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Just Our Thoughts
Sep. 10, 2008
Works For me Wednesday
- Having a sleeping room! About a week ago we moved M downstairs to the room that K and CJ share. They all share the top bunk and are loving it! Even though they all have their own beds in that room!
- Starting the day off on the right foot. Getting up before the family. Having breakfast and morning work done before we start school. Starting school with a Bible reading/lesson and following with some sort of learning.
- Having my washer downstairs. It's usually too cool or rainy to hang outdoors now, and having my washer under my downstairs hanging system is wonderful!
- Not using a control journal or schedule, just using my calendar is working for me. In addition to my calendar I am using the Flylady reminders that come to my email and Twitter and IWantSandy.
- I guess we have a general routine for the day. Up at 7 or 7:30. Kids up around 8. School between 9 and 10 until lunch time (at least that's the plan and general "practice"). And the afternoon for tv, relaxing, housework, visiting, canning or whatever else we may need to do. (Usually it's going to be housework though!)
- The fall weather is working for me somewhat. I'm not so hot anymore which is nice. But now the garden is coming in fast and I have to put it all away somehow! Freezing, canning, pickling, storing.
For more Works For Me posts, head over to: Rocks In My Dryer
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Aug. 13, 2008
Works For Me Wednesday
Well, even though Rocks In My Dryer is on holidays I'm going to post something that's working for me.
We have penpals for the two older girls. And it's hard to get them to write for very long, so today I tried something new. I printed pretty paper for all of us. Today's had flowers on them. In color. And we had stickers. And I wrote a letter to a friend too. So we were all doing the same thing at the same time at the same table while the little ones slept!
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Jul. 23, 2008
Works For Me Wednesday - Names Written On The Table!!!
We used to have a many times daily battle of who was sitting where at our little red table. (The table my dad made for my kids, just like the one my brothers and I had growing up.) So, I wrote on it with permanent marker. Place markers for each child! No more fights. That has since moved to "teams" or "partners" in our home for clean up, baths and keeping track of everyone. So far it is working really well for us!
Find out what's working for others over at Rocks In My Dryer.
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Jun. 25, 2008
Works for Me Wednesday - Cleaning up tips
We have no sinks on the main floor where I do a lot of changing of diapers and such. I got tired of running up and down the stairs after each change to wash my hands. So I found this hand sanitizer that we bought and never really used. We did keep it in the vehicle for a while to use while out and about but it didn't get used! Now I use it more than a couple of times a day! I always seem to be changing someone or dealing with something icky but doesn't require a full scrub.
And paper towel. After a meal with two messy eaters there is almost always food on the floor. Because it's often damp or sticky, messes under the table are no fun to try and sweep up nor does anyone want to pick them up with their hands. I hand the older girls a paper towel or two and they willingly clean up the messes! And then we can sweep!
I don't like doing dishes. My dh doesn't like to do dishes. The girls are too young to do them effectively consistently. So, this is what we do: after breakfast I go and run a sink full of hot soapy water (most mornings). Throughout the day as we gather the dirty dishes we just put them in the sink. Then in the evening, either dh or I fill the dishwasher and run it. Sometimes there are too many dishes to fit, but those extras are either hand washed or saved for the next load on the next day!
Some moms find cloth diapering to be a big chore. I do some days and had switched to completely using disposable. Money is tight. I think it is everywhere. We can't afford to be spending so much on diapers. So I called on my friends for any cloth diapers and covers they may have hanging around the house and were not using. I was able to get quite a number for free. I think I've paid $5 for all that I gathered. I don't use the cloth when we go out but as long as we are at home I use them, unless it is bedtime. It's a little extra laundry but I don't notice the expense as I was with the disposable. I think I've almost cut that expense in half.
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May. 28, 2008
Works For Me Wednesday
May. 21, 2008
Works for Me Wednesday - Playdough, Puzzles, Paper and Pencils (and video equipment)
Well, I have two reasons to use the articles listed in the title of this post.
1. It has been raining for 24 hours and the children have already dirtied two sets of clothing each (there are 3 of them that I let outside). I can't keep up on the laundry as it is and because of reason number two this is intensified.
2. Early this morning I think I broke my toe. I kicked the leg of our bed as I stumbled out of bed to get my son a "refill" of his bottle. I proceeded to fall to the floor but before hitting the floor hit the couch shoving it almost to the television stand! My fourth toe on my right foot is swelling and well bruised. I can hardly get around. DH has to work and I'm the mother of four under the age of 7! I have called for reinforcements. I hope they come.
So, we will be doing playdough or puzzles or "schoolwork" (paper and pencils) and watching tv for the next three days. I called Health Link (a 24 hour, health nurse synopsis line) and this is what she told me:
Elevate the injury higher than the level of the heart as much as possible for the next 72 hours!!
Ice it.
Stay off it.
Use Tylenol for pain.
If it worsens, go to the doctor.
Any pointers on how to keep my butt in the chair, while "running after" four littles and changing bottoms and making meals and doing laundry, are very welcome!!!
For more Works For Me Wednesday posts, hop over to Rocks In My Dryer.
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May. 14, 2008
My Morning Routine Works For Me
I climb out of bed around 8 AM. Most of the kids are awake or waking then and DH has to go to work in about half an hour. I get dressed to the shoes, hair and makeup. Sometimes the children get dressed too, other times they wait until after breakfast. I usually have them do a small chore while I dress - make beds, feed cats, get breakfast dishes on the table.
After I'm dressed I start a load laundry and get breakfast going. We eat and clean up breakfast. Sometimes we do dishes but a lot of the time we just take the dishes to the sink and wipe tables and sweep floors.
After breakfast I try to make sure everyone is dressed, including hair and shoes but now that summer seems to be well on its way, the shoes thing is getting harder and harder. We are going bare more and more. Having three girls, I have a lot of hair to comb and I hate the way I feel when we go out and they have "rats nest" hair.
After everyone is dressed we "do" school. Lately we've been picking a topic - rain, ants, etc - and doing a few worksheets printed from the internet on that topic. We've learned a lot in the last couple of weeks. And yet again, the warm weather is interfering with this plan. While we used to "do" school for about half an hour around 10 AM, because the sun is out and it's warm, the children are wanting to go outside as soon as possible every morning! And I've been letting them. I know that the exercise they are getting jumping on the trampoline and riding their bicycles in the yard is very good for them as well. There is time for "schoolwork" on rainy days.
After about 10:30 AM, on a "good" day (good meaning everything goes as I have planned) I let the day happen as it happens. I try to do some cleaning drills with online friends until lunch time. And the children spend time either watching some tv or playing outside (being outside is the favorite right now!!).
So what is working for me about this schedule is not just that it's a planned schedule but that it's a flexible schedule and we make it work for us. Really, the beauty of it is that only one thing is "negotiable" - what we do for schoolwork. Everything else needs to be done every morning.
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