Re-evaluating our commitments

You know you're over-committed when:

1. You look at the month just starting and wish it was over already

2. It becomes a major logistical exercise just to organise to get-together with friends

3. You hope that your classes get cancelled so you can have a break!

I'm looking seriously at what we're doing at the moment in terms of outside commitments. I can't do much about this term though as we've already paid fees or otherwise committed to things.

Billy was in the car the other day, and was telling me the activities he does in order of how much he liked it. Joeys (Scouts) was a definite number 1 - he absolutely loves every minute he spends there. Auskick (Jr AFL) was a pretty close number 2. Circus was number 3 and drama lagged behind as a poor 4th. In fact he said it in a tone of voice that implied it was torture to him :)

This is his 2nd year of doing drama - he loved it last year but has been luke-warm to cold about it this year.. I think part of it is the fact that they got a new teacher last term - she's lovely, and probably a great teacher, but his old teacher was bubbly and like a big kid herself. Billy adored her. To make matters worse, they spent most of last term practicing for their play - Billy is not a child that enjoys rehearsing over and over again - especially when he doesn't even have a speaking part!

So I'm wondering why I'm spending an arm and a leg AND driving an hour each way to his lessons when he doesn't enjoy it! I've told him he has to go this term (since I've paid the fees!), and he can make his mind up at the end of the term whether or not he wants to continue. I think we might take a week off in the middle of the term too just for a break.

Auskick finishes sometime this month I think, so that will free up a night soon.

I'm also looking at what I'm committed to. Each term I teach a course or two at our local community college. I'm in two minds whether to continue, although the "not continue" mind is winning. Once again I'm committed to this term, but I have to make up my mind in the next few days about next term. It brings in a couple of hundred dollars (when the courses run), but its really hard to juggle with the rest of the family's needs. At the moment I run from the drama pick-up to teaching and we have to swap Billy over on the side of the road! It inevitably clashes with Pete's squash which means he has to take Billy to squash with him, and then it's a late night for Billy. Which means then Wednesday is a bit of a write-off - we lose a day in the week! I think I'm just in a bit of a rut teaching there - I'm not teaching anything too exciting or that couldn't be taught by others, and I don't have the enthusiasm to come up with a new course on anything.

Anyway, just thinking out loud if anyone has read this far :)