hibernating

After the holidays are over, I start my winter hibernation.  It is a subtle thing--I sit more, I stay inside more, I talk to friends less, I initiate less, I do less to improve my home, I get out and do less.  I think it is partly a psychological response to the busyness of Fall and the holidays.  And also because with the Fall usually really busy we end up doing what I call "Bare bones school"--what some would call "school lite"--and so come Spring we all need to really buckle down and dive into our schoolbooks for a few months of real focused learning.  And then too, this time of year is about when the rains come, and when it pours here, it pours bathtubs, often for days on end, which means even if it not currently raining, it is really wet and muddy outside.  It's logical to stay indoors more.  And the STAR testing is coming up in March, and I always want to get as much review/learning of the core standards in before then, and so usually start "teaching for the test" around this time of year.  And it used to be that we had school activities in the Fall semester that we did not do in the Spring, so Spring has always felt just quieter and less stressed--to my mind, more a time for being still.  I think too the allergy thing has a lot to do with my tendancy to hibernate in winter.  It makes sense--you don't feel good, you certainly don't feel like being out and about if you don't have to be. 

I have noticed that I am definately hibernating, right on schedule.  BUT it is a little strange, too, because I don't have nearly as many reasons to.  The weather has been gorgeous this winter so far--very little rain.  My allergies let up sometime this past week, and so I have noticed I have renewed energy, am sleeping well (although not necessarily feeling rested, since this past week I have not been getting to bed nearly as early as I should), and am clear headed.  Thank you, God, for the trees that bloom, but mostly for all the months in the year when they don't. ; )  We are much better prepared for STAR testing than I felt like we were last year (and even then, Sunny did fine and Merry did very well, but less than the highest scores feel like a bad grade on my homeschooling.  And I think it is only fair to my girls that if we are going to take the test--our public charter requires it, which I don't mind because I am so happy with the opportunities it affords us, literally--that I prepare them to do well on it).  We did not do one of our big Fall classes this past year, so I got to do lots of good schooling all Fall, so don't feel like we are lacking much. 

But I am still sitting a lot.  And staying inside.  And not talking to friends as much.

Hibernating can be just part of a normal year cycle for me.  There's nothing wrong with it, and there are usually understandable reasons for it. 

BUT.  I am really trying to be good about Living Fully, and this year while I needed the usual post-holiday/fighting allergies slump, it feels like it is over much sooner than usual.  I have noticed that this past week, the first week of normalacy after the annual allergy attack, I have been waaaaaay less contented with hibernating.  It feels like it is time to Get Up and Get Out. 

--Which means making a point of getting us all out of the house for fresh air and exercise, so I have been purposeful about that this past week, even when I didn't feel like it (because it's hibernation time, doncha know?).

--Which means planning social/academic special activities for me and the kids, even if they are a lot of work.  Like planning TWO homeschool parties for our church homeschool group, and planning two more just for us and some friends!

--Which means getting busy problem solving some of our design issues for upcoming house projects.  (this is actually fun, now that my brain is functioning well--it's basically lounging and thinking creatively with pen and paper, and looking up stuff on the web.  I could do it for hours! ; )

--Which means actually starting to implement some things around the house that I have been thinking of/wanting to do for the past year, at least.  No time like the present!

The main thing I have noticed I am not ready to do is reconnect with people. 

I know everyone thinks I am really outgoing and social--and I am, but that does not make me an extrovert.  I realized that one time while talking about the Meyers-Briggs personality type tests with my sister-in-law, and we were comparing how similarly we scored, even though we don't seem very similar on the outside, mainly because I'm a talker and not at reserved.  So we started looking into what--according to that test--makes a person an introvert.  I'll never forget when she read aloud that an extrovert gets energy from being with people, while an introvert gets drained from being with people and has to be alone to recharge.  THAT IS ME.  Yes, I am talkative, friendly, social, love being with girlfriends and doing fun activities.  But it drains me completely.  Even the other night, I was at a Soul Kitchen meeting (the ministry for women at Vintage Faith), and got to hang out with amazing women, including my dear Becky, for over two hours, talking about all kinds of important and good stuff.  And when I got home, I was absolutely wiped out.  DH had been taking care of the kids all evening (he even let them stay up to make valentines, so really was on-daddy the whole time I was gone), and commented that I should be refreshed from my evening, that HE was the one who should be complaining of being tired. ; )  And that would be true if I was a true extrovert and was filled up in energy from such an event.  I was refreshed in spirit, yes.  But my body and mind?  All extroverted out. 

So, it is interesting to see how that is the one part of me that is still hibernating.  It's like the holidays take so much more out of the physiological batteries than the rest of the year, so it takes me longer to get back into the full social swing of things.

So, if you have not heard from me recently, please don't take it personally!  I have not forgotten you, and will be getting more social one little playdate at a time. : )

Hope you have all had a good week so far!