trying to find the right balance in our homeschool

There is so much we could do, and there is a minimum that we have to do, and somewhere there is a "perfect" balance between those two positions. I'm excited to start a few new lessons (I'm also excited to start calling them "lessons" instead of "schoolwork" - such a nicer word): nature journals, creative writing, FIAR, botany, geography, and preschool ABC's for Hypatia.

All of those will be wonderful new additions, and many are things we really should do. But I worry about getting it all done, because there are also the lessons I don't want to stop doing: Math U See, Sonrisa Spanish, reading lessons, Story of the World, and music lessons. They also must do some kind of PE class or activity, Sunday School, household chores (Home Ec.), and "be socialized" with lots of field trips and playdates/groups.

It felt overwhelming, until I realized that I didn't have to do everything every single day of the week. Really, in any given day with my kids I have the morning/breakfast lesson time, then we have a day where there could be lessons either with me or with their nanny, and then we have the late afternoon/evening when we could do another lesson. Starting next week after holiday break, the week should look like this:

Monday

1. Spanish Lesson and History with Creative Writing Lesson
2. Nature journals or Botany or Geography and Chores or Handwork crafts
3. FIAR and music

Tuesday

1. Preschool ABC's and Music/Art Lessons
2. playdates or fun fieldtrips
3. FIAR

Wednesday

1. Spanish Lesson
2. Math and Reading (at the nanny's house)
3. Gymnastics classes for both kids

Thursday

1. History Lesson
2. Math and Reading (at the nanny's house)
3. FIAR

Friday

1. Preschool 123's and Music Lesson
2. math and reading (at the nanny's house)
3. FIAR

I love having a schedule and a plan, as it just fits my personality and my need for order and organization. So this is incredibly helpful to me.