multi-hyphenated-me

the hyphens that define my life

80 days of Summer June 25, 2012

Filed under: Family — multihyphenatedme @ 9:25 pm
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The kids counted from the day they got out of school until the day they go back.  We have 80 days of summer, weekends and holidays included, to take advantage of the season.  We’ve boycotted day care summer camps and summer school and planned daily good summer fun.

Each week is themed, each day has a rough plan to keep everyone busy. Each day includes brain work (anything from puzzles, workbooks, reading, and such), chores (of course the kids think WHAT? It’s summer!  and I see it as free child slave labor), and an adventure or activity that gets us out of the house while still managing a full time work schedule.  Creative planning required to pull off my 9 hour+ work days.  All work and no play is dull.  Our weeks are sweetened with a different homemade ice cream on Sundays!

We began our adventure by tent camping 3 nights on the Kern River with a group of friends.  The river was cold and low and slow but provided plenty of entertainment with rafting and fishing and soaking. We also took a beautiful drive and fun hike at the Trail of 100 Giants in the Sequoias. Camping week ended with a lot of laundry and Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream!!

Weekly themes include Camping (check!); California Style; History; Science; Crafts; Culture; Fun & Fitness; Myths & Legends; Animal Planet; Oceanography; and All Ball.  Each week includes Movie/Museum; Beach; Soak City/Knotts; Picnic at the Park; and a Bike Ride/Hike.  We have  couple of trips planned to Palm Springs and San Diego too.  Mom is another name for Camp Director right?

What was Rory Vaden’s quote from my prior post?  The moment you tell yourself you’re too busy is the moment you stop thinking creatively about how to get other potentially important items into your schedule and your routine.”

He also states that “Balance shouldn’t mean equal time spent on equal activities. Balance should mean appropriate time spent on critical priorities.”

Whether I’m practicing the art of balancing by either definition or juggling my multi-hyphenated life,  my main goal for the summer is to learn how to hula hoop.  Somehow I missed out on this lesson as a kid.

Hurray for summer!

 

Crazy Busy

Filed under: Books,Life,Work — multihyphenatedme @ 7:31 am
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“The moment you tell yourself you’re too busy is the moment you stop thinking creatively about how to get other potentially important items into your schedule and your routine.”

Rory Vaden

Take the Stairs

How many times have you heard or have yourself said “crazy busy”.  In my circles it seems to be the new catch phrase – or if not new, the most overused. According to Vaden’s Take the Stairs the issue lies with poor time management.  It is not an issue of being too busy, it is a scheduling issue.

I’m guilty.  I say that I’m too crazy busy to add another pta event, another work responsibility, another kid sporting event/activity, or other item to my schedule. After reading this book, and knowing that what you say you come to believe, I am not crazy busy.  The reality is that is that I either have schedule conflicts OR I just want to lay on my couch eating bon bons doing nothing as usual and do nothing else.

Going forward I will omit “crazy busy” from my vernacular (though I will retain cursing and 80’s speak to keep things interesting).  I will think creatively about how I can possibly juggle anything more into my schedule.  Please don’t be offended if and when I say, “No, I just don’t want to do your event or take on another responsibility.”