Please, if you know me, do not laugh at me trying to write about being on time. In no way am I an expert on punctuality, but I do get to practice at it every single day. This little tip is beginning to change how I work to meet a deadline.
Hurry before you need to.
How many times do I find myself hurrying the kids to finish breakfast before we need to leave for church? Hurrying to pick up the house before company arrives? Hurrying to get my homeschool plans in order before the first day?
Bleck, bleck, and bleck. I don’t mind hurrying, but I hate feeling rushed and forcing others to rush. And I really hate that realization that no matter how much we hurry, we will already be late.
So I’m working at hurrying before we really need to.
I encourage myself and the kids to get ready quickly in the morning even when we woke up on time; choose a reasonable amount of time for breakfast and then end it; plan time to actually clean off the table, get our Bibles, and get in the car (stepping into another area of preparation there), but making ourselves do it quickly even if according to the clock we’re looking good. (this scenario applies to our Sunday mornings)
If I’m prepping vegetables or setting the table for company that night, I push myself to work as quickly as I can – feeling that hurry – even if no one will be there for an hour and a half.
When I sit down to homeschool plan I love to take my time and look through the books and think, but realistically, I only have those chances every so often so I need to pick up the pace and get my assignments written down as efficiently as possible. Right now, some plan for two weeks is better than an extensive plan for three days.
It may sound like a silly mental game, but it really has helped me. And I really need help!
What about you – do you struggle more with the preparation or execution stages of punctuality? (I have my hands raised for both) = )
I’d love to hear what has helped you.
Here is a fun article I found after I wrote this. I seem to spend lots of time reading about how to save time. = ) Secrets of people who have all the time in the world.
There is so much about this picture that cracks me up! Sorry if it’s only funny to me.
Oh my goodness, how I love our Hopey. Her eyes twinkle when she talks about anything to do with this lemonade stand.
The first lemonade stand has come and went. It was fantastic.
I woke up Hope at 6:22am, which is approximately a very long time before she normally wakes up. By the time I was out of the shower and ready, she had woken up all her sisters (except Zoe, thank you!) and everyone was ready to go.
We open the door… and it’s raining. I think I may have stomped an internal foot or something. It can’t rain on the greatest lemonade stand ever. They had worked so hard! Hours and hours of making signs, baking, decorating cups with washi tape… we had to move forward.
Sophia and Mckayla had to wash their hands A LOT while we were baking cookies. = )
We took everything out to the front porch and by the time we got it out the rain had lightened enough for us to move on out to the driveway. It was so exciting to be actually setting up!
Customers came right away; thankfully it was a steady stream not a rush. We quickly realized that the cookies were the most popular item – though honestly, who wants lemonade on a drizzly Saturday morning before eight o’clock? The lemonade became more popular as the morning went on.
The girls were so proud to tell people that one teenager liked the cookies so much he came back for seconds. = )
Sophia was invaluable for advertising. Every car that drove by was greeted with a rather loud and cheery, “Lemonade and cookies! Lemonade and cookies!” As soon as anyone would get out of the car at the neighbors yard sale she would yell again, “Lemonade and cookies! Lemonade and cookies!” Soon the other girls chimed in.
How long will they keep that up? I wondered. They’re going to be completely hoarse tomorrow!
They kept it up for several hours. It worked like a charm. = ) And no voices were lost in the process.
Gracie and Mckayla didn’t even need to pass out free samples. Business was great regardless. They stayed busy sampling for themselves. = )
At the end of the day, Hope made several dollars more than what she put into it. Also, the only supplies we will have to replace are the cookie mixes.
Bottom line – phase two should be almost all profit.
Speaking of phase two, I’ve emailed our local Chamber of Commerce for suggestions or guidelines on choosing locations for a lemonade stand. They haven’t responded and Hope is less than impressed.
I know this because as Paul and I were eating out on a date this week, he got a text from the family who was -so sweetly!- watching the girls. The text read, “Hope doesn’t think my son would want to be a part of the Chamber of Commerce.” We laughed to ourselves and figured the lemonade stand must have come up in conversation.
When we picked the girls up our friend explained that they were telling the girls about their sons and what they’re studying in college. When they mentioned that one was studying business Hope blurted out, “I’m sure he does NOT want to be in the Chamber of Commerce.” She hadn’t given an explanation so we told how them that she was a little peeved that these people (who are supposed to help businesses!) had not helped her out with her lemonade stand yet.
And that is where we stand. We are working on a location and date for the next lemonade stand.
Stay tuned! = )
(Oh, and there’s already a pre-order for cookies!)
I have to say here, that I am so thankful for my husband. Three times a week I get to hear him teach the Bible and every time I learn and grow in my desire to read and study myself. That being said, I know there are pulls in my heart to choose other things when I have the option. My prayer is that this year those would be put aside and replaced with a deeper hunger for the knowledge of God and His Word.
My current place of study is Acts because Paul is going through this with the students on Wednesday nights. The girls and I are memorizing in Proverbs, and I also would like to come up with a plan of what to read when I just want to sit down and read for awhile. (Do you ever feel like that?) That way there will be some direction of where to pick up.
The other part to this goal is the prayer that God’s Word would be right on the tip of my tongue as I go throughout ordinary life with the girls. I know I need to speak the gospel to myself constantly and I want that influence in their life as well.
Practically speaking, this goal involves nightstands, pens, journals, and a specific effort to reduce clutter. Sitting down to read or meditating throughout the day are greatly helped for me when things are in order and easily accessible.
2. Read. Read. Read.
I love reading! In January I finished The Shallows by Nicholas Carr and I highly recommend it! This month I’ll be reading Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss and The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss by her husband George. Also, Dispatches from the Front by Tim Keesee and Robinson Crusoe with Paul. Someone gave the girls the entire Little House on the Prairie boxed set for Christmas so I am officially making it a goal this year to read those aloud to them.
2a. Read aloud the Little House on the Prairie to the girls. = )
3. Regain an enthusiasm for mothering.
What I’m realizing is that this involves a very careful putting aside of “extra weights” and a very conscious commitment to do the things I want to do with the girls. Discipline is involved in this. The girls are much more delightful to be around when I am proactive about their behavior. Also, the more involved they are with what I’m doing throughout the day, the better. Yes, everything takes three times as long, but that has to be an investment in the future that I’m willing to make.
I’m sure this goal will continue to take shape as the year goes. More to come!
4. Make monthly menus and make one freezer meal a week. February’s menu is done! And I have two extra meals in the freezer. Hooray!
5. Make a list for every day and week. Do a monthly goals check-up.
About halfway through January I stopped making a list every morning and I can see how it slowed progress. That’s why there’s a monthly goals check-up (yours truly) to remind me! And out of the twenty-two items on my most recent weekly list, I accomplished about nine. Oh, look at the room for progress there! = )
These next goals are specific to this month alone.
*Make and use chore charts for the girls. It’s time, people. Way time.
*Accept help with things around the house. It has come to my attention that I cannot do everything. In fact, I do it quite poorly. However, I am not content living in such a sad state of affairs, so I am going to need help.
I can think of two ladies at church who have specifically, genuinely offered their help. This month I want to contact them and make a plan to do some things around here.
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Thanks for reading! See you at the end of February. {James 4:14-15}
I’ve been brooding about New Year’s Resolutions for about six weeks now. I know, my love for them is a little over the top.
There’s so many things I want to do!
And so little… everything.
Last year my goals were good and there was a ton of success {yippee} but they were a little complicated.
This year I don’t have time to be that detailed. We’ll start out really simple and build from there every month.
Want to hear my goals? (me too, cause these are coming straight off the {hoodie} cuff.
1. Treasure God and His Word. That might seem nebulous, but it’s not. It is simultaneously the most simple and rewarding obligation and the most difficult and elusive pursuit. In any circumstance I can ask myself, What do I love?
2. Read. Read. Read.
3. Regain an enthusiasm for mothering. I think I’ve lost some of the rah-rah that always seemed to come so naturally. But that’s okay – I’m a big believer in the fact that correct emotions will follow obedience. Lately I’ve just wanted to hide in bed from all the responsibility (until I realized Proverbs might have a thing or two to say about that). I’m asking the Lord to help me see and hear and feel and slow down – to love all the cuteness and craziness that I live in every single day.
4. Make monthly menus and make one freezer meal a week.
5. Write out a list for every day (and right here my list-loving Mom starts rejoicing for the prodigal coming home) and a list for every week. Also do a monthly goals check-up.
And honestly, I think that’s all for now. I do want to build and elaborate as the months go by, but if I make improvement in each of these areas by next January 1, that will be wonderful.
I completely missed doing this in September, but I don’t feel too badly about it as I replacd it with lots of snuggling Zoe. Mmm… she is sweet.
Since there’s no review I’m going to comment on each of the categories with notes of and plans for improvement.
Goals
Organized and prepared – yes, this is quite necessary after the commotion of having a brand-new baby. Specifically this month, I want to keep up to date with homeschool plans, work to be at church on time (I’ve decided that on Wednesday’s the only two things we will plan are school in the morning and church at night. Add in meals and baths times five and that is one full day!), and be ready for Mckayla’s birthday.
Writing letters – I need to finish thank-you notes for all the wonderful people who gave meals and gifts after the birth of Zoe.
Keep reading! Currently working on The Shallows, What Jesus Demands from the World, One With a Shepherd
Do things with the girls just for the sake of spending time with them – going to be honest here, after school and nursing and meal-making, I don’t feel very affectionate and ready to just sit down and read or play Sorry; I rather want to either clean a long-neglected bathroom or hide in a room by myself and look at Pinterest. I need to pray about this, for a heart that seeks to love my children as I love myself and for wisdom to know when to take naps or clean and when to spend “just because” time with the girls. There’s just no formula is there.
Domestic skills – working to use the crockpot more?? = )
Embrace the newborn stage of life with thankfulness and calm. Yes. I do have to say that right now, Zoe is easy to be thankful for.
Plans
Bible reading – still working on the Old Testament, still working to memorize Ephesians 4
Fitness – do workouts to heal diastasis recti; it’s only eight minutes a day! And would help so much!
Home organization = Packing! I haven’t told you this, but we’re planning, hoping, praying to move this month! And that will be the most time-consuming “plan” for October.
Priorities
Rejoice. Give thanks. Love Paul. Love the girlies. Make meals. Do laundry.
Must remember. = )
Resolutions
To rejoice in the character of God – Paul is doing a Wednesday night study on Jonah; so much to learn about God from that book. Salvation is of the LORD!
To diligently fulfill mundane daily responsibilities – as unto the Lord.
To prioritize nighttime sleep – much easier now that Zoe mostly sleeps through the night. I do need to find a way to nap now and then in the afternoons.
To simplify; to focus on the joys and responsibilites that will not remain after this stage of life.
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What about you? What are you working on this beautiful month?
Life is good. Right now, sleepiness is my dominating trait. My eyes hurt from not being closed enough in a twenty-four period for weeks. But, we have a healthy happy baby girl who I get to hold and love and feed. I get to watch the other little girls love her and take care of her in their own sweet ways. Our church family is showering us with love in the form of meals, visits, gifts, folded laundry, and clean bathrooms.
And that is how July came and went. It was a wonderful, challenging month.
I just re-read my original goals for 2014 and was struck by how many of them were accomplished in the month of July, completely apart from any effort on my part. What grace to know that God is still working for temporal and eternal growth even while I’m at my weakest. That’s the way it always works, but I forget every single time.
Here are just a few examples,
Reading- I finished the book True Companion. Remember I was hoping Paul would buy it for me? He did! And it was a delightful and encouraging way to spend those nursing hours. I’ve read more of others on my list and started a new one, too.
The girls and chores- my girls have overwhelmed me with their helpfulness. We’re keeping things picked up more than before the baby! A nightly clean-up time has finally clicked; I don’t have to micro-manage it. (keeping fingers crossed)
Surfaces- don’t laugh at me, there’s actually been improvement here! I have no idea how, but it’s on the list and I’m telling you there’s been improvement.
Schooling- though it’s summer time, I realized that a lot of our goals in this area are either met or still happening. Here’s a good example of how this is happening without me at all. One of my desires for Hope was for her to read beginner biographies. A dear friend dropped off a box of books with probably twenty biographies right at Hope’s level! She devoured them! (and read them to Sophia while I napped) Abraham Lincoln, the Wright brothers, Ben Franklin, etc. So exciting.
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Now for August.
This will not be a robust undertaking for obvious reasons, but there are a few things that have to happen.
First, it’s to time to prepare for homeschooling again. I am so excited for this. All our materials are in boxes, ready to be opened, right by the front door where the UPS man left them in… May. But that’s okay! I didn’t intend to open them until August. I also didn’t intend to leave them by the front door, but too late now. I need to open those up and get them ready to go. I’d love to have the worksheets maybe pulled out and filed. I think it would be helpful to do lesson plans more ahead of time. Also, I think we could plan field trips and park days already, at least for the fall semester. This is part of a longer story, but we will have a room to ourselves for homeschooling at least for the first two months. I want to make it special, but not too involved since it will not be permanent. This includes activities or a place for the little girls. My plan is for them to more involved and present during school. We need a desk for Sophia and I would like to check a local homeschool store for some supplemental activities. Maybe I’ll be able to post about the preparation process as we go.
Second, find and use good post-pregnancy workouts. It felt so good to exercise during pregnancy! I’m ready to start again, slowly. We’ve taken several walks, but I need something to strengthen my stomach and back- they need some TLC from all this nursing. I definitely have diastasis recti or separation of the stomach muscles so I’m doing some research to make sure that the exercises I do will be a help and not a hindrance. Suggestions? Links? If I exercise one to two times a week, including a walk, I will be happy.
Third, work on table manners with the girlies. Paul got me a new table for my birthday! We love it. It was sad to see our other table go, but we had a wonderful seven years with it and had just outgrown it. Hopefully, I can get good pictures of the new one and do a post about it. Anyways, now is a great time to just review and reinforce table manners with the girls. I want to talk about it when we’re out of the situation and enforce it when we’re at meals. Also, I want to work on having the girls eat their food right away at the beginning of the meal. They all do pretty well eating whatever we give them, but sometimes there is a lot of messing around before they actually get down to business. I think it’s time for them to eat their food without constant reminders to do so.
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Especially in this newborn stage my priorities are important: rejoice, give thanks, love Paul, love the girlies, make meals (or put them on the table when sweet friends bring them), do laundry. That will be good.
The book I just started, Glimpses of Grace by Gloria Furman, is a wonderful help with many of my resolutions. As postpartum hormones swing my emotions from high to low, it’s helpful to read over and over about finding my joy in the unchanging character of God.
I’m looking forward to and clinging to the goodness of God this month. Here’s to the last three weeks of August!
Seven months down, four and three-quarters still to go!
Maybe it’s because it’s a little late or maybe it’s because I tend to be a chronic optimist, but I just re-read my 2014 goals set in January and thought I wasn’t doing too bad. Now if I read April’s specific list it looks like I failed completely. But I’m happy and thankful for the big picture progress that is going on.
Yes, there are things that are being completely missed or fallen behind on, but honestly, the things that really have come to matter in the last four months are being improved.
Hooray!
Overall, I’m so happy with this plan of setting goals and checking back in with them monthly.
That being said, and also seeing that I am a good week into this month already, I’m not going to go back and rehash what was good and bad from April. It would be rather redundant from what I have written the other months. (see here, here, and here)
I’m simply going to look forward to May. And guess what? That isn’t all that complicated either.
Two major things need to happen this month from what I can tell in my human understanding.
1. My husband needs to graduate from seminary. And I need to celebrate and relish this long-worked for time and tell him how much I love him and am proud of him and let it be the completely big deal that it is.
Add, to that the priorities I wrote about in January {rejoice; give thanks; love Paul with kindness and affection; love the girlies with time, teaching, and discipline; make meals; do laundry} and May is set.
Literally.
There’s no point in listing anything else out because I’m pretty sure everything I just mentioned will consume the month.
As I re-read my original list from January, one resolution stuck out to me.
To simplify; to focus on the responsibilities and joys that will not remain after this stage of life.
If ever there was a time to let this be true, May is the month.
Do I already have a lengthy mental list going for June? Oh yes!
I’m going to do my best to make this short and sweet. I will divide my March list into three categories: accomplished or improved; effort made, but not enough; and did not happen.
At this point I would like to say that there are still four whole days left in March, and I do actually plan to do some of these things in that time. = ) Hopefully.
Accomplished or improved
*Chalkboard ready for the next day in the afternoon (being generous)
*Park every week with the girls
*Getting to church earlier to see Paul before services start (seriously, just writing down that little goal made a big difference in how I prepared all month!)
*Plan for spring cleaning (the plan has begun, but is not yet finished. It’s much more fun to put effort into the planning than the work!) = )
*Get caught up on laundry, fold as it comes out of the dryer. I am pleased as punch to announce that none of our hampers are currently over half full. This will come as a shock to any and all who know me and these conditions are still considered by the National Laundry Service as unpredictably sustainable.
*Piano lessons have been restarted! Yay!
Effort made, but not enough
*Clothes ready the night before, prayer in the morning instead of checking weather/email/facebook
*Exercise three times a week. This is perilously close to being in the did not happen category.
*More science with school
*Evaluate weekly activities; eliminate those which bring more stress than benefit
*Work on Awana verses. In all fairness and self-defense, this one could almost be in the accomplished or improved category.
Did not happen
*Read at night
*Make list of things we might need for baby
*Organize Mckayla’s room
*Go to church library
*Make list of expectations for girls
*Purchase organizing stuff
*Dream up an entryway project
****
Well, with all that, here are just a few additional comments regarding theoriginal list.
~ I taught the girls to wipe down the sink and toilet with a lysol wipe and have scheduled a day for them to do that every week. So far they’ve done great and remembered on their own. This is an accomplishment in the “chores” department. As well, they are doing very well making beds in the morning and putting shoes away right when we come in the door.
~ Our surfaces are overall a tiny bit more cleared off and clean. Why is it so hard to keep them that way?
~ I have an idea for something to do on the girls bathroom wall.
~ We are really enjoying reading the biography of Louis Braille! I’ve learned so much and been so inspired.
~ Weekly homeschool planning has not happened for a few weeks now. This hasn’t devastated our days or weeks, but I want to get back on track.
~ Night time sleep is beginning to look a little more prioritized! Keep it up!
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Okay, so those were all general things from my original list in January 2014. Now I will try to think through specific things to accomplish or grow towards in April. I think I will try to make a more concise, attainable list as it seems March was somewhat overshot.
*Begin spring cleaning. Try to finish the top two-thirds of the house (ceilings, walls, and furniture).
*Continue to work towards being early for events (church, appointments, etc.) not just on-time.
*Keep a Bible and pen by the bed. Take the minutes you have to read and make notes, even if it’s not the extended time you would like.
*Think through any birthdays or events happening in April and May. Try to plan ahead.
*Choose reading, writing, or playing the piano with day and night time “free time.” And don’t just write this, do it! Grrr!
*Make a small list every week of specific prayers for the girls, Paul, and others. Think through even in a small way what I’m really asking for on their behalf.
*Exercise four times a week. Yowza. What was I thinking? I need to come up with a major reward if I actually do this. = )
*Organize the girls room. And Mckayla’s room. And what’s left of our room. And spring clean. And climb Mt. Everest.
*Buy a candle
*Plan the upcoming homeschool week on Friday afternoon
*Read more from our current poetry book
*More training time with the girls, talk about expectations
*Listen to Hope as she practices piano and violin at least two times a week.
*Teach Sophia long-vowel sound words. She wants to read so badly!
*Cuddle with Gracie
*Play with and tickle Mckayla.
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Those last ones aren’t really list-worthy; but as the baby due date draws near and I spend more time resting, I want to consciously spend sweet time with the girls.
I don’t believe I succeeded in making the April list short. I think I will copy and paste it to a notepad so I can view it more easily throughout the month. Oh dear! This is Easter month! I have some new ideas of ways to celebrate that will definitely take some thought and preparation, but that will have to wait for another post.
It was the middle of December when Paul looked at me with blurry eyes and said, “Baby, if we can just make it through February 15.”
I’m here to tell you that February 15 has come and gone and we made it! By the way, I am so proud of my husband and how much he gives to those he works with and for.
On my end, February was filled spilled-over busyness from Paul’s responsibilities and unexpected challenges. There have been some bizarre and annoying pregnancy symptoms that have just majorly slowed me down. I was just reading through my February list of things to focus on and thinking, “Yeah, I was sleeping when I would have been doing that.” Have you ever realized your kids had five minutes left to finish breakfast and been like, “Sweet! I’m going to lay down on the couch because I cannot hold my head up any longer.” (and not because of staying up too late) = ) That makes you feel real optimistic about your day from 9:30 on.
However, if I had to summarize the month… I’m really proud of all we did. The girls (especially the big ones) were amazing with everything else going on. Paul put on an amazing middle school conference and finished the work for one of his seminary classes. Woohoo! Three more credits down, baby! And I have lived to see the light of March. = )
Here are my comments and thoughts from my February goals; next will be general thoughts from my original New Year’s goals, priorities, plans, and resolutions; and last will be specific ideas for March.
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Going to bed and waking up earlier? Improvement, even if it’s just a tiny bit. Might write a post soon about finishing well at the end of the day. Spoiler! I don’t normally.
Exercise? Average of twice a week. I’m really starting to enjoy it and want to do it more.
Reading? Pretty good. Need to do a little better to finish What Jesus Demands from the World and Robert Frost’s Poems by the end of March.
Biography for Hopey? She picked one on Louis Braille and we read a little, but are nowhere near done. a la February. (anyone recommend a way to learn how to pronounce French fast?)
Bible memory and reading? picked Ephesians 4 to memorize and did not finish the minor prophets (possible post coming about a different method to memorize)
Training in the morning for the little girls? Helped a lot, plan to continue
Organize our bedroom? small chuckle… clearing of the throat… well… our closet has been organized. Lots of stuff thrown out or put in a better place. There’s still a lot of work to do. However, the March room to organize can probably be done in about a day, so there should be time to finish our room. I just have to stay motivated and determined. I love the results!
Menu planning and grocery shopping? Eh? I will say that I have insured that there are ingredients to make pasta with homemade alfredo sauce on hand at all times. We’ve eaten that, oh, about five times this month. Then I had this idea to make creamy chicken enchiladas, so I did; and quickly realized it was a very similar dish. Just keepin’ the lady makin’ the baby happy. = )
Morning responsibilities for the girls? We (Paul and I) had a fun conversation about expectations and what we need to see from the girls. More on this in the March list. However, I do think the girls did pretty good with taking care of their stuff in the mornings.
Toys? Tubs bought? Check. Toys sorted and put away. The girls actually helped with this and I thought that was really good. We also put away a huge amount of stuffed animals to be brought out for parties or school or special things. This has made a huge improvement in the neatness of their rooms and the amount of time it takes for them to make their beds.
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Goals
To be more organized and prepared… I feel again some small measure of success here. Thinking ahead a little bit more… one small example: I am normally frustrated on someone’s birthday around here because no matter how much I think or prepare, it always seems like I come up short. Especially because I never remember to clean the house or have it neat and orderly for that day, I realize on the actual day that everything is a mess and we don’t have a “blank canvas” on which to celebrate. That being said, two days before Sophia’s birthday I remembered this! and vacuumed! and cleaned stuff up! and on the morning of her birthday the house was not perfect, but it was good enough. And while it probably didn’t make any difference to her, it certainly did to me. That being said, pregnancy brain is in full effect, so all efforts and successes are subject to change. = )
I did not do well with playing the piano this month. As already mentioned, I was probably sleeping.
It’s funny when you realize you did “better” praying because that really means you were struggling a lot. When you’re forced to rest, the house becomes messy, the meals become stressful, the little kids start to push the limits, and the “crafts” that the older ones occupy themselves with in the afternoon overflow to every last imaginable space in the house. This can make for one frustrated mommy. Prayer doesn’t feel so much like a spiritual response, but a desperate reach for the help and grace you now realize you need. I can give thanks for any circumstance that opens my eyes in this way.
Plans
Laundry. It piled up again, and sometimes didn’t get done. Last month’s victories don’t guarantee future successes.
Homeschooling. Oh dear, what a month for homeschooling. First I have to say that I am so thankful for Hope. Her sweet and patient nature are such a gift. Her cursive writing is starting to look beautiful and she is catching on well to more concepts in math. We lost several days of school through the first weeks of February, but the third week we fought through and conquered and the fourth week was back to normal with an extra day made up! That felt even better than a whole month of perfectly executed lesson plans.
We did play outside a lot in spite of the cold. I think being outside helps me as much as it does them.
Priorities
This would have been a good month to fall back on those priorities and remind myself of them constantly. That didn’t happen, but hopefully it will the next time some challenging weeks roll around. (because I’m sure they will)
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I’m out of breath! But just one more list to go and I can go to bed! Because I know if I don’t do this now I won’t maybe for the rest of the year.
So here we go: specific plans for March!
(wait, one more thing. I have this policy about lists; I try not to let things roll over. Of course everything doesn’t get done, but just putting it on the next list seems to mean it won’t get done. If an item is that important, it will bug me until I get it done, list or not. All that to say, there will be things missing from March’s list that I will still be working on.)
*Get chalkboard ready for the next day during the afternoon
*Read at night
*Try to go to the park every week with the girls
*Make extra effort to be early for church, just to see Paul before everything starts
*Choose to use even the five minutes it takes to check email, facebook, or the weather in the morning to pray (weather could be checked the night before) ; ) for that matter, let’s be ambitious: have clothes ready the night before
*make list of things we might need for the new baby
*Exercise three times a week
*Organize Mckayla’s room
*Make spring cleaning plan
*Fold all current laundry, then fold as it comes out of the dryer and do not do more until the previous load is folded and put away. Get.caught.up.
*Homeschooling: more science, go to church library, find a time to do piano lessons
*Make list of expectations for the girls. Include personal responsibilities, chores, manners, attitudes, and possible rewards or consequences
*Remember the priorities!
*Evaluate weekly activities; eliminate those that might bring more stress than benefit.
*Consistently work on Awana verses with the girls. Try to be ready every week!
*Possibly purchase some organizing stuff for our room/papers/stuff.
*For profitable fun, dream up an entryway project from Pinterest, craigslist, Target, etc. Include storage, place to sit, and things to make it pretty.
What a lovely way to end a list. I think I’m just trying to encourage myself for the work ahead.
And if you read this… go eat a Snickers or some other rewarding treat. I can only imagine it is as laborious to read as it is to write. This is so helpful for me, though; thanks for bearing with me. I referred to the list many times in February.
What else should I be thinking about in March?
Happy Almost Spring! (I like winter enough that I’m cool with it for another twenty days or so)
One Saturday afternoon our family was enjoying lunch together. Well, trying to enjoy it in spite of Mckayla’s whining. I looked at her and said, “Mckayla, if you don’t stop whining, I’m going to take you straight to naptime.” Her whining continued and I whisked her off to her bed. As I walked past Paul’s chair I heard him say, “Don’t mess with Momma the first week of January.”
What a laugh!
The sad thing is it’s true.
Already this month I’ve seen the progression: Motivated and disciplined; tired and inconsistent; frustrated and overwhelmed; humbled and seeking help; motivated and disciplined…
By the way, I don’t think this cycle will ever be eliminated. I guess my goal is to just spend more days in the motivated and discplined spot.
Thinking about my New Year’s goals and the questions I asked my kids has helped these last few days to get back on track. Especially helpful has been trying to think through the last month. What worked? What didn’t? What can be tweaked?
I won’t rehash all of my goals, plans, priorities and resolutions; but I’ll just list certain ones which are comment-worthy. Then I will probably jot down a few specific things for February.
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Overall goals
I think, conservatively speaking, that goals 1-5 were “small step” successes. I felt a little more prepared, in general; was more productive in the evenings, but not in the mornings; played the piano a few times and almost caught up on thank-you notes; tried to read at night before working or relaxing with the iPad; chose to spend time with the girlies “just because” which is so rewarding. Now, if it was November, I might feel really good about those things. But most of it should just be attributed to January momentum. Now I have to really work and watch to keep improving.
Number 6 is hard to judge. What I can say is that pregnancy is a fairly difficult time to lavish your husband with love and affection. I can remember specific times this month when he was on his way home and I was in no mood to be unselfish, when God answered a simple prayer like, “Please help me to bless him, and do good to him…” with grace beyond my abilities. Looking forward for more grace to grow in this every day.
With regards, to having an attitude of prayer throughout the day, I do not believe there was any growth. Positively, I can say that the burden and necessity of prayer for me as a believer and wife and mom are growing inside me.
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Plans
Again, this may be rather scattered. Definitely some things will be left out.
The two big specific successes of the month were finishing The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer and organizing my kitchen and pantry. Whoo! Those both felt really good.
Exercise. This is what I have to say: I think I did some kind of something three times this month which is three more times than I did last month. Enough said.
Homeschooling has been rather a challenge this month. Not the actual school part, but it felt like so many times there were other busy things planned in the day that made us have to juggle our schedule. I would like for this month to be more routine. Also, while I did really good at my weekly planning, I need to do better at night making sure the room and chalkboard are ready to go for the morning.
We did play outside a good amount, but I think we can do even more. It helps so much with Mckayla taking naps – which helps with every other last area of life! = )
Priorities
There was significant improvement in the area of laundry. I’m taking it slow and trying to just develop steady habits that will keep clean clothes in our drawers. Other than that, the other priorities need some more prioritizing. Seriously, if you’ve never made a list like this and referred back to it often, you should try it. I find it so helpful.
Resolutions
In the area of prioritizing nighttime sleep, I get an F+. Because… overall, I think I went to bed a tiny bit earlier, but there were a few nights that would just blow that average out of the water in the bad direction.
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A few things to focus on in February.
-Going to bed and getting up earlier. Just go ahead and plan on reading that one every single month.
-Exercise twice a week. Plan these!
-For books, I’m planning to use February and March to finish What Jesus Demands from the World and Robert Frost’s Poems. I know the Piper book will be a great aid to the resolution of “rejoicing in the character of God.”
-At our last library visit I picked out four biographies that I thought would be interesting for Hopey. Probably on Monday, I will let her choose one and we will read that together in the month of February.
-I need to pick out my first passage to memorize from the Bible this year, and I would like to finish reading the minor prophets this month. I started with them since it had been so long since I’d read them.
-Training for the younger girls most mornings a week. I had been using this time to do little ABC’s or numbers or books, but right now, they need to grow in obedience more than any of those other things.
-Organize our bedroom. Call in the Cavalry! We’re going to need it.
-Keep up with weekly menu planning and grocery shopping.
-Currently I’m working with the girls on their morning responsibilities; we all fold and put away their laundry together once or twice a week; and I’m having Hope and Sophia clear the lunch table while I put the little girls down for naps. These might seem small, but they are a big help to me. Instead of adding more responsibilities at this point, I’m going to stick with these and try to solidify them as habits for us all. (It’s hard work to make sure your kids do their work!) As the month goes, I might add a few more things.
-Toys. I’m planning on buying two tubs. One for toys to put away for awhile (things that are no longer age-appropriate, things the girls seem bored with, or things that are consistently not where they’re intended to be) and one for toys that I see certain of our children chewing on! The idea is if I see any toy, piece of jewelry, anything in a mouth that’s not supposed to be there…. it goes in the tub and they can’t have it back… until they disinfect it or something? I have a feeling this one will evolve. All I know is that a two and four-year-old using regular toys as chew toys has got to stop! Sorry to end on a negative note.
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Well, my, my, my; I do hope this wasn’t so boring that you wanted to poke your eyes out. Or that if it was, you stopped reading a long time ago.
I already said it, but it’s true. It’s so helpful to revisit and re-evaluate your goals!
small steps, big picture 