Queen Mother of Eight Blessings
Jun. 29, 2008
Very Good Advice

Posted in Monday Meanderings

"I always give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it"- Alice in Wonderland   Some folks wonder if I follow my schedule closely or remain flexible. The answer is both.  If I tried to stick to my schedule to the letter I would drive myself and my famiy crazy.  Life just isn't that predictable.  On the other hand, some things on my schedule rarely change.  After 26 years of marriage, some habits are firmly ingrained.  Supper time is 5:00. Always!  If it's not on  the table, then my husband and teens begin foraging in the kitchen.  Since having a family-sit-down-together meal is one of my priortiies, I try to have meals ready at the same time each day.  This give order and stability to our day and gives a fixed point for planning the other activities in the day.  I am still trying to impliment changes in my schedule and it takes me and the children a while to get into new habits.  But my schedule is a reminder of my priorities and goals.  I do much better if I at least refere to it each day. I wish I had known the value of the schedule as a tool for homemaking when I was a newly wed.  Anyway, here's my Monday's Meandering for the week.  If you are interested in my summer schedule, scroll down to the post below. If someone would like to tutor me in how to put my schedule into my sidebar, I would apprecitate it.

 

Spiritual  "Seek first the Kingdom of God" .  I remembered to put this on my list first. Now I need to put God first in my day.  I think I will try to get back into reading a Psalm and a Proverb in the morning with my tea.  I also want to come to family Bible study with a worshipful attitude.

Must Do's

Water the garden every day that it doesn't rain

buy new shoes for Bill

finish family reunion scrapbook

prepare for going to family reuion on the 4th

help Betsy finish her new dress by the 4th

Housekeeping

laundry

mop kitchen

organize back porch into a "play room"

declutter and organize sewing things

under the couches

under the beds

Train them up

tutor the non-reader

remember to do the new afternoon schedule of lessons and crafts

teach 5 year old while Daddy teaches big kids math

Menu

Make a list of possible meals from the pantry stores. 

Hope to's

I hope to be able to get my home management notebook updated and organized. I hope to have a chance to blog at least once this week..


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Jun. 23, 2008
Monday again?

Posted in Monday Meanderings

Is it Monday again?  Already?   We do have our well fixed as of Saturday.  It is so nice to have indoor plumbing again. Sunday we went to visit my husband's Grandmother, aunt and uncle, and various cousins who live about 2 hours from here.  We are all suffering from, not exactly "jet-lag" but at least "van lag". I want this week to be a normalizing week but I am off to a very slow start.

Must Do's

update homeschool support group information for area wide newsletter

update homeschool support group website www.xanga.com/homeschoolmarioncounty

laundry catch up

water garden

Zones

Kitchen- mop, de-clutter/organize baking pantry, clean out refridgereator

Dining room- vaccum rug, declutter hot spots

Back Porch- sort/declutter toys

School Room/office - get rid of paper trash

Bedrooms- declutter boys' clothes, clean under my bed

Bathrooms- scrub tubs

Living room- clean under couches

Train them up

Try to get onto new summer schedule

Tutor non-reader

Find good books for 13 year old

Menu

Mon. Bread from the bread machine, spaghetti

Tue. Mac and Cheese, baked beans

Wed. bacon and eggs, biscuits

Thur.  Tuna Casserole

Friday Grill hamburgers and hotdogs

Sat. husband's pick

Sun. children's pick

Spiritual

why is spiritual on here last?  try to get into morning Bible reading routine.  Re-read "Margin".  Read "Passionate Housewives"  Visit edifying blogs (in moderation)


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Jun. 16, 2008
An Interesting week

Posted in Monday Meanderings

 

Suddenly this morning we had no water.  My husband thinks the well pump will have to be replaced. Until then, it's emergency priortiy practice this week.

Must Do's    Go to our guest cottage to get water for flushing, washing, and drinking.  As my 8 year old was helping me load a laundry basket of various water containers, I pointed out to him that many people in the world have to haul water to their home every day.  It makes me appreciate the great conviences that I usually take for granted.

Take dishes and laundry to the guest cottage to wash.  I am so thankful for this little house.  My father in law gave us his old washer and dryer for it.  Otherwise, I would have to be going to the laundry mat.  I generally was 3-4 loads a day!  I keep telling myself how much I have to be thankful for while I'm washing the dishes by hand.  My dishwasher has spoiled me so.

Homeschool lessons- especially tutoring with my non reader.

Mulch tomatoe plant- hope for rain

Plant perinials I got on clearance for $1 each at the guest cottage.

VBS at 6:00 each night this week

Homeschool support group meeting

Menu  Something that doesn't require much cleaning up, that can be made quickly to be done by VBS time, and that my nephew will eat.  Hummm..........tacos, pizza, hot dogs..........

Spiritual Daily bible reading from emails, read Passionate Housewives

 


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Jun. 11, 2008
Graduation Pictures

Posted in Monday Meanderings

We had a Southern Belle Graduation Party at my father's farm on the porch of an antique cabin.

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Some of the guests and my children wore period costumes.

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My freind, Ruth, bought a new hat just for the occasion

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My daughters, Leila and Betsy sang "Be thou my vision"

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My grandchildren sang "Step by Step".

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My sons recited Psalm 23

Leila, age 22, planned most of the party and made her dress.

Mary, age 13, made her dress with help from Leila.

Betsy made her dress. I put in the hem.

Be sure and visit other Show and Tells at Canadagirl's blog.


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Jun. 9, 2008
Recovery Week

Posted in Monday Meanderings

 

I purposely kept this week clear of outside engagement in anticipation of "graduation party let down syndrom". This will be a week of falling back and regrouping to be prepared for next week's packed schedule of VBS and homeschool support group meeting. Here's where I need to focus.

Spiritual I need to "seek first the Kingdom of God" by doing my private Bible reading,  teaching my little ones their Bible memory work, and coming with a more cheerful attitude to family Bible readings in the morning and evening.

Must Do's

Water the garden every day

email homeschool support group about next week's meeting

make a smilebox slideshow of Betsy's graduation

plant the rest of the tomatoe plants

put away all the "stuff" from the graduation party

Housekeeping

I have a lot of things that need to be caught up on  including:

laundry

mop kitchen

organize back porch into a "play room"

declutter and organize crafts

general tidy of all rooms

Train them up

I want to try to have one on one tutoring time with my non-reader this week.  The rest of the children can have a school work break except for Bible and math with Daddy.  I want to work on some tidyness habits with all of them.

Menu

At least one day this week will be left over hotdogs from the party.   I want to make use of my pantry this week and try to not have to go to the store.

Hope to's

I hope to be able to blog about Betsy's party and print out some pictures to scapbook while it's still fresh on my mind.


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May. 12, 2008
Another Unusual Week

Posted in Monday Meanderings

This week my husband and 4 oldest children will be gone to play rehersals.  Since the theatre is at a small Christian college that is 1 hour and 15 minutes from our house, they will be gone from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.   It will feel very strange to have only 3 little boys at home all day.  I thought about just sitting in front of the computer with my fuzzy slippers on all day but instead I'm going to try a combination of normal routine plus special projects to keep life sane yet interesting. So here are my Monday Meanderings for this week:

Bible   My husband will still be able to do family devotions in the morning but not in the evening. So I may get out my old copy of Wisdom and the MIllers to read to the boys at bed time.  For myself, I have been saving  Nancy Cambell's DVD seminar to watch after they go to bed.  I also may be able to listen to Sally Clarkson's Whole-hearted mother seminar tapes while cleaning house or watching the boys play outside.

Must do  I want to get back into the habit of making granola and bread each week,                     

Also, this will be a good week to clean the carport and the back porch because all the props and sets for the play are finally gone.

Water the vegetable garden and the house plants.

Grocery shopping with three little ones in tow. I haven't done this in a long time since I have so many built-in baby sitters at home now.  This will be a field trip for the boys.

House Keeping  I will be doing my daughters'  chores as well as my own this week.  Ususally each of my 3 daughters' takes one meal to fix and one turn at kitchen cleaning a day.  They also are responsible for one bathroom each.

Train them up Of course, this will be a perfect time to train the boys in some of the household chores that the big children ususally do.  We will also keep to our regular homeschooling routine though I may change the time of it.

Menu  Hummm, that's a good question.  Maybe I will let the boys help me choose the menu for this week.. They could help make the grocery list, do the shopping, help cook and clean up.  It would make for something for them to blog about, too.

O.k. time to get out of my fuzzy slippers.


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Apr. 13, 2008
What a week!

Posted in Monday Meanderings

This week is a week of preparation since we will be camping out in Kentucky all next week.  Sometimes I start feeling overwhelmed with so much to do that I feel unable to do anything.  That is when it really helps me to sit down and write out a list.  Somehow, just being able to look at each task on the list helps me to make  decisions. Which tasks are most important and which can be skipped if neccessisary?  Have I forgotten something major? Which tasks could be deligated and which have to have my personal oversite? So, here is my rambling list for this week made off the top of my head at 6:55 a.m.  I'm sure the list will evolve over time as my foggy brain clears and as life happens.

Monday-  move plants inside in case of a cold snap, water plants, clean out refridgerators, cupboad and pantry, make shopping list,  sew 3 "dickies" for homeschool play, do as many loads of laundry as possible, homeschool lessons, exercise,  what's for supper?

 I only have to make 12 little white dickies to go under these costumes. Another mother made the kimonos,  My daughters will probably do most of this job.

Tuesday- gather camping equipment- cots, kitchen stuff, disassemble shelf,  air out sleeping bags,  do as many loads of laundry as possible, sew 3 more "dickies" , homeschool lessons, exerciese, what's for supper?

 

Wednesday- sort through boys clothes, start packing boys things in rubbermaid tub, choose toys, games, etc. to take,  finish making dickies, go to Walmart, do laundry, lessons, exercise, what's for supper?

Thursday- make camping menu, go to grocery store, pack towels, bedding, boys things, my things, husband's things, load trailer, lessons, exercise, go to play practice, cheese and crackers for supper

Friday- water plants, feed cat, load pillows and food into car, leave

You can find other Monday Meanderings at this site http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Tiany/


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