I had this idea when we were away on our vacation that I could maintain that pace of life when I returned home. I hoped that the unscheduled, do-what-you-feel-like, attitude would prevade the whole month of June. Boy, was I in for a wake-up call.

We arrived back to piano lessons, exams, and a visit from our supervising teacher. Then, I plunged headfirst into curriculum planning since I missed the big convention where I normally order all my "stuff" for the new year. Having been informed by the visiting teacher that year-plans were due mid-July, I quickly began scouring catalogues and homeschooling websites to gather and order my materials.

The kids were another part of the formula-for-relaxation not working. I forgot that they all have their ideas about what constitutes a good summer vacation. Two of my children are avid socialites. They are constantly on the phone with friends or emailing and when they get their heads together with their friends they can sprout all kinds of wonderful ideas that mean lots of work for me. I'm shocked when I look at the calendar and absorb how quickly the summer 'holiday' is slipping away.

I've a long to-do list of jobs that are essential for our fall semester working properly. I feel the time crunch especially during busy spells when I'm on the road early in the morning dropping kids of a the latest function and am tied into a time to pick them up again. I feel like howling at the moon some nights when I finally get a moment to sit in quiet and take inventory of my progress, or lack thereof.

I think "busy holiday" used to be an oxymoron. But nowadays with the highspeed mentality that we all seem to have readily adopted, or have had our arm twisted to accept, I suppose that "busy" is the word most commonly used descriptor of most peoples' lives. A sad commentary when my spirit cries out for some time in the wilderness away from all the noise and distraction. Still...I remind myself again and again that it's just for a season.