Overwhelmed

It seems this blog is a good indicator of my mental health.  Lots of posts and lots of pictures = Katie is doing good.  When I haven't posted for six weeks that means something is up.  In times previous it usually meant I was pregnant, which, gratefully, I am not.  This time around it means I've stretched myself too far.  Way too far.

All the things I am trying to do are good things but I can't do everything.  I homeschool the kids, take BYU classes online to finish my degree, serve in Primary, shuttle kids to music lessons, shuttle kids to Scouts and attend occasionally as part of my primary calling, try to help organize my homeschool co-op, take Libby to her dance class (which is thankfully done next week), train for a 5K and feed everyone and try to keep the house in a livable condition.  I have found myself crying and flying off the handle at the least provocation.  I've realized something has to go but I've struggled with what to cut.

Last week I finally called the directors of our homeschool co-op and told them we will not be back this year.  It made me sad to cut it but it was the only thing I felt I could give up.  Having one less thing on my plate feels lovely.  I'm still stretched thin but at least I feel like I can cope.  The kids were sad.  They recovered pretty quickly when I told them we would take Fridays (our co-op day) off of school work.  We could work on 4-H projects at home and use Fridays for field trips; one day a week to just enjoy each other and have down time sounds wonderful.  The kids, as kids are prone to do, have been channeling my stress as well.  I'm hoping fun Fridays will help with this.

Hopefully I will have a few more pictures and a few more blog posts over the coming months.  They will probably be fewer than in years past but hopefully I will still be here, hanging on to my very last thread of sanity.