwash.

Here's what I find on long weekends and summer holidays too. The longer break I get, the longer break I want. Why? Because I am L.A.Z.Y. "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man." (Prov.6:10-11) What kind of poverty can a stay at home mom who brings in no income bring upon her family? Ah. A post for another day. I have a LOT to say about that.

But for now, here is what I want to remind myself of, and to encourage you with.

There is a time for rest and sleep and the free-wheeling days of unstructured holidays. However, do not despise the structure and boundaries of routine. I have to tell you, I LOVE getting back to routine today. And so do my kids. Having a plan and a direction for the many hours of our day helps us all to function better together, it gives us a rhythm in which living in harmony becomes easier. And, here's just the brutal, honest truth, it keeps us all out of trouble!

Don't forget that for your "Lazy Days of Summer" mindset. Free time so often dissolves into not only unproductive time, but actual destructive time.

I will be posting something later this month about what our "school" plans will be for the summer and my rationale for planning some daily stuff.

But for now, on this GORGEOUS Tuesday after a long weekend, please don't begrudge the chance to get back into the routine of work and school and schedule. The Lord uses these things to hem us in, behind and before, to protect us and to guide us. That is a beautiful thing.