Mapping a Show Season 1

It's becoming an art of sorts trying to sort out what a show season will look like around here now.  The horse activity level just keeps growing the more and more kids and horses that get involved.  There are schooling shows, recognized shows, Pony club activities and Rally's.  I'm actually up for suggestions on how one navigates this.  Where do I start?  I would usually start with prioritizing then go from there.  After that goals. Then availability.  It sounds strange to prioritize your children though.  But in reality with them all being at different levels it isn't that bad.  Elaina is the oldest and most advanced.  She is at the point where recognized events are on her horizon.  While the other two really have no business doing USEA events.  So schooling shows are just fine for them.  I guess the whole gist of it all would be to break this all down into smaller bite size pieces.

We will start with Me.  Reality is there is there is no physically possible way to make the entire season all about what I want so all of my goals will be weighted first with the how realistic will it be for it to happen filter.  Example: if kids have a pony club camp or Rally etc. then anything that may be going on at that time that I want to do will be trumped.  That may seem like a tough sacrifice to give up your own plans for someone else but if you ever have kids this involved in horses that are advancing and competing you will understand that it is no sacrifice at all to watch your flesh and blood out there doing what they love.

Goals:
Lessons/Clinics
Elaina and I- One lesson a week  $50 a wk x 4 wk= $200 a month
Me- Event camp  $800
Me- possible clinics that come up but none specific in mind right now. $ 300-500 x?
3 Kids- Pony club camp $200 x 3 = $600
3 Kids- monthly  pony club clinics and lessons $30 x 3 = $90 a month

Showing
Me: 2 recognized events at Novice  $750 x 2 = $1500
Elaina: Complete her first recognized event at Beginner Novice $750
All 4 of us: As many schooling shows I can get to. Whether they be H/J, CT's, Dressage or HT.  Estimated cost of a show for all 4 of us that is local (I.e. no hotel and little fuel expense) $400 x 3 = $1200

Other
Trail ride to our hearts content.  This is my most favorite and easily achieved.  All the training and showing goals pale in comparison when it comes to spending endless hours out riding our horses through trails and fields and hills and water with my kids.  Get my husband out on the trails at least a few times.  Now that we have Lego I have a horse to put the Hubby on!  And the best part?  It's free!  $0

Possible goals floating around in my brain
Be competitive at first level by the end of the season.
This is an idea at the moment.  I must first start by putting some effort into seeing if advancing in Dressage is something I could enjoy.  My horse could and would make an stunning dressage horse.  And if I could find the desire to put focused attention into that area I am confident he cold go far.  Thoughts of first level are floating around.

So to add it up the total of just lessons/clinics/camps and competitions are almost $7000.
Maybe adding it up was not my best decision because that is painful to think about.  But I'll break that down over about a 7 month show season it's $1000 a month, $250 a week.  Ok this isn't helping...

I'm curious what are your budgets?  I don't know of anyone who reads this blog that is in our situation with 4 riders in one house but what is your budget as an individual if you don't mind sharing.  One up side is after years of having this as the budget for all 4 of us.  That one day even if it is several years down the road that budget can be all mine!  I mean we will already have it budgeted for so it just makes sense!

Next will be breaking down of the calendar.  Yikes!  That is the scary part.  Family stuff, vacations, Pony club activities, USEA calendar, Oh yeah and work.....you get the picture.  So I will leave that to another day because you know what I really have to do to make any goals happen?  Actually ride my horse!  And this amazing unseasonable weather is screaming my name.  So hours of dissecting our mess of a calendar is not first on my list of things I'm going to do today.