That elusive schedule

I had a review of how I spend my day over the Christmas break. I realised that the children are ready to 'start' earlier than they used to be, that we could get our day going by 9:30, if I cut out my blog time. Easy, I thought, I'll be all done by 4pm and blog then. It's not really working out. I just don't feel inspired at that time in the afternoon, and I'm already thinking about the evening meal. Perhaps life is a little clearer first thing, a bit muddier by the time the day is done. So the blog is getting slotted in, and often I feel a sense of pressure through the day as I try to think up something to post about, something light and witty and yet with something to chew on. (I'm like it with running too. I love it, I really do, but it's best first thing in the morning, before I have time to dread it.)

The whole pattern of the week can be like that. I took the children ice-skating last Friday and discovered that there were some spaces on the Home Ed beginner lessons. Perfect! So, I've scrubbed our weekly swim and added skating instead. But Friday was for Tea-time, so that will have to be Wednesday, which doesn't feel that same. I have an appointment tomorrow, so we can't do French. I moved it to Monday, but the children didn't feel like it, so we did our Christmas gift Science experiments instead, and slated French for Friday morning.

I try to be flexible, and life keeps throwing up those schedule-slashing moments, (like a friend phoning and asking to drop in - only if you bring a poem!) but I would love to have a time-table, just like they do in 'proper' school. No difficult decisions about what to do with tired children or an unexpectedly sunny, or snowy, day or when resistance is high or energy levels (theirs or mine) low. You do what it says, because it says so, and that's that. I feel as if I'm on a fairground ride, it's supposed to be fun, it often is, but sometimes I feel dizzy.