It's rainy outside and the mosquitoes are as big as they are numerous.  Good day to stay inside and enjoy my kids and home.  Had a waffle this morning for breakfast - wholegrain and organic.  I bought these from Walmart and they are delicious.   I  sprinkle flax seeds on top (for Omega-3 oils), poured on  pure Maple syrup, and set strawberries on top.  This is a better breakfast than the finest of restaurants! 

 

 

I want to take it slow today and do only the absolute necessary things.  I love days like this that I have no appointments to rush to, and I feel the freedom to just putter around the house, accomplishing things, but at my leisure.  I need my Monday's to recharge for the coming week. Weekends generally leave me worn out!

 

 

Not all Monday's go like this though. 

Since I wrote http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Haflingerhorses/175683/  , a blog about my Monday's, I had 3 in a row that were rushed. The first Monday, we had a car problem situation that I spent a lot of time running to and fro in another town (hour round trip). The next Monday, a furniture interior designer that could only meet on that day, I had to meet at my husband's office.  Then, last week, a luncheon that my husband felt I should attend at Olive Garden, and then company that dropped by after I got back home. After the third Monday in a row, I decided I'd better give my Monday's to God.  I had claimed Monday as mine, and if anything or anyone, interrupted my plan, it bothered me and caused me to feel resentment.  I realized that I needed to give this day to Him in order to be more flexible should these unexpected events arise. 

So far today I have had breakfast, blogged, and started the laundry process.  This is Monday morning, the day I set aside to write in the morning.  I do have to run some errands, all though I wish I did not.  I need a prescription filled from Walgreens because I have a staph infection on my arm that is becoming more and more uncomfortable.  I need more Vitamin c from my holistic doctor (he carries a potent kind made from potatoes).  I found (I know this is going to sound incredibly strange...)  a payroll check that hadn't been cashed since March when I was dusting and reorganizing the book shelves in the living room.  No wonder my check book has seemed so dry!!!  I'm looking forward to running to the bank to deposit it and to parch my bank accounts thirst for more funds.

 

I want to have my house picked up today and looking nice just because it will make me feel better for the rest of the week, but an extra motivation is that there is a pretty big chance I will be having "unexpected" company tonight. 

 

I want to exercise today, lifting weights (8 lb free hand weights that I do with a Denise Austin or Tammi Lee short segment video).  I'm 48, looming around the grand age of 50, and exercise is on the high list of priorities for me!  I want to stay physically fit and muscle toned right into my 90's!

 

It's now 2:00 p.m.  Since writing last, I printed out all of my previous blogs.  I am keeping them in a notebook in order of which they were written.  When I have a spare minute, I find it interesting to review them, as I've forgotten all that I've written since starting last June. 

 

I hid away in my sanctuary, (my bedroom) , and looked through these blogs, keeping a pencil right beside me to mark mistakes. At some point when I have extra time, I'll go through editing the errors I've made.  This took longer than the time I really should have taken. I felt guilty, yet at the same time, it was hard to break from reading these blogs because I had forgotten much that I had written. 

 

When I did come out of my room,, I found the children preparing to play a game of "school".  The room that I use to exercise in (the den, which once was the garage of the house), was being set up for a school room.  I found it interesting to what extent my older daughter was going to, finding knick knacks in my back closet that I had put there, using them as part of the school decor.  I  listened to the kids negotiating with one another who would be the principal, the history teacher, the science teacher, who would get the notebooks, or use the 2 small antique school desks. 

 

I've witnessed plenty of times where the children could not agree on anything, and squabbles abounded.  That is why I enjoy listening to my children play, it is because there is family unity and I see them trying very hard to relate to each other and to make it work.  I often think at these times when I am enjoying my children's unity, how much more our Heavenly Father must enjoy His children when they walk in love and unity together.  How He too, must feel so disappointed and frustrated with us when we squabble with one another. 

 

I exercised as they set up their school room.  The first exercise was 15 minutes long using hand weights, a video by Denise Austin called Arms & Shoulders, the Shortcuts series.  Then I worked on abs, using another Denise Austin video, called Abs, in the Get Fit Fast series.  Each of these videos have 3 segments on them, each segment is approximately 10 to 15 minutes long.  I am a big believer in doing a little bit each day.

 

When I finished exercising I made a lunch, and contemplated what will be for supper.  I had initially planned leftovers from Sunday, but I'm not really sure that will be enough.  I then thought of the beef stew that is in my freezer that I have been thinking about. It needs to be used up so I can make a new batch for the winter. 

 

I have delayed my errands as I really do not want to run out.  Rachel has an orthodontist appointment tomorrow, so it seems that would be a better day to accomplish those things, although I really could use the prescription filled for my staph infection!  Maybe later today....

 

I love days like this.  The children are playing together so sweetly.  After their initial class in the den, they moved to the family room.  Here, Rachel, was playing the piano and teaching them a hymn.   She hasn't had lessons in so long that I had even forgotten that she knew how to play! They learned, Call Upon the Lord, and Go Tell It On the Mountain.  She printed off the sheet music and sent it "home" for "homework".  

 

 After this class, Joshua took some students up to his room, where I believe they had science class.  During this time, Rachel was preparing for history class, asking me for easy history books on Egypt (the last history subject we studied before breaking for summer).  As I continued on my housework (loading the dishwasher), I thought about the fact that she might learn something herself that she didn't know before.  That often happens to the teacher, if not always!  At least, that has been my experience. 

 

As I was clearing off the kitchen table, I seen them all run outside.  P.E. class.  Rachel came back inside after about 15 minutes (it is raining outside, they all came back in wet!) and requested that we have a P.E. class in school this year.  Excellent idea.  It's the implenting of this that is the problem!  But I have thought about it this past summer that my kids need more physcial exercise and that I need to look for activities that will tone muscle and keep them fit.  We thought of rollerblading - I thought, that since I bought all their school books last year (using the HOW curriculum, I purchased several of the ebooks and numerous resource books) and we don't have to go buy school clothes because school is going to start, why not spend 'school money' on buying some roller blades for P.E. class? 

Although it rained all day, it was the perfect way to spend one of our last summer days. 

 

August 28th, 2006   Monday

 

Things to get done this week:

1. Errands:  

              Walgreens: pick up photos, buy a battery for digital camera

               Bank :   Deposit check

 

2. House:

               Kitchen Pantry needs complete overhaul, take everything out, clean       shelves, put everything back.

              Pantry in laundry room - needs reorganization

 

3. Horseback riding with Rachel (Tuesday?)

4.  Orthodontist appointment for Rachel on Wednesday

5. Leave for cottage on Thursday

6. Exercise

Today:  clean up kitchen (unload dishwasher, load) kitchen table, throw out pizza boxes

Rachel: clean out kitty litter

Fold clothes and put away

Kids: make beds, clean their rooms

Exercise

Dinner:  leftovers from Sunday

Read Bible (Psalms) outloud