This week, I am working on the goal of cleaning the "new" house and packing up the "old" house.  Next week, I will turn my focus to moving us into the "new" house and cleaning the "old".  I decided that we'd need some guidelines to keep the kids from totally wasting this time by spending hours on the computer or playing video games, which might happen while I am otherwise engaged, unfortunately.  So here is the list I came up with.  I am posting it to encourage others and to ask if there are any other ideas you may have.  Also, this list is "generic" to the seasons.  Right now shoveling snow is an option and weeding is out. 

• Dress (take bath if requested to do so.)
• Take laundry to appropriate basket. 
• Make your bed to the best of your ability. 
• Eat breakfast and clean up your mess.
• Pick up your things from around the house and put them away.
• One chore assigned to you by Mommy. 

1. Read for 30 min. or more.
2. Help Mommy for 30 min. or more.
3. Shovel snow, rake leaves, weed, water the garden... do an outside chore assigned by Mommy
4. Do some math (ask Mommy)
5. Pick-a-chore (ask Mommy)
6. Write a story, copy a Bible verse, or send a letter to someone who needs a smile.  (Must be an effort worthy of screen time.)
7. Practice your AWANA verses
8. Read your Bible
9. Go outside and play (scooters, trampoline, bikes, sand, basketball...)
10. Wii Outdoor Challenge, Wii Fit, or Wii Sports (even with a sibling)
11. Play with your sibling (not involving a screen)
12. Be creative:  make something pretty. 

Thought this was a neat tip - enjoy!

(Little Lollie - she was (is) SO cute!!)

Love is Not Selfish

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love: give preference to one another in honor. Romans 12:10

"If there were ever a word that basically means the opposite of love, it is selfishness."

"True love looks for ways to say "yes"."

"You either make decisions out of love for others or love for yourself."

"Choosing to love your mate will cause you to say "no" to what you want so you can say "yes" to what they need.  That's putting the happiness of your partner above your own."

"Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I truly want what's best for my husband?
• Do I want him to feel loved by me?
• Does he believe that I have his best interests in mind?
• Does he see me as looking out for myself first?"

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.  Philippians 2:3

"Today's Dare:
Whatever you put your time, energy, and money into will become more important to you.  It's hard to care for something you are not investing in.  Along with restraining from negative comments, buy your spouse something that says, "I was thinking of you today"."

*Personal Note:
Even though I am only on day three of this dare, I have found myself getting frustrated.  I have wanted to speak negatively to/about Adrian.  I have even found myself getting upset at the Dare.
Obviously, I need this Dare more than I thought I did.  It will bring me closer to Adrian, and will make me more aware of the wife that I am...and the wife that I want to be.
I am excited to see where this will go.

Loving him because of Him, Beckie

Presidents' Day Holiday Helper

Presidents' Day Holiday Helper is a short collections of high-quality literature, artwork and quotations which are easy to use during busy holidays; each one is designed to provide your children with uplifting and inspiring ideas and images. Read aloud and enjoy the stories. Encourage the practice of copywork and enjoy the study of great art of both Lincoln and Washington.

Picture Study:
Portrait of George Washington
George Washington Crossing the Delaware
Abraham Lincoln Reading to His Son Tad
Abe Reading
Abe the Rail Splitter

Copywork
Famous Quotes of George Washington
Famous Quotes of Abraham Lincoln

Stories
The Cherry Tree
Abe Lincoln Gets His Chance

We do laundry every day here. Between clothes, whites, diapers, sheets, towels, and comforters, the washers and dryers are almost always going. And honestly, now that we have two washers and dryers, I don't know how if I can go back to one. It's so convenient and since I have to walk through the laundry room to access any of the places I need to go: the lobby, the hotel, or our house, it's so easy to throw a load in or transfer loads from washer to dryer. I go back and forth considering investing in more than our two laundry baskets. We could use them but at the same time, having only two baskets forces me to put the clothes away since I need the baskets for newly folded clothes.

Here's my plan though...I've been reading the Duggars new book, and they have a clothes room right next to the laundry room. Here is where they keep all the family's clothes. Stuff goes straight from the laundry room to the clothes room. At night, the kids pick out only what clothes they will be wearing the next day and bring only them to their room. Pajama are worn three nights in a row (which is what we do in our house too). And so...I think this is an absolutely ingenius idea. I get so sick and tired of seeing clothes that I just washed, dried, folded, carried and put away laying on the floor of the kids' rooms. Having a clothes room would eliminate the need for dressers and even clothes closets.

The laundry room right now is huge. Granted we have to store all the extra sheets, towels, cleaning supplies, and lots of other stuff in it, it definitely needs to be cleaned out and reorganized. There are high shelves all around it as well as big heavy duty metal shelves to put all the linens on, but there is plenty of room for improvement. Down the road, I would love to adopt the Duggars' idea for our own household.