Thinking Out Loud

I don't feel like I'm using my time in the best ways.  I'm always busy but don't seem to accomplish much.  Always moving but not going anywhere.  Spinning my wheels. 

I've been asking the Lord how He would want me to spend my days.  In Isaiah God says the people laid many plans but they were not God's plans.  I don't want that to happen to me.  Yet, that's probably what has been going on lately. 

As I've been praying a few things come to mind....

~Be more intentional in my Bible time with the kids.  I don't want it to seem like just something else to check off the list.  Sadly...that's where it's been.  My favorite children's Bible is Egermeier's Story Bible.  My copy is completely worn out and I don't think my younger kids have ever heard it.  It's on my library list this week. 

~Dictation with our memory verse.  This is a terrific way for my kids to learn and they seem to like it.  Also a good way to teach spelling and vocabulary.   Another thing I haven't been doing. 

~Write to my grandmothers. 

~Show appreciation for the ppl that are investing in our lives every week.  Our TKD teacher, piano teacher, math tutor, the Rileys, Maggie.  A note, a plate of cookies, a loaf of bread....how hard is that? 

~Do the worst first.  That would be writing and listening to my readers.  I tend to gravitate toward those school subjects that I enjoy.  Writing is NOT one of them.  It gets pushed aside and I have this nagging guilty feeling that they'll never be able to write a sensible paragraph and it'll be all my fault. 

~Work with COW in the kitchen.  What happened that I think I need to do all the cooking all of a sudden? 

~Re-visit my Flylady zones and routines.  I have such freedom when I stick with this, why do I stray?  I certainly need a better morning routine and to train my kids in a few cleaning talents. 

~Exercise even when it's cold outside or I don't feel great.  Just something, anything, is better than nothing.

~Work on my baby's scrapbook.  He's 4 1/2 for crying out loud.  It's time. 
I also have a music project for Honey that is important to me.  (I might enlist the kids for this too.)

So there it is.  And I feel better even having some ideas in place!

Squeeeeal!!

Our new bed from a garage sale this week!

I never ever ever buy such a big ticket item so this was a BIG deal.  Plus we've never had bed furniture before...just mattress and frame.  So it was a double big deal. 

I love it. 

New Jurisdictions!

This summer has been a good opportunity to do some re-org. The first was fixing up our chore list...or jurisdictions as we call them. It was a bit lopsided as some ppl had too much and some had too little. Also there has been a lot of growth since I assigned them last time and some kids are ready for some heavier work.

So here's how it looks now (in addition to their usual room and groom).......

Lane (17yo) - living room, mowing, pets, history with little boys, big trash cans, making salad dressing, kitchen work Tues & Sat w/Jes.

CT (15yo) - school closet, pool maintenance, larger yard chores, game closet, making salad, emptying Wall-e (trash compactor), kitchen work Wed & Sun.

LB (13yo) - dining room (Mon and Fri), kitchen work Thurs & Sun, ironing, matching socks, vegan cereal, girls' bathroom, daily bread baking

Josh (10yo) - laundry (we all help fold and put away), dining room, pantry, recycling cans, kitchen work with Meg

Jes (8yo) - cereal, dog poop, table duty, boy's bathroom, recycling cans, kitchen work with Lane

Nate (7yo) - laundry room, table duty, dog poop, kitchen work with LB

Mally (5yo) - music room laundry, halls, emptying dishwasher

ZBoy (4yo) - entry way, back tile, small trashes, emptying dishwasher

Many hands make light work! And I've noticed that we're getting a lot faster at pulling the house together when it is a wreck than we used to. Gone are the days of doing it all myself with little bitties pulling at my legs. Not that I did all that myself....I seem to remember it being more like the bare minimum back then!

New Space

I rearranged my laundry/storage room today! I wish I had taken some before pix so you could see the difference. Suffice it to say it's huge.

It was always a mess. And I was sick of it. So I went in looking around for more space to add shelves. I went in the garage to see if there were any shelves out there I could re-purpose. I contemplated materials and wondered if Honey would go for it.

Then the idea hit me.
How 'bout just cleaning it up?
Rearrange. Dejunk. Restack.
Worth a shot....
These are shelves on the left side of the room. They hold most of our bulk food and some foo-foo dishes that won't fit in the kitchen. I use those honey jars for so many things.

The blue bins beside the shelves hold grain. Oats, soft wheat, and hard wheat.

Then you have the dirty clothes.

On the right side is the washer/dryer and my basket of orphan socks and ironing. Just wiping these off made a world of difference! They get gross fast. See that closet on the end?

Inside is a little storage cabinet that holds this miscellaneous stuff. And you can't see it, but there is even an EMPTY shelf on the bottom!

Who knew? I should rearrange stuff more often.

HAVE MERCY!!

Done!

I am finished with housecleaning on Fridays. I hate it.

I don't hate housecleaning. I rather like it really.

But not all at once on Friday no matter how many hands I have working. I think the kids hate it too. And I can't even say that it's nice to have everything clean at the same time b/c that's not even possible I've decided.

So it's time to move on to a different way. I've always liked the Flylady approach. I think I need to adapt it to our house.

Problem is that so many "systems" have you doing weekly chores. I don't have many of those. For instance, our house needs to be vacuumed every 10 minutes at least once a day. Everything seems to take a long time.

But I'm going to try to be more careful to do stuff (or have it done) before it really needs doing. Do you think that'll work?

How do you do your housecleaning??

New Ideas For A New Week

#1~ paper plates on Mondays.  You know, I thought it was a clever idea to cram everything into one day...and at the beginning of the week...so that we would be free and home the rest of the week.   But when Monday comes I'm thinking it was the worst idea ever.  But then there's Tues, and Wed, and Thurs...and by then I've forgotten all about the chaos of Monday and I'm back to thinking it was pretty good planning.   Then it's Monday again.  And I'm trying to think of anything to make the day easier.  So paper plates.  That should do it.  Or at least help.  I hope. 

#2~Taking a page from Mama Tweeten's book and she always has "everything ready" for the Lord's Day.  You know I can't imagine Mama not being ready for anything anytime.  What a woman!  And I sooo want to be like her.  Today I wanted to invite my friend's family over for lunch.  But there was NO way.  We were having leftovers - and not even good leftovers.   And Buzzy tracked dirt in the house on the way out the door and there was not time to clean it up before we left.   And there were dishes in my sink...which I HATE.  Mama never had dishes in her sink.

I want to prepare better on Saturday.  To not only have clothes and shoes ready ~ we had another shoe issue~, but to have a clean kitchen, a real lunch, and to be ready for whomever the Lord may choose to send home with us.   

#3~ Praying.  I was reading that Ray Ortlund started his day by praying over every appt he had, every unexpected phone call, and every unpleasant interruption.  Imagine the peace in covering those things with prayer.  I also want to pray more for my churches, my pastors, and the hearts of His people and those who are seeking.  On Wednesdays I want to remember not only to pray for my own precious class, but all the children AND all the workers.  They put in so much.  The Lord has used them mightily and I so appreciate them. 

#4~I have too much stuff!  I need to clean out my nightstand and my closet.  Do you have any idea how much I LOVE having my own closet?!  I'm thinking of painting it pink.  What do you think??   I started cleaning out my nightstand last week and decided to move the huge concordance and Bible dictionary into the school closet.  But it was already crowded.  So I started pulling off books and listing them on Paperback Swap.  Ahhh....the feeling of cleaning out a closet!

So how 'bout you?  If the Lord gives you another week, do you have some things you'd like to change??

An Afternoon Coffee

See this pretty lady?  I'm posting this for you Wendy!!

Her sister, Margaret, wrote the book First We Have Coffee that I'm so crazy about.  And this week she came over and endured my coffee had coffee with us!  Bless her. 

She brought pictures and told stories about her family.  And answered all sorts of questions I had about Momma. 

Sweet time!

A Hospitality Makeover

My mom and g'ma just left after spending a fun-filled 2 days with us.  It was good to be out of routine for a bit, eat different foods, do special stuff, and sometimes just hang out.  Nana went with us to Awana this week and I loved that.  

But I noticed something.  And they were little things.  But still.

I overlooked a lot of things that I wish I hadn't. 

Like making coffee for Gram. 
And checking the toilet paper status before they arrived. 
I wish I had made something chocolate. 
And had more snack foods in the house. 

I learned some things about their likes and dislikes while they were here too.  Like Nana doesn't like pepper on her food.  And Gram doesn't like bean burritos. 

I think I'm going to make myself a little hospitality notebook listing as many likes/dislikes of my guests as I know. 
And making checklists of things that I would've liked to remember this time but didn't. 

If you've been here long, you'll know that hospitality doesn't come naturally to me.  But it's important to me so I keep practicing.  I want my guests to feel special and like I have thought ahead and prepared.  That I'm happy they are here and want them to come back.  

I wonder who's coming next???  Wanna swing by my house so I can practice on YOU? 

Back To The Drawing Board

I love the flexibility that comes with summer.  And even though we are still schooling most days, I find that summer brings lots of opportunity for better things to do.  My friends are free and it's a good time to get together.  I hope to get lots of canning done in the coming weeks...even if it's not from my own garden.  Swimming, snow cones, park days, fun fun. 

It's also my time to reorganize and plan.  To look at school books and buy new school supplies....I love that!  And to think of how I want things to look for the fall. 

Here's the verse I've been pondering the past few days.....

"Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives."  Titus 3:14

Devoting myself to doing good, providing for daily necessities, and living productively is right up my alley of thinking.  But how?  What do I need to change?  How can I do better?

School is one.  And my schedule has too many loose ends.  That's another. 
Working alongside my kids is one.   I need some fresh ideas of how to include them in the daily doings. 
Menuing is right up there too.  And a new budget that comes with the new job Honey starts Tuesday.  Maybe a new cleaning routine as well?  Lots of things swirling around my head. 

So I've been praying.

But b/c I don't have the time or energy to figure it all out (plus it'd be wrong anyway) I pray and ask the Lord to show me. Oswald Chambers puts it like this, "Don't calculate without God."

"Commit thy way to the Lord; trust also in Him ; and He shall bring it to pass."  Ps 37:5

Every time I turn around I am being brought to Psalm 37.  Thinking maybe I should memorize it.

Shots From Saturday

A great Saturday of work! 

All hands!

Digging up and cleaning out.

Working up a sweat.

And a good visit from friends.

I love the changes we're making in the yard.  I confess, I was sceptical.  But seeing it even in it's unfinished state I can visualize the possibilities.  

We're still working with our pond too.  It's harder than you'd think.  After having the fish live all through the winter, they all died at the same time this spring.  Then there was the leak.  And maybe it's fixed, maybe not.  New fish and tadpoles and....green water.  And a $13 bottle of stuff to clear it up that is safe for fish.  Only the fish died and green remained.  Sigh.....  The thought occurred to us to just fill it in, plant some plants, and call it a day.  But we've decided to give it a full year, trying to figure it out, and then make a decision. 

I love the porch. The space, the furniture, the shade, and the little flower pots with the first signs of green poking up. 

I love the front yard.  The back yard too.  But especially the front yard.  

Ah, Lovely Dirt!

Recently we had new tile installed in the entryway, dining room, and in front of the back door.  Before the new tile, there was carpet.  White carpet. 

And on that white carpet there were muddy paw prints, spilled oatmeal, ketchup, and every kind of disgustingness imaginable. 

But NO MORE!!

And yesterday as I was sweeping (not vacuuming) I was rejoicing over all the dirt I was accumulating.  Dirt that is easily swept into a dust pan and thrown in the trash to be gone forever! 

Thank you God (and Honey) for my new tile!!!

Done!

"The end of a matter is better than its beginning."  Ecc 7:8

I guess Solomon did the Science Fair too!

New Jurisdictions

Our jurisdictions were a bit outa whack.  Some kids had too much, some had too little.  (Guess which set brought this to my attention?)  So I rearranged it and here's what it looks like now. 

MallyBird (4) - Room and groom (this includes making beds, straightening rooms, fixing hair, brushing teeth),  Put away clean laundry, empty bathroom trashes, help her buddy with kitchen work on Thursdays.

Nate (5) - Room and groom, kitchen work on Sundays and Mondays, clear the table, dining room, entryway, and east hall, trashes on Mon, helping with meals Sun

Jes (7) - Room and groom, boy's bathroom, clear table, kitchen work on Tues and Saturday, empty paper shredder on Friday, trashes on Mon, helping with meals Sat

Jad (8) - Room and groom, living room, kitchen work on Wed and Fri., trashes on Mon, helping with meals Fri

LB (12) - Room and groom, fix Bird's hair, bathroom trashes with Mally, switch laundry, kitchen work on Thursday, keep tea made in the fridge, helping with meals Thurs

CT (13) - Room and groom, west hall, kitchen work on Wed and Fri, trashes on Mon, vacuuming once a day, empty vacuum canister once a week,  make cereal, help w/meals on Wed

Lane (15) - Room and groom, girls' bathroom, dining room with Nate (this is the hardest jurisdiction b/c of the carpet), kitchen work on Mon and Sun., help with meals on Tues

Meg (18) - Room and groom, kichen work on Tues and Sat., folding, ironing, school closet, help w/meals on Monday 

My kids don't get regular allowances.  Instead, I have a marker board where I keep jobs posted with a price beside them.  It is to their advantage to take the initiative to claim these.  If they are on the board too long, I will assign them to someone as part of their regular work for the day w/o pay.  

Here's a sample of what is posted today...
top of fridge - .25
spot living room rug - $3
make tortillas - $3
clean refrigerator - $1

Some New Friends

I'm introducing you to some of my new friends and adding their links to my sidebar.


First, my sweet cousin Carri in California. Her pictures are awesome and her boys are precious.

My good friend in Colorado, Wordlady, has 2 new blogs as well as her regular one.
This one is a devotional blog.
And here is one about healthy cooking. Good stuff.

2 friends from my new church....
Leslie and Abigail

And while I'm at it..
My church and
My other church

These are not real friends, but some helpful sites I enjoy.

Tammys Recipes is where I go for inspiration in the kitchen.

Heavenly Homemakers and Passionate Homemaking are always nice reads.

And for deal finding, Money Saving Mom and Common Sense With Money.

Enjoy!!

In With The New

Here's some new things I'm working on this week....

~I've adopted Tracy's 30 second rule. "If it takes less than 30 seconds, do it now." And I added, "Do it yourself." But, true to my nature, I've taken it to the extreme. So I find myself evaluating just exactly how long everything will take. It takes less than 30 seconds to put away the brown sugar. But that pile of folded laundry on my dresser? Well surely that'll take longer than 30 seconds so I better just leave it there.

~Mail Day Wednesday. This is something I've tried in the past but have not been diligent to stick with it. Everyone loves getting something in the mailbox that is special for them. My goal is to have my kids (and me) write a note to someone to bless them once a week. This starts with each person making a list of people that would like to hear from them. As something neat or funny happens in the week, you can choose who on your list would enjoy hearing about it. Mom checks the rough draft. A final copy is made. The envelope is carefully addressed (with help if needed) and taken to the mailbox to raise the red flag.

~My friend, Andie, helped me to see that I was not utilizing the library w/my older children as I should. My little kids love story time and the small library by my house is quite charming. So Wed is library day. While my little ones are at story time, my big ones will be working on research projects. This week's projects....

*Write a synopsis of each of the three Punic Wars.

*In the Apocrypha, look up 1 Maccabees 4:52-59 & 11 Maccabees 10:6 to follow the story of Hanukkah.

*Historical map work - Find Carthage, Find the boundaries of the Han dynasty, Mark the route of the Silk Road.

I am trying to be careful to keep my expectations in check on this one!

~This is not really new as we've been doing it for a few weeks now. But I wanted to give it a good try before I blogged about it. This site explains our new memorization program. It's cheap, homemade, versatile, and easy to follow.

This week's Scripture is Psalm 51:10-12... "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit with in me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me."


~I would like to have some sort of play day once a week....depending on how the week goes. Lately that's been easy as my older kids are paired up with friends to do a writing project for their Creative Writing class. This, of course, would be dependent on how diligently we worked on school and how many other things were going on in the week. This week we are doing a field trip with our homeschool group.

~Honey used to come home every day for lunch when we lived in CO. Now that we're back, he can't do that....and we miss him. So Friday is lunch with Dad day. The kids love taking their lunch boxes out!

~Since we've moved, our regular tea time has fallen by the wayside. We are working to resurrect our afternoon tea. This takes planning but it's worth it.

Today's tea.... blueberry muffins that Meg made for us last night. Thank you Sweetie!!

~My final new experiment is to try to have breakfast foods made the night before. This always saves time in the morning but I'm usually tired at night and not in the mood to cook anymore. Again, planning comes into play as I'll need to work on this earlier in the day.

Anything new at your house?

Why Does This Always Happen?

Bzzzzz. Bzzzzzz.

The first time I'm not real sure what it is so I lie there and listen.

Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz.

Of course.

Well if I lie here long enough it'll just die completely, right? And it *is* set to vibrate so Honey probably doesn't even hear it.

But it won't die. And a long sigh lets me know that he does hear it.

Well, it's kinda light out, maybe it's time to get up anyway?

Honey gets up to search for the phone and to figure out how to turn it off in the dark.

It's 4:30 am.

Why doesn't the cell phone battery ever die in the middle of the day? Why is it ALWAYS in the middle of the night????

Our New House

We finally got some pix! Just a few, but it's a start.
This is the goldfish pond minus the golfish b/c the pump is broken.

And another angle. It runs down like a waterfall.
Meg and Mally's very pink room.

The boys have a pull-up bar on their closet door. FUN!!

Lane and LB's freshly painted room. See those pictures on the wall? They are paint-by-number masterpieces they did when they were younger.

The boys' room. It's impossible to get a good picture of this room b/c it's huge. There are 3 sets of bunks and still lots of room.

The front of the house complete with a football game in the yard.

Here's The First Picture Of The New House!

Does it count if it's only a picture of our new table? We got 2 of these and put them together. Plenty of chairs for everyone with a few left over!

There's Doors Everywhere!

No more blankets or shower curtains hanging from the doorway thank you very much!

There are doors all over the place! Nice heavy real wood doors with door knobs (instead of handles) which I like. They open and they close and they lock and they do not creak. There are sliding doors, screen doors, storm doors, shower doors, and even these cute little folding doors on each side of the bathroom.

Oh they are wonderful!