Surviving the week
I mentioned that P., TM, and D. are in tech rehearsals all week for the upcoming performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream. This means that we leave at 9:45 am and they return sometime between 3 and 3:30. The rehearsals are intense and tiring, though they are really enjoying the process. This being something along the lines of my 24th tech week, I know that on my end I don't enjoy them.
Why? Well, for one week, the only time I see my children is when they are tired and consequently perhaps not the most pleasant people to be around. It's taxing on all of us. I also find that when I have a child or children who is gone for a significant part of the day, the readjustment of everyone upon their returning can be tricky. They have been gone for long enough that the people remaining at home have become used to the dynamics at home without them. Then, when the missing child or children return, there is jostling that happens as everyone refinds their place again. It is not always a calm experience, and I get tired of it happening every single day. I'm so glad it only happens a couple of times per year.
I think it is the sheer length of time that the children are gone that causes this to happen. I have people coming and going on a regular basis, but usually for no more than two hours at a time. This doesn't seem to be enough time to have the people at home reorganize into a new dynamic, because the re-entries are not noticeable. It also seems as though the age of the child makes a difference as well. With younger children, the getting to rehearsal and returning from rehearsal are more of an event than when they get older.
All this to say is we have been feeling a little off-kilter this week with all the coming and going. Two and half more days to go. And I'm going to add to the off-kilter-ness as well because I will be attending our state's homeschool convention on Friday and Saturday (Illinois Christian Home Educators) and J. will be home in my stead. We'll probably all need a week to recover from it all.
(Anyone else also going to the ICHE conference? It would be fun to add to my list of virtual friends turning into real life friends.)
Why? Well, for one week, the only time I see my children is when they are tired and consequently perhaps not the most pleasant people to be around. It's taxing on all of us. I also find that when I have a child or children who is gone for a significant part of the day, the readjustment of everyone upon their returning can be tricky. They have been gone for long enough that the people remaining at home have become used to the dynamics at home without them. Then, when the missing child or children return, there is jostling that happens as everyone refinds their place again. It is not always a calm experience, and I get tired of it happening every single day. I'm so glad it only happens a couple of times per year.
I think it is the sheer length of time that the children are gone that causes this to happen. I have people coming and going on a regular basis, but usually for no more than two hours at a time. This doesn't seem to be enough time to have the people at home reorganize into a new dynamic, because the re-entries are not noticeable. It also seems as though the age of the child makes a difference as well. With younger children, the getting to rehearsal and returning from rehearsal are more of an event than when they get older.
All this to say is we have been feeling a little off-kilter this week with all the coming and going. Two and half more days to go. And I'm going to add to the off-kilter-ness as well because I will be attending our state's homeschool convention on Friday and Saturday (Illinois Christian Home Educators) and J. will be home in my stead. We'll probably all need a week to recover from it all.
(Anyone else also going to the ICHE conference? It would be fun to add to my list of virtual friends turning into real life friends.)
Comments
Enjoy the show!
Sandwich