Unplugged

This post was typed in Word one day last week when I had no internet/no electricity and couldn't upload to my blog.

I’m sitting here in a VERY quiet house. Quiet time for my littles is normally from 2 to 4 and most days I’m insistent that they participate in it. So yes, my littles are having quiet time at just this moment but, my house is exceptionally quiet for another reason.

My electricity is off.

Not only are my children quiet but my house has no “hum”. There is no hum from the refrigerator or the air conditioner. The fan on the computer is not steadily puttering away in the background and the clock’s tick-tock is silent. There are no ceiling fans turning and the phone is in a comatose state as well.

My house is super quiet.

It’s so quiet that I notice it. The silence is almost deafening. And isn’t that sad?...

Is this how we live? So used to noise that we are surprised by the absence of it? So accustomed to a steady hum of busyness that we don’t notice it until it’s gone?

Today, for awhile, my house is unplugged. My bill is paid (I did call to check :) and the weather is good today, so it appears that we are just benefitting from a plain ‘ole outage for no-good-reason.

There is good in this though. I can hear the bird outside my window. I can hear my son clear his throat in his sleep. I can hear the faint sound of an airplane passing by miles above the earth. I can hear myself think. I can hear Jesus.

Oh how I know that I must make time to unplug from the daily grind and busyness of life so that I can sense that I am truly here, truly alive, truly and completely aware of what I am feeling and thinking, truly in the present.

The electricity will eventually come back on. The question is will I purposely do the work of “unplugging” on a regular basis so that I never get accustomed to the “hum” of a life lived lacking intention, purpose, or clarity.

Thank you Lord for a lesson today in rest, quiet, and a sense of peace. Never let me forget that even when you walked this earth, you regularly “unplugged” and made time for rest, time alone, and communion with the Father.

Catch up #! - I've been busy...

I miss blogging I really do. I have so much to share and so little time these days to do so. However, at the very least, I figured I'd jump online and share with everybody some of what has been keeping me so busy :)

I've been busy with Baby "J". 

He is a simply a joy.  He is a happy, easy-going, no trouble baby and I'm having a blast enjoying this season of his "little-ness".

I've been busy with babies overall :)
Me, my sister, and sister-in-law were all preggers at the same time and we've been spitting them out one by one.  These three musketeers are gonna be one tough little gang.

So babies, baby showers, baby-sitting, etc...have had me a little...uh....occupied :)

More to come :)

Summer Fun - Part 2

Here's another post relevant for the summer daze.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Summer Days At A Glance

Summers are always difficult for me because I'm a routine gal. As much as I want to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-person...I'm just not.

A friend once told me that people who are naturally organized don't need charts and schedules and routines written down and posted all over the place, but that those who are naturally chaotic need things written down and planned in order to get anything done. This made sense to me.

People always think I'm organized because they see my with a planner, with a chore chart, and with a routine for my days with kiddos at home. SHHHHHH....don't tell anybody - I'm one of the most random and chaotic people you will ever meet. Here's how I keep things under control though - I plan. I plan myself silly. I have a plan for everything. I plan so much that I struggle to stop planning and get to doing.

Truth be told, I'm a perfectionist and perfectionist don't like to fail. If I stop planning and actually start doing, I open myself up to failing miserably. At least, if all I do is plan than I can succeed at just that...planning :)

Ok...enough self analysis. Here's what I do: I take my schedule from the school year and tweak it to allow for more T-I-M-E. Time for what you ask? Well, time to just be. One of the lost arts these days is knowing how to exist without something to do. It's a skill to be still and master the art of quietness. Plus....boredom is the mother of invention. Kids have wonderful imaginations. They just sometimes don't know it until they are bored :)

The other thing I make sure to allow is plenty of time for taking care of our home. Summer is where I do the bulk of my training because life is slower and I can take all the time I want to make sure that the clothes are folded the right way or that the bathroom clean is done as expected. I try my best not to be "Mommy-dearest" but I do have high standards. I can't help it. I'm a perfectionist. I figure my kids will have something about me to discuss in counseling anyway.

I also put up a summer calender to take care of the "big stuff" - you know - the stuff that the kids really look forward to like family vacation, swimming lessons, summer outings, etc.



I also use the calendar to purposefully plan to do some of the things from our list of Summer Activities. OK...back to the point of this post...our daily summer routine....

AGGGGGGHHHHH... I just got a pop-up message telling me that I'm about to run out of batteries. I'm sitting at Barnes & Noble, getting a little R&R (can you say BY MYSELF) and I can't seem to find an outlet.

So....I will add the daily routine in a subsequent post so that I can at least have a post for today! More to come later...

Summer Fun

Since I have yet to post this week and I don't want to fall back in my rut of not posting. I figured I would do just fine do a repost from last summer where I shared how we keep up with things to do during the summer with the kids.

The price of gas in 2008 has kept us closer to home than last year but I still pull out my handy list of activities (link below) to keep me up on things to do so I have ideas in my back pocket when I need them.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Things to Do This Summer

Well this is our last official week of school. Normally we school year round but my oldest daughter is coming into her own and she has a SCHEDULE to keep. I've learned from summer's gone by that trying to fit school in between camp or family vacation or the mission trip...just isn't smart.

Although I will do "school" for my littles (they don't know about any difference between the summer and the traditional school year) it will be very relaxed. I like to get out of the house and take advantage of all the fun things going on in the city.

This week is Vacation Bible School at our church which means late nights and letting the kiddos sleep in. The next couple of days we'll be enrolling in the library's summer reading program and spending quality time in the backyard. The kiddos will play while I pull more weeds and finish the beds for my tomato plants (yes...I'm trying my hand at gardening).

Anyhow, every year I add things to my Summer List of Activities and save it so I won't have to start from scratch the next year. Thought I'd share the list with you guys today!

Maxi Pads And Milk

One of the best things about being pregnant is that you don't have to buy maxi pads for awhile.

Seriously.

It's one of the perks from the job of carrying another human being around in your own body for the better part of a year.

I recall towards the end of '07 that I needed some pads and made a trip to the store specifically to that end. I walked to the feminine products aisle, found my favorite brand and then proceeded to walk to the checkout.

It just didn't feel right to be strolling through Walmart with just a soft square bag of female diapers in my hand.

I made my way back to the feminine products aisle and put the pads back...

Yes...I put the pads back.

I waltzed back up to the front of the store, got a basket, and made my way to the back of the grocery store where the diary products are located. I picked up a gallon of milk.

I then criss-crossed the store diagonally and went back to the feminine products aisle that I had visited early, grabbed the bag of pads, threw it in the basket and proceeded to the checkout.

There's just something about going through Lane #11 with a bag of pads that screams...

I'M ON MY CYCLE AND I'M DESPERATE FOR MORE PADS NOW!

At least with the gallon of milk, it might have made it seem as if I was a little less desperate. Maybe I would have needed the pads in a couple of days and just decided to proactively pick them up as I took care of my REAL need of replenishing the milk for my children.

Yea...that's it. It's about my kids....

Somehow, adding the milk to the maxis made me feel a little bit less self-conscious.

SIGH~

I sure am glad that I don't have to worry about that for while. Truth be told I hope not to worry about that for a long while.

There are alternatives to the conventional maxi...but that is for another blog at another time....I don't have to worry about that for yet awhile longer and there is no reason to bare all in one post....

Kano's Visit With The Docs

For those of you who just want to know that Kano is OK, here is the bottom line:

Kano doesn't need any more surgeries that Dr. Kozin can see, or Botox for muscle tightness, or casting. This is great news!

For those of you who want the details, here goes:

So last Tuesday, the 27th, we flew into Philly for our schedule appointments at the Shriners Children Hospital there. Gracie came with me and Kano this time. It was great to have her there.

Kano was scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday morning. He couldn't eat anything after midnight and could only have water or apple juice until 6.30am. So our day started early. I woke him up at 6.20am to give him some apple juice and put something on his stomach. We left the Ronald McDonald house around 7am and got to the hospital at 8am. The MRI was schedule for 8.30am. It actually occurred at 10.30 am.

This picture of Kano was definitely before the drama started. This was the worse anesthesia experience that we've had. The MRI area was under construction so we had to go to another area of the hospital to do all of the medical info gathering and running of the I.V. The first attempt at the I.V. was in Kano's foot. The main nurse wanted to leave both arms free. One arm because it was the side needed for the MRI, the other because he sucks it and she wanted him to have a form of comfort. The I.V. in the foot didn't work. He was cold and the blood in his foot wasn't flowing well. So after three of us holding him down, and 10 minutes of him screaming, we had no good line.

Then they tried for his left arm. The line was successful but after 15 more minutes of holding him down to get the line going, taping his arm down to a board to immobilze it, and securing the site, the drip wouldn't flow. He was still screaming. The nurse had to loosen the tape and play with the placement of the needle to get it to flow again. Kano was still screaming. I had been holding him down for about 30 minutes now. The two nurses didn't work well together. One nurse said that she was used to working with kids in the pediatric I.C.U. She wasn't used to working with kids that could fight back...and fight back Kano did.

After all this, we had to walk over to MRI. Kano was fighting me so bad that I had to get on the gurney with him and they wheeled us both to the MRI. Gracie was traumatized. We get to the MRI room and they are not ready for us. At this point, I just wanted somebody fired.

Gracie ended up finding Barney on a TV and Kano quieted down. She held him until MRI time and actually carried him to the MRI room. She was completely unprepared when they put the anesthesia into the IV and Kano went limp in a matter of seconds. She had no idea that people went into the "deep sleep" that fast and she freaked out wondering what was wrong with him.

Although, it was an extremely traumatic morning, I am so grateful to report the rest of the day went much better. When Kano woke up, we got him together slowly and headed down to the cafeteria to feed him. He was starving. We gave him a little play break before heading back to the clinic floor for our appointment with Dr. Kozin so that he could give us the results of the MRI.

Whew! What can I say? Kids bounce back!

and....

Kano doesn't need any more surgeries that Dr. Kozin can see, or Botox for muscle tightness, or casting. This is great news! We left with a couple of splints to help with Kano's elbow contracture and a contracture with his shoulder blade that makes him hold his arm up in an abnormal way. The bottom line is this. There are only so many things that surgeons can do or fix. Much of Kano's recovery is going to be therapy, stretching, and muscle strengthening.

The hardest part about this injury is that there is no prescribed fix or plan. Each child is different and what works for one kiddo may not work for another. The effects of Kano's injury is lifelong and will require constant reevaluation for what works and what doesn't. We can now focus on figuring out what comes next. We are very grateful that the possibility of future surgeries is low.

The doctor and therapists that saw Kano were happy with his progress. They are glad to see that he is extremely functional and that there are few limitations. But for any of you who know me in real life, ya'll know that although I'm thrilled that he is "functional", I'm after making sure that he gets every opportunity to access all of the potential that he has physically.

So that's the skinny on the latest with Kano. For those of you have kept up with his progress for the close to three years now (wow), thanks for all of your love and support. Continue to pray for us as we fight insurance to pay for therapy, find qualified therapists, and chase this very active two year old :)

Kano is doing great. He has come a long way...from three months of his life with no movement at all in his arm to having him "bop" me in the head the other day 'cuz he was mad at me, we've seen him make incredible strides. We are gonna keep working on helping this boy max out on his physical potential but it is just as crucial right now for us to work on his character and spiritual potential too. This boy is a HANDFUL! He's extremely....umm...persistent and determined :)

Bedtime for Gracie & Kano @ the Ronald McDonald House

Day 2 Fall '07 PART B

Forgot to mention that although I was completely ready to go the gym this morning...I mean I laid out my workout clothes, put my workout bag together so I could shower, planned my outfit for the day, and charged my IPod....

I forgot to set the alarm clock so I didn't get up...AGAIN.

But...I have to say that I think I'm slowly coming out of the woods. At least I did some form of exercise. I woke Gracie up (so she could get some P.E. in for the day), threw Sumo (Kano and Daddy stayed asleep at home)into the old jogging stroller (it was covered with cobwebs), and went for a 50 minutes walk through the neighborhood.

So that's me trying to not to cry over spilled milk and make lemonade out of lemons :)

Day 2 Fall '07

So...today, I spent the morning at the teacher orientation for our homeschool co-op. My husband took the boys to Chuck-E-Cheese.

How's that for confessing more of my lack of perfection.

I think I'm on a role.

Oh...and I know tomorrow is going to look about the same. I have to go to parent orientation tomorrow and meet the parents of my students. My boys will spend the morning with their cousins playing.

See...life isn't always going smoothly! We've yet to actually go through a full day at home using our new schedule.

I think this is just a week of confessions. I'll try to keep them coming :)

Day 1 of Fall '07

In light of my spirit of confession and keeping it real, I thought I'd share a peek into the window of what actually happened on the first day of our new routine.

Seeing as how I stayed up until 5 am finishing our new fall schedule, today did not get off to a pristine start. I laid down for a nap at about 5.15 am and was awakened by Sumo, right on schedule, around 7 am.

I made him lay there with me until 8.30 am at which point he convinced me that he was dying laying there and that he just had to play with his "Mac"truck. This has been his routine for awhile - mostly because I've not been disciplined enough to have structure first thing in the morning. He normally wakes up and has me go to the forbidden closet that holds all of the toys the boys fight over special toys, pulls out his precious "Mac", and proceeds to enjoy time alone with his favorite toys and figurines from the movies "Cars" and "Toy Story".

You can imagine his face this morning as it curled up in pain when I told him that we were going to do something different - I was going to read to him. His eyes said it all - READ!?!?!? INSTEAD OF PLAYING WITH MY TOYS...OH LAWD NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

He quickly submitted to the idea and settled in to enjoy the story. We read Runaway Bunny, which is on the BFIAR booklist. He loved it. Even though he had to give up his "Mac" for a time, it seemed in the end he felt like the trade was worth it. He got completely unadulterated private time with his Mommy. That was the idea. I felt like I had nailed it. Come to think of it, he never even asked for his "Mac" for the balance of the day.

The rest of the morning was a different story. Because I had gotten out of bed later than planned, I just chunked the rest of the morning. The boys and I ran out of the door and headed to the Barnes & Noble Storytime. Followed by a trip to the local produce market, the boys were hungry and tired. I fed 'em lunch and put 'em down. Completely off schedule and completely wonderful!

Almost forgot, we didn't do serious curriculum, preschool, activity, circle time stuff today but I did do a tidbit of Little Hands to Heaven at the kitchen table. It was a blast watching the boys repeat after me, learning the finger play.

I also got a chance to play a couple of games of "Memory" with Sumo while Kano got a headstart on his nap. He's got to fall asleep first b/c if not, he spends the entire naptime trying to wake Sumo up!

Sumo was completely thrilled at his ability to remember the pictures and find the match. His mother was too. It was a joy and privilege to roll around on the floor with him enjoying his 4-year-old-ness...even if it was off schedule.

Gracie and I did meet to go over her work for the day. She seemed to be ready to roll after a few days of me nagging her gently hinting to her about the official start of our school year. Around our house, we are always doing something. I keep a basket of library books for my bigs and another basket of books for the littles in the living room so that there are always interesting things to read. Somehow, though, the official notice of ramping up our schoolwork slowly with a few subjects at a time seemed destable. I can't imagine why :)

Even though she seemed reluctant, last night, she hit it this morning and got much accomplished in a short bit of time (mental note to blog about our curriculum choices in another post). I was very proud of her for being so self-motivated and putting her petal to the metal. This is NOT the same child we took out of school in the middle of her sixth grade year four and half years ago.

I did get a few moments to myself this afternoon although I didn't get that much needed nap.

The rest of the evening went smoothly, although again not perfectly. Gracie did do computer work with Sumo (free JumpStart CD from Chick-Fil-A Kids meal) even though it happened like two hours after it should have. He loved his time with his big sis.

We did eat about six but it was very boring b/c I warmed up leftovers. Why? I didn't take time for my dinner prep in the AM!

All is well though, Daddy decided to show up and surprise us with BBQ. On second thought, maybe all wasn't well. I'm haven't been off to a good start in the food department :( Bless hubby for being so thoughtful though. I didn't have the heart to let his gift go to waste :) ....whoo!...that sounds like another blog in the making.

The boys got in the bed at 8.45 pm. Still enough time for me to relax and blog. It's now 9:30 pm. I'm technically supposed to get ready for bed before getting stuck sitting at the computer and blogging. Even bedtime has ended up being out of order. But it's still fairly early and I'm off to get some sleep so tomorrow can be a little closer to the plan.

Fall'07 Schedule

Here is the first guess attempt at my schedule/guide/flow for the fall. Homeschooling and being with my children all day requires some kind of planning so that we know where we are going BUT...remember this is not rigid. This is a guide and a way for me to "see" what I really have time to do based on the things required of me and the time available during the day to do them.

I'm one of those people who wishes I had 36 hours a day. Since I don't, my job is to find out how the Lord would have me spend my time and make sure I use the time He has given...wisely. In the past, I've posted my schedule in a Word document so that anyone could download it and change it to suit their personal needs. I will do that eventually but I'm going to wait until I've tried this plan for a bit to make sure it actually works well for us before passing it along :)

Remember...this is just a guide...just a tool to help me stay on track through out the day. If it's a gorgous day outside we don't come in after 30 minutes! If we have friends or company over, we will linger over lunch and the kids will go down for their naps a little later than normal. I'm a Type A but even I know how to relax a bit every now and then :)

Read it over...I'd love your feedback!

One more thing before you look this over. Don't be intimated. I didn't come up with all of this by myself. I used Managers of Their Homes to teach me how to structure my home, children, and my day. If you are structure challenged - this book is awesome! I developed my first schedule about four years ago and I break this book out everytime seasons and routines change to help me come up with creative ideas for keeping up with it all.

Ok...and now for the test schedule....Remember...leave feedback and/or questions if you have any...

5:00

• Mommy- up for Exercise

6:30

• Mommy -Shower & Dress
  

7:00

• Mommy -Quiet Time + Water/Tea
• Gracie- Quiet Time + Water/Tea
• Sumo - Sleep or Quiet Play

7:30

• Mommy - AM Routine/BFIAR with Sumo
• Gracie - Breakfast Prep
• Sumo - w/Mom or Free Play

8:00

• Everyone eats Breakfast and Mommy does Bible with the Littles

8:30

• Mommy cleans up from breakfast
• Gracie take the littles off to brush teeth and get dressed.
• The boys enjoy free play until Mommy is ready for...

9:00

• Circle Time with Little Hands to Heaven
  

9:30

• Now we head outside for the boys to play and for Mommy to tackle the yard.
• Gracie begins her Independent Learning (mostly core subjects)

10:00

• Head back inside for a snack and some table activities while listening to classical. Sumo hits some puzzles, arts & crafts, coloring, playdoh, etc.
• Kano will hit the floor for some tactile activities (blanket training)

10:30

• Mommy does some specific OT exercises w/ Kano then stretches w/video
• Sumo heads off to his room for some independent playtime

11:00

• Now Mommy has one on one w/Sumo to work on preschool stuff
• Kano gets to play with the toys in his room now all by himself.

11:30

• Mommy prepares lunch while the boys play together

12:00

• Lunch is eaten while Mommy or Gracie reads aloud to the boys

12:30

• Time to get ready for naptime!
• Kano gets to read with Mom by himself while Sumo hangs out on the Blanket
• Sumo can browse through the library book basket or play quietly on the blanket

1:00

• Sumo's turn for private time with Mom
• Kano is in the crib with board books and will fall to asleep pretty quickly

1:30

• At last...Mom gets an Email/Phone Break as both boys are down for a nap!

2:00

• Time to check in with Gracie
• A quick conference will make sure that all is on track for the rest of the day.
• Every so often this conference time goes a lot longer.
• Mental note to see if this time is adequate.

2:30

• Personal Project Time for Mom. Quiet time for Gracie to explore passionate pursuits

4:00

• Mom starts dinner prep
• Boys wake up and get a snack
• Mom does a quick stretch for Kano
• Gracie takes Sumo for some computer time

4:30

• Mom gets another Email/Phone Break. Gracie helps out with dinner if necessary
• Boys get free play (fun especially if Dad has made it home).
• Mental note to rotate legos and wooden trains if he hasn't.

5:00

• Final Review/Grade of Gracie’s Work for the day. Hopefully she doesn't have homework!

5:30

• Mom finishes the last bit of dinner prep.
• Gracie and Sumo set the table and pick up the living room
• Kano is back on the blanket or riding wrapped up on Mommy's back.

6:00

• DINNER

6:30

• Littles’ Bedtime Routine (Daddy does if he is home and then Mommy relaxes for a sec)
• Gracie does kitchen cleanup

7:00

• Family Time/Prayer

8:00

• Mom & Gracie can hang free of littles
• Boys are in their room playing/reading in their beds

8:30

• Maybe they get one last story...maybe they don't. Daddy/Mommy prays over them then Goodnight!

9:00

• Bedtime Routines for the rest of us

10:00

• Mommy's time to Journal/Blog/Read/Grade for coop (so much to do...so little time)
  
• Gracie can stay up for a second in her room

10:30

• Lights Out for Gracie

11:00

• Lights Out for Mommy (I'm working on it)

Q&A - Daily Schedule & Toys for Tots

Nikki left this comment in response to Summer Days At A Glance:

Wow - I just checked out your schedule (I am also a chronic 'lister' and planner, and always curious about what works for others...). You get up at 4AM?!! Are you serious? And don't go to bed until 11pm? I would love to manage that - do you feel ok energywise?? Wow....

OK Nikki, you got me! That has actually happened like...twice. Let me tell you what actually happens. I stay up until midnight of 1am and get up at 5am or 6am. Realistically this can only work for about 3 or 4 days and then I go to bed early or take a nap. I'm working on consistency in this area. Consistency for me in anything is a real struggle and serves as an area of reflection for me as I think about getting older. I'm having to learn to live my life like a marathoner and not a sprinter.

The problem is that I can get so much DONE at night when the house is quiet. I have LONG stretches of time to complete tasks from my To Do List and that frankly is addicting :)

I'm almost done with our working schedule for the summer. It's more realistic. The schedule you looked at was just super-Type-A-little-me taking my first crack at making a family schedule and I was a bit zealous. I can proudly say that the meat of the day (like from breakfast on) was fairly realistic. Also remember, my schedule serves as merely a GUIDE for my day, not a blueprint. I reserve the right change this up at any moment. Hope that helps!


Holly left this comment in response to this WFMW post:

Isn't it bad for the people who have to buy your "used" toy? I could see if your buying them, but to play with and mess around with a brand new item for 45 minutes, only to put it back on the shelf seems selfish and rude to others, doesn't it? I know I hate to want a certain item, and there is only one on the shelf, and it's obviously been tampered with/chewed on/dead battery or what have you, it ticks me off. Would you appreciate that? Not trying to be rude, but think about it for a sec....

Well Holly,

You have a point! I have to admit that your comment gave me pause. I took a day to think about your note and have come to the following conclusion. I don't think it's a big deal. I figure if I was completely inconsiderate, your point would be well taken. If I let a drooling toddler knaw for 45 minutes on a toy that somebody's else kid would receive, then yes. If I let my boys, tear the boxes or packaging, then yes. But I think that if a toy has been so packaged by a manufacturing to obviously encourage a child shopping with Mom to WANT to touch and play with it (especially the ones that say "TRY ME") then I don't think that it's a huge catastrophe.

When I buy toys from the store, I do not expect that it has never been touched by another. I'm not surprised when the batteries run out faster. I'm pretty positive that the toy manufacturers don't put batteries in those toys that were designed to last anyway.

If I carried this mentality further, then I should be offended when I go shopping for clothes and other people have tried them on or worse, they have bought them, decided they didn't like them, and brought them back....and Lord have mercy when we buy shoes or worse end up with shoes somebody else returned! Maybe store should not be able to resell used merchandise?

I'm not offended because it is all a part of buying things from stores that have goods available to all.

Like you I'm sure, I will opt for the box or packaging that looks the most untouched by others. I think most people go for the newest looking item, but I have a choice as to what I decide to take home - so it's not a big deal either way.

Just my 2cts. Thanks for visiting my blog :)

Another comment from Holly...

I think you are a coward for not publishing my comment. I think you know I am right. Whatever.....

Ouch Holly!...I thought you said you weren't trying to be rude! In all sincerity, I read your comment and took time to think about it. I thought it was a question worth considering and responding to. I would have loved to respond to you directly but didn't have a link to your blog or an email address, hence, the response on my blog. The opinion you gave in your comment did give me pause and will probably make me even more conscious about how my kids treat the toys they play with. However, we are all entitled to our opinions and my opinion is as stated above.

Summer Days At A Glance

Summers are always difficult for me because I'm a routine gal. As much as I want to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-person...I'm just not.

A friend once told me that people who are naturally organized don't need charts and schedules and routines written down and posted all over the place, but that those who are naturally chaotic need things written down and planned in order to get anything done. This made sense to me.

People always think I'm organized because they see my with a planner, with a chore chart, and with a routine for my days with kiddos at home. SHHHHHH....don't tell anybody - I'm one of the most random and chaotic people you will ever meet. Here's how I keep things under control though - I plan. I plan myself silly. I have a plan for everything. I plan so much that I struggle to stop planning and get to doing.

Truth be told, I'm a perfectionist and perfectionist don't like to fail. If I stop planning and actually start doing, I open myself up to failing miserably. At least, if all I do is plan than I can succeed at just that...planning :)

Ok...enough self analysis. Here's what I do: I take my schedule from the school year and tweak it to allow for more T-I-M-E. Time for what you ask? Well, time to just be. One of the lost arts these days is knowing how to exist without something to do. It's a skill to be still and master the art of quietness. Plus....boredom is the mother of invention. Kids have wonderful imaginations. They just sometimes don't know it until they are bored :)

The other thing I make sure to allow is plenty of time for taking care of our home. Summer is where I do the bulk of my training because life is slower and I can take all the time I want to make sure that the clothes are folded the right way or that the bathroom clean is done as expected. I try my best not to be "Mommy-dearest" but I do have high standards. I can't help it. I'm a perfectionist. I figure my kids will have something about me to discuss in counseling anyway.

I also put up a summer calender to take care of the "big stuff" - you know - the stuff that the kids really look forward to like family vacation, swimming lessons, summer outings, etc.



I also use the calendar to purposefully plan to do some of the things from our list of Summer Activities. OK...back to the point of this post...our daily summer routine....

AGGGGGGHHHHH... I just got a pop-up message telling me that I'm about to run out of batteries. I'm sitting at Barnes & Noble, getting a little R&R (can you say BY MYSELF) and I can't seem to find an outlet.

So....I will add the daily routine in a subsequent post so that I can at least have a post for today! More to come later...

Things to Do This Summer

Well this is our last official week of school. Normally we school year round but my oldest daughter is coming into her own and she has a SCHEDULE to keep. I've learned from summer's gone by that trying to fit school in between camp or family vacation or the mission trip...just isn't smart.

Although I will do "school" for my littles (they don't know about any difference between the summer and the traditional school year) it will be very relaxed. I like to get out of the house and take advantage of all the fun things going on in the city.

This week is Vacation Bible School at our church which means late nights and letting the kiddos sleep in. The next couple of days we'll be enrolling in the library's summer reading program and spending quality time in the backyard. The kiddos will play while I pull more weeds and finish the beds for my tomato plants (yes...I'm trying my hand at gardening).

Anyhow, every year I add things to my Summer List of Activities and save it so I won't have to start from scratch the next year. Thought I'd share the list with you guys today!

Questions Answered...

Sometimes when I post something, I'll get questions about how I do it "exactly". Here are a couple...

1. Jill said...

Hi. I found your blog from the WFMW links @ the Rocks in my Dryer blog. I love the Master Grocery List idea. I saved your copy and plan to edit to what we normally buy. I am picturing this on the side of my fridge and I can check things as I see we need them. Is that how you do yours?

I have tried a variety of things to tell you the truth. It usually works one of two ways. I keep the list on a clip board, hung from a nail hanging on the inside of my pantry door. I will go to it as needed to check something off the list. Now this works for me but my family is not as inclined to look through the list (which is organized by the aisles at my local Wal-Mart) and FIND what we need to check it off. So...the grocery list on the refrigerator works well for the FAMILY b/c they can easily see it and easily make a new note about what we need. If I rely on my fridge list then I'll shop week by week for what we need based on my menus (minimizes impulse buying). I'll put anything from the fridge list that can wait on my Master Grocery List and wait to buy that at my once a month (big shop) at WalMart.

One other thing I do is couponing (when I feel like it). I will check those items on my Master Grocery List and put a "C" next to them so I'll remember to use the coupon. Hope that helps.

2. Rachel Anne said...

I need to know your brain dump task list method. Sounds good. I keep running lists...if I can remember where I put them!

OK...let me warn you...my brain NEVER ceases to churn out stuff and I know that my brain dump is over the top. But it helps me to remember the things I think of randomly (oh so randomly). So if you want to see how crazy things really are around here...view my brain dump at your own risk.

The other thing I do to keep up with my random thoughts is to walk with a memo pad in my purse. I can just take it out any 'ole where an jot down whatever comes to mind. Then I can transfer these things to the correct place later (needs from the grocery store, brain dump list, calendar, tell hubby, etc.) The memo pad I have comes with a pocket so I fold up my brain dump and a copy of this month's calendar and put it in the pocket for easy out-of-the-house reference.

Hope this helps!

WFMW: Free Whiteboard

I looked at my refrigerator one day and thought that the surface looked a lot like the whiteboard in my schoolroom. I grabbed a Vis-a-Vis Wet Erase Marker and made a small mark in a spot. It worked! It comes off easily with a wet paper towel. This has become our permanent spot for the running grocery list. Anyone can notice what we are missing and jot it down. I keep the pen in the drawer right next to the refrigerator.


You can use a dry erase marker but then anytime somebody touches the refrigerator, even lightly, it will rub off. We just use some of our homemade multi-purpose cleaner with a paper towel and it comes right off. Every now and then we'll wait too long to take it off but then some Chlorox Clean Up will take care of it.

I do keep a master grocery list but this solution works well as an easy way for my family to keep me informed of what we need. Works for me!

Be sure to check out Rocks in My Dryer for more Works-for-Me Wednesday tips.

One Reason I Love My Teenager...

Teenage years are often spoken of in terms of what goes wrong with the children that a parent has worked so hard to raise. Although I completely agree that this time can have many twists and turns both for the young adult-to-be and their mother and father, I also believe that this can be a wonderful time too. It's the time where I'm allowed to see my precious little one blossum into adulthood. Like peering into the inner sanctuary of a cocoon, I get to watch the metamorphosis up close and personal. It isn't always a picture of perfection but it certainly is awesome to watch the transformation. Because we homeschool, I have the pleasure of observing many moments where I just can't believe the baby I brought home from the hospital is a woman.

I think the most important thing that a parent can do while there children migrate the transition into adulthood is to CHOOSE to look for the wonderful things that comprise their personality. Your teenager NEEDS to hear what they are doing right. They NEED to know that you still think highly of them. They NEED to believe that they still hold a precious place in your heart.

So sweet "Gracie" this post is for you :)

One reason I love my teenager is that she is compassionate and caring. She always shows concern and looks for ways to be sensitive to the desires of others. We work hard around our house, partially just because we live here and we should take care of our home, but mostly because we live here all day and messes just naturally occur. We make three meals a day plus snacks and so our kitchen always looks like we've just finished a meal.

Gracie is a whiz in the kitchen and cooks at least one dinner a week as well as breakfast two or three times. There are a couple of meals that I just don't do anymore and for that I am grateful. One of her meals is pancakes...always on Friday. She makes perfect pancakes with bacon (broiled in the oven) and doesn't even want me in the kitchen when she's at work.

Little brother likes to bother help me when I am in the kitchen. Sometimes I shoosh him away; sometimes I allow him to help. But when I turn around and see my teenager loving on her little brother without coaxing from me, my heart jumps for joy.

Every Friday morning we make pancakes for breakfast. On this Friday morning, "Sister" is letting her little brother help her...

Gracie also has learned how to play the guitar this year. Little fingers now seem to be heard at the most random times strumming her guitar in secret. Instead of getting mad and ranting about how the littles in our house keep messing with her stuff, Gracie make time to let them play...legally.

There is so much to be thankful for during this season of life. Albeit, sometimes you must choose to LOOK for what is wonderful about this person who is growing all the way into their skin. So today I'm going to look. I'm going to look and after I complete this blog I'm going to march into the kitchen, hug my wonderful daughter and tell her how great I think she is to be so compassionate and caring. You be sure and do the same with the precious gifts you've been given.

The Art of Napping

One of the beauties of doing school at home...When you need a nap, you don't have to put your head down on a desk.

Family Fun Night...at the mall!

This week we made it an ALL DAY AFFAIR. Hubby came along with the kiddos and we drove out to the mall. We arrived in time to eat lunch. Now I told my hubby all day but next time I think I'm gonna have to clarify what ALL DAY means! We ended leaving at 9pm!

I don't think it was my intention to stay that long. It just kind of happened. We have a teenager and she just shopped til she dropped! My parents (Poppy and Nonny) eventually showed up, encouraged us to stay for dinner, and made us want to hang around a bit longer.

So back to the beginning. At lunch time, I tried to do good, but let's face it...good is VERY difficult at the food court. I'm always thinking about what food choices to make for my littles ones when eating out. I think that next time we go out like this I will make the effort to either feed them ahead of time or pack them a lunch. This will save my worry and my pocket! I'll just have to get geared up for more thought and preparation before hand.

After eating, we bought the boys an all day pass to the Merry Go Round. At $5 per kid, it wasn't a bad deal considering that the price for one ride is $2 per kid. This was one of the best decisions we made for the day. They must have ridden that things 20 times :) So after we finished lunch we headed in that direction to let them have some fun before being confined to the stroller for awhile.

After lunch, we attacked the mall one floor at a time, starting at one end of the mall upstairs. We walked the whole length of the upstairs and then took the elevator down in the last department store. Then we proceeded to attack the bottom floor. Although I'm sure my hubby was in agony. He took it all in stride!

There was lots of time for joking, laughing, and talking as we strolled around. I timed our visit to the mall during the boys naptime so that we would have a guaranteed time for quiet and calm as we shopped!

We don't frequent the mall too much (preschoolers/toddlers are a lot of work in the mall) so my boys were in amazement. So many sights and sounds. It just brings my heart joy to see how excited they get about "Christmas Time" or "Kissmas Tiyam" as my 3yo says :)

When my Mom showed up, we were just about done but somehow her presence gave my 15yo daughter new energy for going in and out of stores! So...we kind of called a meeting place and separated. The middle of the mall at the big Christmas tree was the stop.

A vendor was there selling one of the neatest toys I have seen. We stopped there for awhile and played. It is like a seated scooter with no motor or batteries. It moves with wiggle power! The salesguy told me it could hold up to 400 pounds so I decided to give it a whirl too. This little spot held our attention for quite a while.

When my husband looked like he just couldn't take anymore, we all found our way to the foodcourt. The boys were delirious, my husband was rolling his eyes, my Dad was looking overwhelmed (as my little ones were all over the place), and we STILL HAD A GREAT TIME. It's all about being together. Even at the end of a long day there was still fun to be had.

Since we were so close...we took a few more rounds on the Carousel!

Our last stop was the mall play area. The little ones got to burn off whatever steam they had left. My daughter got to lay around on her grandmother's lap. My husband got to experience watching BOTH little ones in that crazy spot. My Dad got to help my husband...and I to watch it all thinking how blessed I am during this special time of the year! There is nothing better than family!

Great day!

Family Friday Fun

We've started something new in our household. It began with my oldest wanting to create a fun experience for the boys. So, we all joined in and this is our first family Friday. The boys enjoyed the popcorn - eating it AND watching it pop. They also got the privilege of eating in Mommy & Daddy's room, on a Barney blanket, while watching a movie (CARS). We all had fun. And as usual, I was snapping away.

We watched and watched...the boys weren't really that excited...until...

It started POPPING!!!

Daddy and boys watching the movie :)

(I've got to start developing all of these shots, but this is so much FASTER than scrapbooking :).

Taking care of me today...

Today I made time for myself. Gracie and I went to the dentist. I love going to the dentist. It's an opportunity for me to sit and do nothing...and have a good reason for it. My daughter hates the whole scraping thing. Oh well...it must be done.

PTL...no cavities!

When I was little, I used to WANT to get cavities b/c then, when I got them filled, I'd be able to inhale that "laughing gas" and get a legitimate high. Isn't that a mess!

Now that I'm grown up. I don't want to PAY for cavities.

Afterwards, we took advantage of a littles-free day to head to Target. I bought another bin for some organizing I've been doing of the boys things. From infant to 3T, all clothes that currently don't fit my boys have been in an unorganized mess. I straightened that out today.

After Target, we went and had a mother/daughter lunch (with no littles!) at Cheddars. Our lunch included a business meeting over schoolwork and a slight review of upcoming work.

Dropped Gracie to coop and I then went to the eye doctor. I hadn't been in five years. In 1991, I had lasik surgery done and saw 20/20. That's my excuse for not going back for awhile. Poor excuse I know. Anywho...I still see 20/20 (20/15 out of one eye) so I'm happy! I had worn glasses since the 3rd grade so I'm glad to be in the land of the seeing!

Stopped by to see my sister (something I really get to do by myself) and then made my way home to finish my organizational project and start dinner.

Tonight I cooked Shake-N-Bake Chicken with corn on the cob and lima beans. This is a family favorite. I LOVE the site where this recipe comes from Hillybilly Housewife. This lady has AWESOME recipes as well as wonderful tips and tricks for the kitchen. In addition, many of her recipes are budget friendly.

My husband kept an eye on the boys for awhile while my hands were covered with raw chicken gook. Sumo LOVES working on this wooden (and inexpensive, I might add), toy train set from IKEA...

Then he went upstairs to finish some work stuff. My 3yo stayed busy w/one of his puzzles. I put my 20 mth old in the high chair, pulled him close to me and let him do a puzzle too. I think this is about the age that we started teaching Sumo about puzzles too. Melissa & Doug puzzles are great!

Packed up a dinner for my oldest and left home quickly to then pick up Gracie from coop and take her to Volleyball tryouts. Got home at 9:30.

Long day but a good day. Wonderful time meeting some of my own needs :)

Still working on getting unpacked :)