I've been reading "Homeschool Day in the Life" series over at Simple Homeschool and it's been very interesting to glean tips and info from other people's routines. I'd like to share a glimpse into ours:
Between 5am-6:45am:
Baby Blossom wakes up to nurse. She's an early riser and I try to stay on her schedule. I have some personal time with God during this time. I also help Daddy get out the door if I can, though I do much of his morning prep the night before.
6:45am:
Daddy headed out the door and the other 3 Blossoms start to filter into Mama & Daddy's room. I sing out, "Bring your Bible and journal" and we have personal devotions all in Mommy's bed, snuggled under the covers. Then, we have devotions together - some verses, some discussion, some songs and some prayer... all with Baby Blossom crawling over everyone and grabbing their pens.
7:30am:
Get dressed and start chores. They grab their chore packs and I assist where necessary. Otherwise, Baby Blossom stays with me and I do some morning prep in the kitchen after I've gotten ready. Making breakfast, getting stuff out for supper, checking my daily to-do list, throwing in a load of wash, etc.
8:00am:
Breakfast! We sit down together. Then, everyone finishes up their chores. I switch wash and nurse Baby Blossom.
9:00-12:00ish:
School! They work on what's in their Independent drawer, while I alternately work with each Blossom individually on what's in their Assisted drawer. Blossom1 is in 3rd grade, Blossom2 is in 1st grade and Blossom3 is in preschool. We usually take a quick snack around 10:15am. I try to have 1 special activity for Blossom3. Otherwise, she plays quietly in the schoolwork, her bedroom and in the dining room, doing puzzles. I nurse Baby Blossom sometime in there too. If she naps, great. If not, she plays in the schoolroom with us. When we break for lunch, they do a few more chores, including my favorite, "QUICK CLEAN," which prevents the house from turning into a complete disaster zone. I switch wash, answer an email, make a phone call and squeeze in another chore if I'm not nursing. By this time, Baby Blossom is usually pulling stuff out of cupboards and squealing for snacks!
12:30pm:
Lunch together! I love the conversations we have! No technology at the table, no answering the phone during meals... it's just us. Together.
1:00pm:
Glory Hallelujah, it's NAP TIME! Blossom1 & Blossom2 read books in their bedroom, if their schoolwork is done. Blossom3 sleeps in her bedroom. I either nurse Baby Blossom and catch a catnap or, I nurse Baby Blossom in the schoolroom and semi-supervise the bigger Blossoms finishing up their school work. No matter how it turns out, I try to use this time to read and rest. I force myself to feel no obligation to do any more housework during rest time. Mommy needs to recharge and so do the girlies! I've found that even the bigger Blossoms truly benefit from some quiet time alone.
2:30pm-ish:
Rest time is over. Usually schoolwork is done by now. I correct all their work, write goals for tomorrow, separate it all again into Independent and Assisted work, go over mistakes and have them correct every single wrong answer, misspelling and grammatical error. Yes, I am a stickler, maybe a slave-driver. (Perfect practice makes perfect!) Whenever this is all done for the day, I move on to focusing on my own chores and preparing supper.
3:00pm-ish:
Teatime. It doesn't always happen. Sometimes Blossom3 needed a longer nap, sometimes there are piano lessons to think about, but we love an afternoon reconnect time. Just a graham cracker and a cup of tea with Miss Rose, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Jo-Jo and Little Miss Twinkle. I'm Mrs. Tiggywinkle. Enter the English accents and some giggles. Good times. They clean up. I work on the house, or nurse, or hold Baby Blossom, or pull her out of whatever chaos she's currently creating. We do another QUICK CLEAN shortly before Daddy gets home.
4:30pm:
Our favorite time of day - Daddy's HOME! Screaming, giggling, hiding, general all-around delight! Mommy works on supper, while the Blossoms play outside or inside. They meander in when I call them to help me and tackle their supper chores.
5:00ish:
Supper all together! Blossom3 likes to drag this out as long as possible by dawdling instead of eating. I retire to the living room to play with Baby Blossom on the floor and chat with Daddy. Blossom1, Blossom2 & Blossom3 clean up the kitchen. I launch a few instructions and reminders from where I sit. They're are surprisingly proficient - a fact that inspires me to continue to train them to work.
6:30pm:
I check on the kitchen progress and put my Mommy touches on it. Between them and me, we've packed Daddy's lunch. I set up his coffee and breakfast for the morning. They play for the rest of the evening, until I lasso them to put away their clothes. I love their free play time - time to invent, imagine and explore. Usually I'm folding wash right about now and finishing up a few small tasks. I don't like to do a lot of housework after supper. I like to be available to watch their ballerina, ice-skating and animal shows or whatever else they come up with. Maybe we work on our big puzzle... it doesn't always work out that way, but that's what I shoot for. There's always nursing thrown in the mix too. I also try to do prep work for the morrow - Daddy's prep, packing the diaper bag, laying out clothes, whatever is necessary for a smooth next day.
8:00pm:
I sing out "Jammies" and they scramble to comply. There are more bedtime chores, including another QUICK CLEAN. I try to move into the quieter activities to help us all wind down.
8:30pm:
All the girlies are corralled back for our bedtime ritual - pray, sing a song and talk about our favorite parts of our day. I nurse Baby Blossom and it's quiet. More reading and chatting with Daddy, since he's usually recharging in the quiet time too.
9:30pm:
Bedtime for Mommy & Daddy... we fall into bed... that is, after I do some more tidying up and take care of anything else I see that it is still undone. We usually collapse into bed with a sigh of relief, longing for rest in order to get set to do it all over again the next day.
Praise the Lord for days full of working and training our four girlies for Him!
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query chore time. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query chore time. Sort by date Show all posts
Friday, February 14, 2014
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Day in the Life 2017 (with an 11-, 9-, 7- and 3- yr old )
Hello there!
I've been enjoying peeks into other families' daily lives over on simplehomeschool.net. I thought I'd invite you in for the day to see our family's "daily-daily" routine with four girls on this happy little micro farm.
Usually around 6:00 am I roll out of bed and tiptoe out to the kitchen. These days I think I get more sleep than when I had infants and toddlers, but sometimes I wonder why I'm still tired. I work out some mornings, but lately the elliptical has been empty more mornings than not. My husband, the Rugged Mountain Man, is almost done with his morning prep. I start his coffee and whip up something for his breakfast. We chat a little, enjoying a few uninterrupted sentences. He heads out and I plop down in my favorite chair with a pretty fountain pen, leather journal and my Kindle to have my quiet time. "Not a day without a line... or some gratitude" is my motto.
Around 7:00 am, the little Blossoms come out. Blossom3, who is seven, grabs her Kindle so she and Blossom4, our 3 yr old, can listen to the Bible for a little bit. The YouVersion app really gets a workout around here. I put my Kindle and journal away and begin preparing breakfast. We eat together, with a complaint or two, that it's eggs... again. #microfarmcomplaints When I'm finished, I grab the Bible story book and read a chapter or two, usually punctuated by Blossom4's, "READ MORE, READ MORE!" comments. I'm convinced that reading aloud regularly with your kids has great benefits, including an appreciation for hearing God's Word and His stories. We pray and get started on morning prep and chores, inside and out.
It's 7:45ish and the bigger Blossoms head outside to feed animals. It takes them about half hour or forty five minutes, depending on the weather, how many rabbit stories they make up while they're out there and how much animal cuddling is going on. They are keeping tabs on a rabbit doe they bred, so they report that there's no baby bunnies... yet.
Meanwhile, Blossom3 and Blossom4 are doing inside chores. Blossom3 feeds the dogs, bird, cat and woolly bear caterpillars. Blossom4, and actually all the girlies work through their chore cards, a system that I read about in Managers of their Homes/Managers of their Chores by Steve and Teri Maxwell years ago. It continues to work well for us. When they have their chores memorized, they don't have to use the cards, but I do find it helpful to periodically go back when people start "forgetting" all they're supposed to do in the morning. That, and Blossom4 prefers to "wander" and "giggle" instead of bring out the hampers and make her bed and such.
In this time, I get my shower and make myself presentable. Don't laugh, but I did a style challenge in February. It was a great way to not grab the same hoodie and pair of jeans every morning. Since I believe that people won't respect you if you don't respect yourself, this was a fun little inspiration by one of my favorite bloggers.
This is also the time of the morning that I pull something out of the freezer for supper and try to do one of my chores that's on my daily rotation. I take time to write out the meals for the day on the little fridge white board. I got tired of answering numerous and repeated questions on what we were having for each meal, so our little fridge whiteboard took care of that.
By 8:30 am, the bigger Blossoms are back in. They finish up a few inside chores. Then, we convene in the schoolroom and get started on school. I assign a few things for Blossom4 to play with. Blossom1 and Blossom2 pull out their independent work and get busy. They are encouraged to do their math first, when they're fresh. Otherwise, they can choose their work order. Our best days of school are the days I remember to keep email minimized or the computer closed during school time.
It sure helps me to stay focused on the most important thing,
being available and present with our children's education.
I work with Blossom3 first. We go over everything she needs my help on, making sure she understands instructions and doing her reading lesson together. After we go over things, the work goes in her independent work drawer and she gets started on anything in that drawer. Then, I cycle through each of the older two, though my work with them is much more minimal than it used to be, mainly focusing on challenging areas.
Once I've cycled through everyone, we stop and do history together. Our change to Homeschool In the Woods' Time Travelers' units this year has been perfect. We LOVE doing history together. When you have your 3 yr old asking intelligent questions about the British and General Washington and your 7 yr old answering accurately, you know you're doing something good. Again, their enjoyment of read-aloud time factors in too. I finish reading a lesson aloud and they pester for more, so I usually oblige. We finish the hands-on history lesson that accompanies it and then they all return to working on what's in their independent work drawer.
As you can see, our schoolroom system is set up much like an office. They have a drawer, similar to an inbox, with all of their work. There's a drawer for the assisted work. And, there's an inbox for each child on my desk where they turn in completed work. At any given time, I can glance and see who has what done, what's left for them to do on their own and what's left for them to do with me.
I simply don't have time or the mental capacity to have to be searching for what's left to be done.
A fun and loud sounding alarm goes off! It's 10:00 am and time for snack. I got the timer idea from another blogger because when everyone is working well, I was just letting snack time slide. However, then Blossom4 would be whining for snacks for the next two hours and the older girls couldn't concentrate when they were hungry. Now we stop what we're doing and they get a 15 minute break to eat snack, read or play. When "happy alarm" goes off at 10:15 am, it's "back at it!"
As the older girlies settle back in, I pull my chair to Blossom4's desk. She's only 3 yrs old, but she adores her time with mama. We do some workbooks, flashcards, activities and/or name-writing. She wants to learn, so I'm happy to comply! We do some work together, but I purposely do part of a workbook page with her, give her verbal instructions and create a "pile" of a few things to do on her own at her desk. She feels important AND I'm training her in "our system" already. #sneakymom She finishes up her "work" and goes on to the activities I've laid out for her.
She has a little more freedom than when she was confined to the blanket during school time in previous years. It sounds limiting, but it's really just rotating activities with a set boundary area. Now, I mostly just rotate her activities in the dining room to keep her from climbing on her sisters' shoulders or under their desks. After I check in with the other girlies to see how they're doing with their schoolwork, this is when I plop down on the floor with Blossom4 for doing a few puzzles or reading a story or two. I've found a direct correlation between her behavior and how much time I spend with her. Quality time does her good... and it keeps her from setting her snack on fire or other such things that she's been known to do around here.
By 12:15, everybody is "starving," so we break for lunch. We tidy up the schoolroom and then, the girls help prepare lunch by making sandwiches or chopping veggies. We chat and enjoy our meals together, but the best part comes afterward!
When I'm finished, I grab our current read-aloud, a cozy blanket and head to my favorite chair. I read to them while they finish eating and clean up the kitchen. We've recently finished the entire collection of the writings of Beatrix Potter, the Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, several Trixie Belden books and In Grandma's Attic by Arleta Richardson. I haven't always read to the girls at lunch time. When they were younger, I'd read whenever I thought of it or when they requested it, but now, gathering together at mealtimes is ideal. It should be noted that this seems to have replaced our afternoon tea time that was working for us a while ago. For now, we're sticking with lunch time read aloud, until it's time to tweak again. Either way, the point is quality time with my girlies.
Eventually I declare that it's naptime (normally around 1:00ish.) One of the older girls goes out to let the chickens out and put the ducks in the garden. We're using them as natural rototillers right now.
The three older girlies get another 15 minute break to play or read, if they haven't finished all of their schoolwork yet. Blossom3 takes that break in her bedroom, along with a longer rest time, in which she finishes any schoolwork she has left, in her chair or while lounging in her bed. #homeschoolperks Blossom4 picks a few books and heads to my room for her nap. With a hug and a kiss, she looks at books til she falls asleep. I grab my Kindle and put up my feet on the couch for a half hour or so... or however long I have to sit there to make sure Blossom4 is truly sleeping and not investigating what treasures abide under my bed. I call out a stern, "Go to sleep!!!"
She eventually does and I get up to send a few emails and be present in the schoolroom while Blossom1 and Blossom2 finish up. Their finish time in the afternoon is largely up to their motivational level. If they stay focused, they finish what's on their Evernote checklist for the day. They have my guidelines for how much work has to be done, but they write their checklist and then, when the day is done, they record that work in our big checklist that tracks how many days of school they have in for the year. Blossom1 also checks and corrects her own work. I still check Blossom2 and Blossom3's work.
Having been schooled with A.C.E.'s School of Tomorrow curriculum, I still love using their stuff for our core subjects. It fosters independence in their education. Learning how to manage your own workload is truly a life skill. For our science, we're doing our own experiments, studying some small animal science I compiled and in conjunction with 4-H and using a little bit of the A.C.E. science. This was a great way to tweak science to fit their interests and passions.
It's 2:45 pm and Blossom3 and Blossom4 are up/out of their rooms by now. Blossom2 and Blossom3 correct any mistakes or wrong answers. I write Blossom3's goals for the next day. And again, everyone's work gets sorted into independent and assisted work drawers in three drawer rubbermaid units. At this point, whoever is done with schoolwork is free to play. Many times, they choose to play outside.
Mommy is not free to play right now though. Whatever my chores are for the day, according to my daily rotation, I try to tackle it/them before school starts, at snack time or now. Sometimes I work a little during all three of those times slots, especially if it's bathroom day. This is also the time that the girls help me or do their inside chores, like helping me clean the three bathrooms or vacuum their own bedrooms. And in between all of that, I'm throwing in wash and shooting out emails.
The day is flying and it's 4:45 pm. Daddy's home. We greet him with much fanfare and I turn my attention toward evening things, like preparing supper. The Blossoms help here and there and they set the table too. We sit down, ignore the phone and eat together. Perhaps it's old-fashioned, but it's normal for us.
Right now, we're enjoying the new state map under the clear table cloth on our kitchen table, so the supper time talk turns to how many state parks there are in our state and the fact that other states have towns the same names as our state does. When I'm finished eating, I get out the daily math problem from Bedtime Math. It's great verbal math, mixed with interesting trivia. Our favorite thus far was the one where jackrabbits were multiplying fast in North Dakota! We all laugh and figure out the problems. Daddy, being an engineer, thinks this is a cool new addition to our supper repertoire. While the girlies finish eating and start cleaning up, I hang out in the living room with Daddy. We chat, catch up or read sometimes. Usually he heads off to do a few chores.
Around 6:30 pm is an interesting time in our evening. I fold clothes, work on the computer, tie up loose ends, give verbal nudges on cleaning up the kitchen and hang out with the girlies. It's kind of a mix of working together, working separately and hanging out together. We do things like putting away clothes, practicing lines for an upcoming play together, build block towers or other miscellaneous tasks.
By 8:00 pm, I start doling out bedtime orders. I try to remember to have Blossom1 fetch the chore packs and hand them out. It's so much easier than rattling off the teeth-brushing, hair-brushing, plug-in-your-Kindle reminders to all of them... multiple times. I'll be honest; sometimes I just forget or don't feel like it. Lame, I know. We also tidy up the house. It just helps to not feel so behind when we start again tomorrow morning.
It's 8:30 pm and I'm tucking the little Blossoms in with a prayer, a song and a chat about their favorite parts of the day. Much as I'd love to be a Mary Poppins mama every night, usually by this time, it's taking all my self control to pay attention, smile and be patient. I just want to sit down and enjoy a little bit of quiet! The bigger Blossoms are out in the living room with Daddy, pontificating about their latest rabbit breeding plan and new breeds of chickens to be purchased. They'll go to bed in a few minutes. When I finally come out, I shoo them off to bed after a few calming words. It seems like if they're worried or upset about something, we usually talk about it now. They head to bed and I plop down on the couch to read or jump on Shutterfly to "scrapbook."
Around 9:00 pm, I turn on the blue shade on my Kindle or turn down the brightness on my computer so the blue light doesn't keep me awake. The idea is that the Rugged Mountain Man and I are winding down now. Sometimes we have a cup of tea as we chat and read. I throw a few touch-ups on the kitchen and house, picking up things the girlies missed or putting away few dishes that are now dry. I lay out my man's coffee and a few breakfast things for tomorrow morning. After our own bedtime prep, we basically fall into bed, thanking God for grace to do it all again tomorrow.
The days are long, but the years are short, after all.
Thanks for reading, friend.
PS - Other day in the life posts here and here.
I've been enjoying peeks into other families' daily lives over on simplehomeschool.net. I thought I'd invite you in for the day to see our family's "daily-daily" routine with four girls on this happy little micro farm.
Usually around 6:00 am I roll out of bed and tiptoe out to the kitchen. These days I think I get more sleep than when I had infants and toddlers, but sometimes I wonder why I'm still tired. I work out some mornings, but lately the elliptical has been empty more mornings than not. My husband, the Rugged Mountain Man, is almost done with his morning prep. I start his coffee and whip up something for his breakfast. We chat a little, enjoying a few uninterrupted sentences. He heads out and I plop down in my favorite chair with a pretty fountain pen, leather journal and my Kindle to have my quiet time. "Not a day without a line... or some gratitude" is my motto.
At 6:30 am, my two older Blossoms' alarm clock goes off. Blossom1 is 11 yrs old and Blossom2 is 9yrs old. They also tiptoe out, grab their Kindles, a cozy blanket and get comfy on the couch to read their Bibles too. They'll write a little in their journals later. Our individual morning quiet times have looked different over the years, sometimes happening at the kitchen table, later, we'd all snuggle in my bed in the morning and now we congregate the living room. I try to go with what's working until it quits working for us.
It's 7:45ish and the bigger Blossoms head outside to feed animals. It takes them about half hour or forty five minutes, depending on the weather, how many rabbit stories they make up while they're out there and how much animal cuddling is going on. They are keeping tabs on a rabbit doe they bred, so they report that there's no baby bunnies... yet.
Meanwhile, Blossom3 and Blossom4 are doing inside chores. Blossom3 feeds the dogs, bird, cat and woolly bear caterpillars. Blossom4, and actually all the girlies work through their chore cards, a system that I read about in Managers of their Homes/Managers of their Chores by Steve and Teri Maxwell years ago. It continues to work well for us. When they have their chores memorized, they don't have to use the cards, but I do find it helpful to periodically go back when people start "forgetting" all they're supposed to do in the morning. That, and Blossom4 prefers to "wander" and "giggle" instead of bring out the hampers and make her bed and such.
In this time, I get my shower and make myself presentable. Don't laugh, but I did a style challenge in February. It was a great way to not grab the same hoodie and pair of jeans every morning. Since I believe that people won't respect you if you don't respect yourself, this was a fun little inspiration by one of my favorite bloggers.
This is also the time of the morning that I pull something out of the freezer for supper and try to do one of my chores that's on my daily rotation. I take time to write out the meals for the day on the little fridge white board. I got tired of answering numerous and repeated questions on what we were having for each meal, so our little fridge whiteboard took care of that.
By 8:30 am, the bigger Blossoms are back in. They finish up a few inside chores. Then, we convene in the schoolroom and get started on school. I assign a few things for Blossom4 to play with. Blossom1 and Blossom2 pull out their independent work and get busy. They are encouraged to do their math first, when they're fresh. Otherwise, they can choose their work order. Our best days of school are the days I remember to keep email minimized or the computer closed during school time.
It sure helps me to stay focused on the most important thing,
being available and present with our children's education.
I work with Blossom3 first. We go over everything she needs my help on, making sure she understands instructions and doing her reading lesson together. After we go over things, the work goes in her independent work drawer and she gets started on anything in that drawer. Then, I cycle through each of the older two, though my work with them is much more minimal than it used to be, mainly focusing on challenging areas.
Once I've cycled through everyone, we stop and do history together. Our change to Homeschool In the Woods' Time Travelers' units this year has been perfect. We LOVE doing history together. When you have your 3 yr old asking intelligent questions about the British and General Washington and your 7 yr old answering accurately, you know you're doing something good. Again, their enjoyment of read-aloud time factors in too. I finish reading a lesson aloud and they pester for more, so I usually oblige. We finish the hands-on history lesson that accompanies it and then they all return to working on what's in their independent work drawer.
As you can see, our schoolroom system is set up much like an office. They have a drawer, similar to an inbox, with all of their work. There's a drawer for the assisted work. And, there's an inbox for each child on my desk where they turn in completed work. At any given time, I can glance and see who has what done, what's left for them to do on their own and what's left for them to do with me.
I simply don't have time or the mental capacity to have to be searching for what's left to be done.
A fun and loud sounding alarm goes off! It's 10:00 am and time for snack. I got the timer idea from another blogger because when everyone is working well, I was just letting snack time slide. However, then Blossom4 would be whining for snacks for the next two hours and the older girls couldn't concentrate when they were hungry. Now we stop what we're doing and they get a 15 minute break to eat snack, read or play. When "happy alarm" goes off at 10:15 am, it's "back at it!"
As the older girlies settle back in, I pull my chair to Blossom4's desk. She's only 3 yrs old, but she adores her time with mama. We do some workbooks, flashcards, activities and/or name-writing. She wants to learn, so I'm happy to comply! We do some work together, but I purposely do part of a workbook page with her, give her verbal instructions and create a "pile" of a few things to do on her own at her desk. She feels important AND I'm training her in "our system" already. #sneakymom She finishes up her "work" and goes on to the activities I've laid out for her.
She has a little more freedom than when she was confined to the blanket during school time in previous years. It sounds limiting, but it's really just rotating activities with a set boundary area. Now, I mostly just rotate her activities in the dining room to keep her from climbing on her sisters' shoulders or under their desks. After I check in with the other girlies to see how they're doing with their schoolwork, this is when I plop down on the floor with Blossom4 for doing a few puzzles or reading a story or two. I've found a direct correlation between her behavior and how much time I spend with her. Quality time does her good... and it keeps her from setting her snack on fire or other such things that she's been known to do around here.
By 12:15, everybody is "starving," so we break for lunch. We tidy up the schoolroom and then, the girls help prepare lunch by making sandwiches or chopping veggies. We chat and enjoy our meals together, but the best part comes afterward!
When I'm finished, I grab our current read-aloud, a cozy blanket and head to my favorite chair. I read to them while they finish eating and clean up the kitchen. We've recently finished the entire collection of the writings of Beatrix Potter, the Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, several Trixie Belden books and In Grandma's Attic by Arleta Richardson. I haven't always read to the girls at lunch time. When they were younger, I'd read whenever I thought of it or when they requested it, but now, gathering together at mealtimes is ideal. It should be noted that this seems to have replaced our afternoon tea time that was working for us a while ago. For now, we're sticking with lunch time read aloud, until it's time to tweak again. Either way, the point is quality time with my girlies.
Eventually I declare that it's naptime (normally around 1:00ish.) One of the older girls goes out to let the chickens out and put the ducks in the garden. We're using them as natural rototillers right now.
The three older girlies get another 15 minute break to play or read, if they haven't finished all of their schoolwork yet. Blossom3 takes that break in her bedroom, along with a longer rest time, in which she finishes any schoolwork she has left, in her chair or while lounging in her bed. #homeschoolperks Blossom4 picks a few books and heads to my room for her nap. With a hug and a kiss, she looks at books til she falls asleep. I grab my Kindle and put up my feet on the couch for a half hour or so... or however long I have to sit there to make sure Blossom4 is truly sleeping and not investigating what treasures abide under my bed. I call out a stern, "Go to sleep!!!"
She eventually does and I get up to send a few emails and be present in the schoolroom while Blossom1 and Blossom2 finish up. Their finish time in the afternoon is largely up to their motivational level. If they stay focused, they finish what's on their Evernote checklist for the day. They have my guidelines for how much work has to be done, but they write their checklist and then, when the day is done, they record that work in our big checklist that tracks how many days of school they have in for the year. Blossom1 also checks and corrects her own work. I still check Blossom2 and Blossom3's work.
Having been schooled with A.C.E.'s School of Tomorrow curriculum, I still love using their stuff for our core subjects. It fosters independence in their education. Learning how to manage your own workload is truly a life skill. For our science, we're doing our own experiments, studying some small animal science I compiled and in conjunction with 4-H and using a little bit of the A.C.E. science. This was a great way to tweak science to fit their interests and passions.
It's 2:45 pm and Blossom3 and Blossom4 are up/out of their rooms by now. Blossom2 and Blossom3 correct any mistakes or wrong answers. I write Blossom3's goals for the next day. And again, everyone's work gets sorted into independent and assisted work drawers in three drawer rubbermaid units. At this point, whoever is done with schoolwork is free to play. Many times, they choose to play outside.
Mommy is not free to play right now though. Whatever my chores are for the day, according to my daily rotation, I try to tackle it/them before school starts, at snack time or now. Sometimes I work a little during all three of those times slots, especially if it's bathroom day. This is also the time that the girls help me or do their inside chores, like helping me clean the three bathrooms or vacuum their own bedrooms. And in between all of that, I'm throwing in wash and shooting out emails.
The day is flying and it's 4:45 pm. Daddy's home. We greet him with much fanfare and I turn my attention toward evening things, like preparing supper. The Blossoms help here and there and they set the table too. We sit down, ignore the phone and eat together. Perhaps it's old-fashioned, but it's normal for us.
Right now, we're enjoying the new state map under the clear table cloth on our kitchen table, so the supper time talk turns to how many state parks there are in our state and the fact that other states have towns the same names as our state does. When I'm finished eating, I get out the daily math problem from Bedtime Math. It's great verbal math, mixed with interesting trivia. Our favorite thus far was the one where jackrabbits were multiplying fast in North Dakota! We all laugh and figure out the problems. Daddy, being an engineer, thinks this is a cool new addition to our supper repertoire. While the girlies finish eating and start cleaning up, I hang out in the living room with Daddy. We chat, catch up or read sometimes. Usually he heads off to do a few chores.
Around 6:30 pm is an interesting time in our evening. I fold clothes, work on the computer, tie up loose ends, give verbal nudges on cleaning up the kitchen and hang out with the girlies. It's kind of a mix of working together, working separately and hanging out together. We do things like putting away clothes, practicing lines for an upcoming play together, build block towers or other miscellaneous tasks.
By 8:00 pm, I start doling out bedtime orders. I try to remember to have Blossom1 fetch the chore packs and hand them out. It's so much easier than rattling off the teeth-brushing, hair-brushing, plug-in-your-Kindle reminders to all of them... multiple times. I'll be honest; sometimes I just forget or don't feel like it. Lame, I know. We also tidy up the house. It just helps to not feel so behind when we start again tomorrow morning.
It's 8:30 pm and I'm tucking the little Blossoms in with a prayer, a song and a chat about their favorite parts of the day. Much as I'd love to be a Mary Poppins mama every night, usually by this time, it's taking all my self control to pay attention, smile and be patient. I just want to sit down and enjoy a little bit of quiet! The bigger Blossoms are out in the living room with Daddy, pontificating about their latest rabbit breeding plan and new breeds of chickens to be purchased. They'll go to bed in a few minutes. When I finally come out, I shoo them off to bed after a few calming words. It seems like if they're worried or upset about something, we usually talk about it now. They head to bed and I plop down on the couch to read or jump on Shutterfly to "scrapbook."
Around 9:00 pm, I turn on the blue shade on my Kindle or turn down the brightness on my computer so the blue light doesn't keep me awake. The idea is that the Rugged Mountain Man and I are winding down now. Sometimes we have a cup of tea as we chat and read. I throw a few touch-ups on the kitchen and house, picking up things the girlies missed or putting away few dishes that are now dry. I lay out my man's coffee and a few breakfast things for tomorrow morning. After our own bedtime prep, we basically fall into bed, thanking God for grace to do it all again tomorrow.
The days are long, but the years are short, after all.
Thanks for reading, friend.
Dominique
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
Your Long Lost Library Books
We love the library! The Blossoms are blessed with a love of books, reading, and learning. Since I can't make multiple trips to the library in a month, I'm not exaggerating when I say that we bring home 60-100 books at a time.
I keep the titles in a checklist in Evernote, so that I can keep track of what we have floating around our place. The due dates are recorded in my Google calendar so we don't accrue fines.
The girls are allowed to read any time, excluding chore time, meal time and loading time. They are also allowed to read anywhere, as it's too constricting to say that they can only read library books by the shelf in the dining room or near a book basket in any given room.
On library day, the Blossoms brings stacks and stacks of books to the computer in the schoolroom. I make sure they've been entered on their book lists, check them off the library list and drop them in the library bags.
Inevitably, there are books missing.
By now, we're professionals at performing massive search efforts in all the usual spots, under the couch, under their beds, and on our book shelves.
During our recent efforts to return books to the library, I discovered a terrific #mamalifehack that helped immensely in locating the last few missing titles.
I googled the missing book titles.
Why would that be helpful?
We can't always remember what the book looks like, but our internet search brought up the author and a picture of the book cover.
I could then see if the book was an easy reader, hardback, story book, or chapter book, etc.
I could tell which Blossom probably had the book last.
I could more easily sift through our bookshelves, because I knew the approximate size, type and look of the book.
Mamas, I located two missing books in a matter of five minutes, which left me wondering why in the world I'd never googled the books before!
The next time you're frantically digging through the couch cushions, vowing never to visit the library again, just google it. Your search just might end with a smile and a sigh of relief.
#mamalifehacks
I keep the titles in a checklist in Evernote, so that I can keep track of what we have floating around our place. The due dates are recorded in my Google calendar so we don't accrue fines.
The girls are allowed to read any time, excluding chore time, meal time and loading time. They are also allowed to read anywhere, as it's too constricting to say that they can only read library books by the shelf in the dining room or near a book basket in any given room.
On library day, the Blossoms brings stacks and stacks of books to the computer in the schoolroom. I make sure they've been entered on their book lists, check them off the library list and drop them in the library bags.
Inevitably, there are books missing.
By now, we're professionals at performing massive search efforts in all the usual spots, under the couch, under their beds, and on our book shelves.
During our recent efforts to return books to the library, I discovered a terrific #mamalifehack that helped immensely in locating the last few missing titles.
I googled the missing book titles.
Why would that be helpful?
We can't always remember what the book looks like, but our internet search brought up the author and a picture of the book cover.
I could then see if the book was an easy reader, hardback, story book, or chapter book, etc.
I could tell which Blossom probably had the book last.
I could more easily sift through our bookshelves, because I knew the approximate size, type and look of the book.
Mamas, I located two missing books in a matter of five minutes, which left me wondering why in the world I'd never googled the books before!
The next time you're frantically digging through the couch cushions, vowing never to visit the library again, just google it. Your search just might end with a smile and a sigh of relief.
Dominique
#mamalifehacks
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Chore Packs!!!
I like those little things that make a big difference in our lives. I've used the chore system from Managers of their Chores by Steve and Teri Maxwell since Blossom1 was about four years old.
The system employs "chore packs," which are small index cards detailing chores in numerical and chronological order. The children place the cards inside a small trade show like badge holder that clips on their clothing as they are working. We've long since worn out the original "chore packs" and have just used the leftover trade show badge holders from Grandpa, Grandma or Daddy's show attendance. However, it was time for a real solution as these badges were no longer holding up. Chores weren't getting done properly because "chore packs" were getting lost, set down or not used at all! I was so happy to find this option at Walmart.com and we've got our game on now!
We're rocking the chores again! This mama says HURRAY!!!!
If you've never read Managers of their Chores, it's a great read for coordinating all that needs to be done in the home. I can't recommend it enough. From the reasons for chores to the nuts and bolts of setting up a good system, this book covers it all. (Additionally, I found their book, Managers of their Homes extremely helpful as well.) So, chore on, my friends!
The system employs "chore packs," which are small index cards detailing chores in numerical and chronological order. The children place the cards inside a small trade show like badge holder that clips on their clothing as they are working. We've long since worn out the original "chore packs" and have just used the leftover trade show badge holders from Grandpa, Grandma or Daddy's show attendance. However, it was time for a real solution as these badges were no longer holding up. Chores weren't getting done properly because "chore packs" were getting lost, set down or not used at all! I was so happy to find this option at Walmart.com and we've got our game on now!
We're rocking the chores again! This mama says HURRAY!!!!
If you've never read Managers of their Chores, it's a great read for coordinating all that needs to be done in the home. I can't recommend it enough. From the reasons for chores to the nuts and bolts of setting up a good system, this book covers it all. (Additionally, I found their book, Managers of their Homes extremely helpful as well.) So, chore on, my friends!
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Day in the Life ~ 2022
Just in case you're not familiar with this cast of characters:
Blossom1 is 16, just got her license and has gained a measure of independence lately.
Blossom2 is 14 and works hard and pitches in. We all rely on her.
Blossom3 is 12 and hates working at her desk.
Blossom4 is 8 and thinks school is annoying when you could be bouncing on the couch and cartwheeling in the living room.
The Rugged Mountain Man is my husband and the father of our four beautiful daughters.
Dominique ~ That's me. I'm the glue of this family, the domestic engineer extraordinaire! At least that's what I aim for.
Blossom2 is 14 and works hard and pitches in. We all rely on her.
Blossom3 is 12 and hates working at her desk.
Blossom4 is 8 and thinks school is annoying when you could be bouncing on the couch and cartwheeling in the living room.
The Rugged Mountain Man is my husband and the father of our four beautiful daughters.
Dominique ~ That's me. I'm the glue of this family, the domestic engineer extraordinaire! At least that's what I aim for.
Welcome to our little spot in the Hollow!
7:06 am ~ Oops! I must've fallen back to sleep! Blossom4 woke me up saying she had a belly ache last night and combined with my own bouts of indigestion, I didn't sleep well. When the Rugged Mountain Man left at 6:30 am, I grabbed my tablet and started my Bible reading in bed, which led to falling back to sleep. Sometimes it happens this way.\
I rise, start the water for tea, and wake the girls. This morning is slow. We're getting our feet back under us after a big push before their Fine Arts performance this past weekend. For months, everything has been leading up to the big day. They settle in their favorite couch spots with blankets and read or listen to the Bible and write in journals. My chair, tea, and journal are waiting for me!
7:40 am ~ I convince them that it really is breakfast time. Open breakfast is how we roll now. Smoothies, cereal, and Johnny cake are their choices this morning. When we're basically done eating, we talk about what we read in the Word and pray before they clean up breakfast and troop downstairs to suit up for outside chores. They're pretty happy because it's 35 degrees outside, so no one needs to heat 5 gallons of water for the animals. It's a comparatively easy winter chore day!
8:10 am ~ While the Blossoms are choring on our micro farm, I wipe down the kitchen counters and head back to get my shower. It's nice that the girls are old enough to be trusted to chore outside while I ready myself for the day. Jeans! Graphic Tee! Cardigan! Claw hair clip! Two minute makeup! There are either people at my house or I'm going somewhere every day now, so I save time and always get dressed right away in the morning. Otherwise, I forget and end up in a panic when I'm not ready later on.
8:46 am ~ I hear Blossom1 tickling the ivories in the basement music studio, which means chores have been completed. Although they're supposed to be upstairs doing inside chores, it is nice to hear music in random moments throughout the day. I peek out the upstairs window and notice that the three younger girls are "swing-jumping!" That's their word for swinging high, doing a flip, and landing with a good gymnastics type "stick." While I'm slightly irritated that they aren't hustling in, I'm torn because getting fresh air and vitamin D are more difficult in February. I give them a few minutes to soak it all in before waving them in from the back door.
They head inside to unload and load the dishwasher, do the dishes, vacuum, tidy the bathroom, and tidy the basement. Blossom1 also gets ready for the day. Her job ~ teaching piano out of our basement music studio ~ starts at noon, so she does the whole jeans, hair, and makeup routine in the morning as well. The other three settle on ponytails and comfy pants for their day.
9:31 am ~ They're finally in the school room and working on math. Doing math first is a requirement at our house when everyone is fresh in the morning. Blossom1 does all college work now, so she independently manages her work load and assignments based on their due dates. The rest of them choose what to work on after math and move from subject to subject until they get stuck. Today, Blossom3 is stuck on stem and leaf plots. Though I think they're annoying, I help her understand before I move on to answer Blossom4's question.
I throw in some wash, fold clothes, clean stains out of the carpet, and talk to my sister on the phone while no one needs me. I get hamburg out for supper too. It's so much easier when I think about supper around breakfast time.
11:18 am ~ Blossom3 gets the bright idea to have pancakes for lunch...now. Since Blossom1 needs to eat early today, I say yes. Blossom2 mixes up a batch of fluffy pancakes while Blossom3 works on a batch of homemade syrup. Blossom4 reminds everyone how hungry she is and how much she really doesn't want to do her math today. She does manage to help set the table. Blossom1 is wrapping up a few things before lunch and teaching piano. We enjoy our pancakes and clean up the kitchen (again.)
11:48 am ~ Blossom1 heads downstairs to teach. The other three dart outside for some fresh air. It's so warm out that I told them they could have 20 minutes before they get back to school work. I get my sourdough started for tomorrow.
12:26 pm ~ We settle back into the school room. I read Blossom3 and Blossom4 their history lesson all about knights and the Middle Ages. Then, they work on writing articles for their Middle Ages newspaper. I read and comment on Blossom2's composition for a Bible Quiz/Discipleship requirement and I give her the green light to submit it to her Bible Quiz coach.
1:30 pm ~I'm friends with one of the moms of my daughter's piano student, so my mom friend pops upstairs to visit. We have a little catching up to do since she hasn't been feeling well lately. I sip tea and chat, with periodic reminders to the little girls to "get busy" on their independent work when they start to get a bit too distracted. I didn't know if I was going to get to visit today. Blossom4 hit a few bumps in her schoolwork a few minutes before I answered the door, but we ironed it out so that she could continue to work independently.
2:30 pm ~ Blossom1 had a cancellation or two today, so she takes her sisters downstairs one by one for their own piano lessons a little earlier than normal. On her other breaks between lessons, she practices her own musical pursuits.
3:37 pm ~ I make a phone call or two. I check my sourdough. It's rising by the woodstove downstairs. In between, I help Blossom3 with a writing assignment she is working on. I write some thoughts and prompts on our giant white board and let her hash out the rough draft by herself.
5:11 pm ~ Daddy's home!! I greet him and try my best not to dump problems and logistics all over him. My mind is problem solving all day, but so is his. Neither of us wants to greet each other with more problems to solve or logistics to plan. That can be hard when there are six people in this busy family. There's always something that needs to be solved! We settle into the living room for a few minutes of conversation before he goes off to change and I set supper-making into high gear. It's burgers and fries tonight. I call out, "Anyone who doesn't have a job to do currently, should come to the kitchen and help with supper!" Supper prep sure goes fast this way and I'm astonished at how quickly we pat burgers, prep French fries, lay out all the burger toppings, and get the table set. Many (trained) hands make work light!
5:37 pm ~ We all sit down to supper. The masses are happy because I tried a new spice on the French fries and it's tasty! The conversation varies from flare jeans to the Freedom convoy to Winter Jam to doping to Physics lab grades. We never know where we'll end up. There is usually laughter, but sometimes we end up tackling bad manners or sass. We try to keep it pleasant and full of camaraderie though! The girls man-handle the supper clean up next.
6:10 pm ~ I do some much-needed cleaning in the school room before sitting down to score school work. I consult with each child about what went wrong and make sure they understand what needs to be done differently next time. They correct their work and I record grades. In addition to the work completed today, I also record all the little girls' schoolwork they did over the weekend ~ the big Fine Arts dress rehearsal, performance, and debriefing/feedback meeting, and the hunting/hiking and nature work we did on Monday. Blossom1 and Blossom2 record all their own schoolwork. I double check that it is thorough and either call back or insert whatever info is needed. Everything is now set for tomorrow's school day, including the latest writing assignments that I write on the white boards. I take some time to tell them about my expectations for these assignments.
7:46 pm ~ I pop into the kitchen for a glass of water before I start blogging. I call some girls back to wipe down the stove and counters. By now, Blossom1 and Blossom2 are studying Bible Quiz and reading and Blossom3 and Blossom4 are doing gymnastics in the living room and eventually move on to creating with modeling clay in the kitchen. As I said, we're getting our feet back under us after such a big push lately. The Rugged Mountain Man is in the kitchen prepping goose breast to make into goose pastrami. Sounds intriguing to me!
8:26 pm ~ I head out to check the kombucha that's working on my counter lately. I guess I'm crunchy and maybe getting crunchier. We'll see if kombucha is something I like and will keep doing. For now, I just thought it sounded interesting. I type a little more on my blog post and then, settle onto the couch to wind down with everyone. It's been SO busy lately. Of course, I pop up like a toaster sixteen times to do those million little things that moms do all day.
One of the girls jumps in the shower. Modelling clay is still being played with in the kitchen. They've moved onto the taking pictures and doing claymation. Some are still reading. They've been avoiding recreational reading for the last several weeks, since virtually all our free time has been taken up with practice, preparation, and details. Blossom4 sets up Daddy's coffee so it's ready to go for him in the morning. Other than that, we're all just basically hanging out in the living room now. Not all our evenings are quiet and slow but we needed this to reorient.
I do a little brain dumping for tomorrow, adding a few things to my to-do list.
9:10 pm ~ The Blossoms head back to bed. I tuck the little Blossoms in and say good night to the big Blossoms. I pop up again to fetch an extra blanket for Blossom4. Sit down, pop up, sit down, pop up, sit down. Tidy this. Put away that. Read a little. It's the mom life.
9:55 pm ~ After doing the Rugged Mountain Man's next day prep, we crawl into bed and I alternately chat with my husband and read to wind down. I am so tired, I always spend this time evaluating how I'm handling motherhood and homeschooling and the house and such. He tells me it's time to clock out and rest my mind. We'll give it a fresh effort tomorrow.
Thanks for checking in on our Day in the Life!
Check out other Day in the Life posts here.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Chore List Fear & Trembling!
Daddy was going to Walmart to pick up a few things. Mommy noted that Daddy seemed to be repeating the things to himself and, as any of us knows, when one thinks of something to pick up at Walmart, one will always think of five MORE things that need to be picked up at Walmart. So, Mommy promptly grabbed an index card and a pen and sat down to make a little Walmart list for Daddy's over-taxed brain. Skeeter piped up, "Mommy, what are you doing?" No answer from Mommy who happened to be searching her brain and picking Daddy's for all the items that belong on the now-growing Walmart list. More persistently this time, "Mommy, what ARE you doing?" Silence again. Skeeter and Scooter look even more concerned now. By this time, Mommy and Daddy have noticed their urgency. Mommy gives a blank look and says, "Writing a Walmart list for Daddy." Sighs of relief escape from the mouths of Skeeter and Scooter. Mommy and Daddy burst into laughter as they realize the cause. Mommy uses index cards and a pen to write extra chore lists on Saturdays and summer days. All those little chores, like hosing off the deck and carrying recycling to the basement and whatnot are written on the index card, given to the Blossoms and they must complete the tasks before playing. This time, the list was for Daddy, not them. Oodles of Blossom Relief!!
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Where is the Good in February?
February, 2022 ~ How can this be?!
Deep in the throes of winter, with whites and browns around us, I heard Blossom4 gleefully announce yesterday, "I love winter!!!" She was scampering through the woods, returning from a venture to their fort with sisters and cousins clambering about her.
I suppose she approaches it with childlike simplicity.
She sees the good things. And maybe the struggles pale for her.
Yes, there truly are struggles for the Blossoms. Caring for their micro farm livestock in this weather is not an easy task. The ice makes chore time treacherous. The layers are bulky. There is extra work to make sure everything is warm, dry, and well fed. And yet, she loves winter?
It could be the hot chocolate and muffins, or the sledding.
Watching her, I'm leaning on her childlike approach to February.
While I did sled the other day (it hurt), the secret isn't there.
It seems Blosoms4 focuses more on the good. She must be honing in on the blessings of each day.
So, today, I lingered a little longer as I gazed out the living room windows at each beautiful shade of crisp white, brilliant azure blue and all the calming neutral browns that no fashion designer can put together as well as the Great Designer. Even the mud yesterday was a deeply intense sepia color that Bob Ross couldn't duplicate.
I celebrated that although the schedule for a family of six is always busy, I have a Valentine's date with my Rugged Mountain Man to look forward to. There are yummy things on the menu and it will be just us two... finishing thoughts left and right!
I let my heart feel full as I watched the Blossoms troop out to feed the animals this morning. Garbed in their off brand Carhartts, hand-me-down camos, and dirty muck boots, they laughed a little and lugged their buckets. Their moments of camaraderie bless me.
I inhaled deeply the fragrance of homemade rolls baking and I reminded the Blossoms that mama has been making this recipe with her mama ever since she was a preteen.
I smiled when my brother pointed out that this is a prime time for looking at animal tracks in the snow. We found it fascinating to follow tracks to and from the creek with the Blossoms on Saturday.
And there's always tea... with cozy blankets and thick socks.
When the schedule gets busy and the snow keeps coming, I'll take a lesson from Blossom4.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Work Equipment for Kids
Teaching our Blossoms to work is something that's pretty important to the Rugged Mountain Man and me. Truly, I know the temptation to tell your children to leave you alone so you just can get some work done. I fight that temptation! Now that Blossom1 is 9 years old and Blossom2 is 7 years old, we've found that the investments are paying off.
I've also noticed that it takes a good bit of material investment to make it easier for the girlies to work and help around our little spot on God's green Earth. Kids need equipment their size to help them work harder and work smarter. It's hard for them to handle rakes, shovels and such that are much too large for them. If you wait til they grow into a shovel (teenager), it's already almost too late to teach them how to work!
(Yes, they really do run the log-splitter by themselves.)
#3 - Muck boots
As I type those words, I simultaneously exhale a huge sigh of relief and contentment. They are that worth it. I realize that not everyone sends their kids out three times a day to "chore," feed, water and check animals, but we do (and more people should). Sliding into a pair of waterproof, mud-proof boots is as easy as one-two-three! They have all sizes at Tractor Supply Co. for $20-$30 depending on size. The designer patterns you see in the pics were gifts. We don't buy pretty, 'cuz pretty doesn't last. We need stuff to WORK and LAST.
I've also noticed that it takes a good bit of material investment to make it easier for the girlies to work and help around our little spot on God's green Earth. Kids need equipment their size to help them work harder and work smarter. It's hard for them to handle rakes, shovels and such that are much too large for them. If you wait til they grow into a shovel (teenager), it's already almost too late to teach them how to work!
#1 - Leather Work Gloves - Kids Sizes:
The day I invested in quality leather work gloves for me, was a day worth celebrating. No more hesitating at splintery logs. No more gingerly grabbing hold of stuff. Nope. The leather is between me and tough stuff! Why not do the same for the girlies? I thought the price was affordable. The quality is good. The girls' names are on their glove and they have been taking good care of them. I call these gloves an investment entirely worth making! I now expect them to manhandle their Blossom jobs without any hesitation.
(Yes, they really do run the log-splitter by themselves.)
#2 - Rakes & Shovels
We bought this child size rake at Lowe's. They always have them at the beginning of the season. Additionally, the Rugged Mountain Man picked up a set of medium sized rakes at Tractor Supply Co. for the older Blossoms. From raking rocks to raking bark, these things are totally worth it. I found a similar child sized rake here.
#3 - Muck boots
As I type those words, I simultaneously exhale a huge sigh of relief and contentment. They are that worth it. I realize that not everyone sends their kids out three times a day to "chore," feed, water and check animals, but we do (and more people should). Sliding into a pair of waterproof, mud-proof boots is as easy as one-two-three! They have all sizes at Tractor Supply Co. for $20-$30 depending on size. The designer patterns you see in the pics were gifts. We don't buy pretty, 'cuz pretty doesn't last. We need stuff to WORK and LAST.
#4 - Plastic Sled
I realize that seems really strange, but I spent some time researching child-size wheelbarrows and was pretty discontent with what I found. The price was wrong. The size was wrong and they really didn't haul "thangs" - REAL "thangs!" Plastic sleds are cheap and you can haul wood, wood shavings, bark, rocks, logs, branches, manure, anything. They are a country girl's first wheelbarrow!
I challenge you to invest, little by little in tools for making teaching your children to work easier. It's worth it in the long run.
End result:
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Chaos' Cycle
Name: Dominique, of the Countryside
Job Title: Wife-Mother-Teacher-Supervisor
Job Description: To bring chaos to order.
That's what I feel like. I fight the chaos battle every day. The closet that descends into chaos, despite its orderly beginnings. The dresser drawers that were once neat, now just piled. Toy bins once housing homogenous articles, now becoming a mish-mosh of assorted items. Tupperware cupboards once carefully sorted, now jumbled and falling out. Chore routines, usually an organized morning march, now slip-sliding to a hickly-pickly AM scramble. Behavior, once carefully thought out, now carelessly reflecting the anything goes attitude. It's this cycle of cleaning up life's messes, maintaining the order for a while and cleaning up the messes again. Somehow that cycle struck me as so discouraging tonight.
The beginnings of the chaotic cycle are back in the Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man. Nothing stays orderly and perfect anymore. (Personally this is one of my most favorite proofs of the error in evolution's theories.) Everything descends into chaos. Everything. Somehow I have to live with a level of acceptance that my role in this world will be to help bring that chaos to order - over and over again. I think though that when I come to that acceptance, there's power in it. Somewhere in there, in trying to bring chaos to order, whether in behavior, chores or cupboards, there's something valuable in doing it to the best of my ability, for God. I can allow myself a constant discouragement by more chaos, more disorder, more messes. Or, I can accept that Man sinned. We live with the effects of it in this fallen world. But as I clean up every mess, as I strive to go back to a place of order in all of these areas, I look forward. I hope. I long for that Day. That Day and that Place, where the effects of sin are completely absent for all time. It's a Place where God's order reigns, where His plans are never interfered with again. It's a Place with no pain, no discouragement, no chaos, no evil.
Perhaps my job description is to bring chaos to order. In the midst of that, I'll look up and long for that Day.
Job Title: Wife-Mother-Teacher-Supervisor
Job Description: To bring chaos to order.
That's what I feel like. I fight the chaos battle every day. The closet that descends into chaos, despite its orderly beginnings. The dresser drawers that were once neat, now just piled. Toy bins once housing homogenous articles, now becoming a mish-mosh of assorted items. Tupperware cupboards once carefully sorted, now jumbled and falling out. Chore routines, usually an organized morning march, now slip-sliding to a hickly-pickly AM scramble. Behavior, once carefully thought out, now carelessly reflecting the anything goes attitude. It's this cycle of cleaning up life's messes, maintaining the order for a while and cleaning up the messes again. Somehow that cycle struck me as so discouraging tonight.
The beginnings of the chaotic cycle are back in the Garden of Eden with the Fall of Man. Nothing stays orderly and perfect anymore. (Personally this is one of my most favorite proofs of the error in evolution's theories.) Everything descends into chaos. Everything. Somehow I have to live with a level of acceptance that my role in this world will be to help bring that chaos to order - over and over again. I think though that when I come to that acceptance, there's power in it. Somewhere in there, in trying to bring chaos to order, whether in behavior, chores or cupboards, there's something valuable in doing it to the best of my ability, for God. I can allow myself a constant discouragement by more chaos, more disorder, more messes. Or, I can accept that Man sinned. We live with the effects of it in this fallen world. But as I clean up every mess, as I strive to go back to a place of order in all of these areas, I look forward. I hope. I long for that Day. That Day and that Place, where the effects of sin are completely absent for all time. It's a Place where God's order reigns, where His plans are never interfered with again. It's a Place with no pain, no discouragement, no chaos, no evil.
Perhaps my job description is to bring chaos to order. In the midst of that, I'll look up and long for that Day.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Children are a Blessing
I've said it in faith for years.
"Children are a blessing."
I have a necklace with this phrase engraved on it, because I believe it. I truly, truly do believe that children are a blessing... even when it's hard, I believe it.
Saturday is usually my day to tackle whatever I can't manage to accomplish during the week, so this past weekend, my to-do list was long. However, my sister needed help getting her kitchen back in order as they near the much-anticipated end of a kitchen remodel. Blossom1 and Blossom2 stayed home to muck out pens, which is their normal Saturday morning chore. Daddy was changing brakes on the truck. The little girlies and I took off to help my sister. Blossom3 and Blossom4 were very "helpful" in playing with their cousin and spreading popcorn all over their living room.
It's always fun to work with family... to fellowship, to joke, to tease, to work. Many hands make work light... and more enjoyable. We got 'er done; getting my sister's kitchen much closer to livable while the last few remodeling tasks are finished. Yay for food in the pantry and pans in the cupboard beside a sink with hot running water!
Late in the afternoon I headed home with my tired little girlies. I knew that technically I was "behind," but it's rarely convenient to help someone, as my dad says. I just took a deep breath and said to myself, "I'll just go to it when I get home. I'll do the best I can and not worry about the rest." That's me pep-talking myself and my attitude. There's nothing stinkier than a mama attitude gone awry and everybody usually knows about it when it does.
Two big Blossoms excitedly met me in the garage.
"C'mon upstairs, Mama!" Upstairs I trudged, with my dusty hair and achy feet.
My first glimpse was of tidy desks. Then, a clean schoolroom. I peeked into my bedroom to see all the clothes folded and mine delivered to my bed. Another peek into their bedrooms, revealed neat beds and clean floors. Blossom1 and Blossom2 triumphantly whipped open the doors to their closet to reveal a freshly organized closet.
GASP.
I walked into the kitchen to find that sparkling clean and all the clean clothes (all four loads!) gone from the love seat.
And I just hugged them and said, "WOW. Thanks. You really blessed me!!! WOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WOW, WOW, WOW."
I hugged them again and again. Later, I wrote a note on the board about how I have the best daughters in the world and that I'm so thankful God decided I could be their mama.
It took a long time to get here, friends. I'm not bragging on myself, our daughters or our parenting. But I think this is one of the ways that children are a blessing.
Thanks for celebrating this blessing with me. I'm just so grateful.
"Children are a blessing."
I have a necklace with this phrase engraved on it, because I believe it. I truly, truly do believe that children are a blessing... even when it's hard, I believe it.
Saturday is usually my day to tackle whatever I can't manage to accomplish during the week, so this past weekend, my to-do list was long. However, my sister needed help getting her kitchen back in order as they near the much-anticipated end of a kitchen remodel. Blossom1 and Blossom2 stayed home to muck out pens, which is their normal Saturday morning chore. Daddy was changing brakes on the truck. The little girlies and I took off to help my sister. Blossom3 and Blossom4 were very "helpful" in playing with their cousin and spreading popcorn all over their living room.
It's always fun to work with family... to fellowship, to joke, to tease, to work. Many hands make work light... and more enjoyable. We got 'er done; getting my sister's kitchen much closer to livable while the last few remodeling tasks are finished. Yay for food in the pantry and pans in the cupboard beside a sink with hot running water!
Late in the afternoon I headed home with my tired little girlies. I knew that technically I was "behind," but it's rarely convenient to help someone, as my dad says. I just took a deep breath and said to myself, "I'll just go to it when I get home. I'll do the best I can and not worry about the rest." That's me pep-talking myself and my attitude. There's nothing stinkier than a mama attitude gone awry and everybody usually knows about it when it does.
Two big Blossoms excitedly met me in the garage.
"C'mon upstairs, Mama!" Upstairs I trudged, with my dusty hair and achy feet.
My first glimpse was of tidy desks. Then, a clean schoolroom. I peeked into my bedroom to see all the clothes folded and mine delivered to my bed. Another peek into their bedrooms, revealed neat beds and clean floors. Blossom1 and Blossom2 triumphantly whipped open the doors to their closet to reveal a freshly organized closet.
GASP.
I walked into the kitchen to find that sparkling clean and all the clean clothes (all four loads!) gone from the love seat.
And I just hugged them and said, "WOW. Thanks. You really blessed me!!! WOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WOW, WOW, WOW."
All above photography credited to NaomiElle Photography
I hugged them again and again. Later, I wrote a note on the board about how I have the best daughters in the world and that I'm so thankful God decided I could be their mama.
It took a long time to get here, friends. I'm not bragging on myself, our daughters or our parenting. But I think this is one of the ways that children are a blessing.
Thanks for celebrating this blessing with me. I'm just so grateful.
Dominique
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