The ramp up

I love the fall because it is all new. There are so many firsts. It goes from the chaos of summer and the fighting of children to the quiet house in the afternoons and the strict bedtime schedules. I personally love a good routine, but this summer I really enjoyed a lack of routine. So here we are just completing the 3rd week of school and things are ramping up. I am getting nervous. I fear that I have said yes to too much or maybe to the wrong things. It always seems to start out easy. It goes from 10 min of reading a night to 20 minutes. A short Bible memory verse to a long one. An oral Bible memory test to a written one. No spelling tests to 3 spelling tests. A soccer practice once a week to a week with a holiday so 2 practices the next week. No soccer games on a Saturday to two at the same time. Emma starts dance. A Bible study starts. Running Club starts. You try to "save the carpool room". You go from no field trips to 9 in second grade. You go from running 20 miles a week to running 33. The ramp has to end, right? Oh, and I have not even filled out the volunteer forms for 2 of my kids classes!

What I am saying is that I feel the pressure to fill my schedule with good things and I love all of the things I choose. But are the music police going to come after me because I have not allowed my children to play piano or guitar? Are the martial arts people going to come after me because I have not allowed my son to try Tae Kwon Do? Are my kids going to make the team in high school if they don't play select sports?

Just my thoughts from the ramp.