A busy Mom's education

One of my new years resolutions for the last I don't-know-how-many years has been to work on some personal mental enrichment. Nothing crazy, just things like reading, writing, practicing my music, etc.... Life is REALLY busy right now, and many of my little checklists of things to do to meet this goal are going the same direction as the inside of my van. Not a good direction. Anyway, I've been frustrated, depressed, and even a little hopeless at how I'm ever going to fit that into my life. As I was driving someone somewhere today (one of my best talents these days) I just started thinking about all the intellectual challenges and opportunities I've had recently. I feel like it was a little tender mercy from my Heavenly Father who was gently helping me realize that he was in charge and that He is helping me progress in His own way. So just for my own recollection I thought I'd list a few of the things I thought about that I've experienced over the last couple of days.

I help coach four children on three different instruments every day.
I went to a dance dress rehearsal and am learning the ins and outs of that world. I am gaining a much greater appreciation for the art of dance and am learning to recognize various steps and techniques.
I am learning to play and appreciate soccer and basketball at a whole new level. I am finding great joy in this and am becoming fascinated with the role of the coach.
I played the organ on Sunday and after a crash course ten minutes before-tried the pedals. It was an adventure to say the least but I think I could get it with a little practice.
I'm learning to make different hair bows and crafts with Breck.
I used a Band saw for the first time and am learning the intricacies and mysteries of the Pine wood derby.
I am beginning to understand how a bike works and regularly have to change tubes, tires, and adjust brakes, seats, etc...
I'm learning how to deal with all sorts of mentally deranged children whose challenges change by the hour!
I learned how to cook a meal for 150 people.
I'm learning how to fix, install, and otherwise manage things that I wouldn't normally do.
I'm learning (I WILL , I WILL ) how to better use my computer and phone through tutorials, classes, trial and error.
I've been revisting the challenge and blessing of birthing and raising a newborn.
I'm experiencing the art of buying and selling a home from a number of different perspectives.
I'm learning that 100 pushups is a lot!
I'm learning how to be a motivational speaker, how to prepare a pre-teen for parties, mutual, YW.
I'm learning to survive and even be happy even when I'm alone a lot.
I'm learning to observe the fine details of the changing seasons, like how the the witch hazels come, then the forsynthias, then the magnolias, then the pears and then the peaches/apricots/cherries, then the lilac etc...then the red buds, then the tri-color beech, then the dogwoods
I'm learning what to do with brand new soccer shoes that give terrible blisters.
I'm watching with exquisite joy and delight the everyday-every hour growth and development of an almost-2-year old child.
OK-enough. I wish I could say I was having some great breakthroughs in the area of patience, laundry, dishes, and meals- but that would not be honest.

Hopefully, this will be a little reminder to me when I get feeling like all I do all day is maid/chauffeur work. I'm grateful that my Heavenly Father is in charge. Hopefully the end result of my life-the compilation-of all my efforts and experiences will be what He -hot I had in mind.