"I could own my own grocery store and that still would not eliminate “the 5 o’clock stare” into my cupboard every day. Someone please just tell me what to make!"

I was reading a web page tonight from a meal planning company. You sign up, and then every week you get the meals, recipes, and shopping list for your choice of supermarket to download.

Wouldn't this be great! But, I am not about to pay $5 a month, especially as it is US based and therefore the ingredients list is does not coordinate with the offers in the Canadian Walmart. My other main one is that some members of my family are restricted in their likes and dislikes(!!) so for the one I looked at tonight only 2-3 meals would be eaten by my gang. There were many options for specialist menus like low carb and low fat, but none for picky eater!

So, it is time, to sit down and try and make a meal plan for the week based on what is on offer in the flyer and what I have in the pantry.

Because I would so love to not stare into the cupboard everyday with the slight sense of dread when I really cannot think of anything to make!

Mr Lazy Bones

I had just settled on the sofa to watch the thunderstorm and do some web surfing. But I stared by checking my google reader, read the Girltalk entry for today and found the free download from the Sovereign Grace kids album , Walking with the Wise. The song is entitled Lazy Bones, it's a lot of fun, but and after listening I'm off to finish cleaning my house!

Day 1!

It feels a little like so far so good, not sure how the rest of the day will pan out, but we shall see.

I think the best bit of my day is preschool time with Heidi (today we did block puzzles with her having to really think about where pieces go) followed by sewing or another craft. I started making a cushion cover for her so she has a special spot to sit for bible time. She had a ball sorting through my scraps basket and deciding which fabrics she likes. Today I cut a whole bunch into 4x4 squares, and will see what takes our fancy for a design when we reach this point. Taking time to sew for my girls is wonderful.

 

So the rest of the day....

rest time for us all

chores that weren't finished this morning (Me while the girls are sleeping)

outside time/ errands (although if the promised wet snow and freezing rain comes will change to a movie)

supper prep and eating (the bit where Hope cries and we try to enjoy our supper)

and playing with Dad (Heidi's fav. bit if the day)

The Schedule is planned

Well, I finally sat down and sorted out the first draft of the schedule. I am sure that it will need some tweaking as I have already noticed that the laundry fails to make an appearance. It would be good to say, not on the schedule, not doing it, but I suspect that will not work as there are no elves in my house to do it for me (and Mum's not due for a few weeks to come)! Also if I adopt this as a standard for things I hate, then do I have to use it for fun things too....no! So, laundry will find a spot I am sure.

The book I am using suggests for the first week just aim to follow the schedule to 9 am which sounds sensible and so that's the plan for tm. That's 3 hours of organised time! Argh. The hardest past aside from getting up at 6 is persuading Heidi to stay in bed till 7. Hopefully preschool time with Mum, (10:30 each day) will help her to learn what a 7 looks like and then she will be able to figure out when she is allowed out her room. Praying for us would be appreciated, I really do want to do this as a benefit to the girls, and a Mum who has had her quiet time, and showered and dressed is a better thing.

I've been following the chores schedule that I made out for a week now and it really is going well.
Each day we have set chores (sweeping kitchen, downstairs bathroom, tidying rooms and laundry).
The the other weekly chores are divided up monday to thursday.
Fridays are reserved for one of 4 monthly chores.
One sat a month Tom is going to take our Heidi girl out while I spring clean one of the 6 areas of the house, so that's each room thoroughly stripped out and cleaned twice a year.

Lets see how it goes.

I am quite exhausted thinking about it!

Time for bed.

Why I want to schedule.....

Perhaps a better title is why I am going to schedule, as many of you who know me, know that I love to be reactive and drift along enjoying the things that come my way. Basically it boils down to having fun and getting a lie in even if I have already had 8 hours sleep!

BUT...

Recently I have been challenged that I should be loving my husband and girls more, and doing this by serving them in the home, cooking, cleaning, playing, nursing my Hopie girl, folding AND putting away laundry I(amazing how hard this second pat of the chore is), making time for movies and dates, being a good role model and occasionally brushing Heidi's hair!

And so, as this season of my life is based on being at home and loving my family I need to get some structure into my day, rather than drifting through. It is a desire to free time up, rather than putting so much structure into the day that I reach the end exhausted and having achieved nothing. This is truly disheartening.

Hebrews 12:28 speaks of desiring to serve God acceptably. I so want to do this. I am praying for the grace to do this. Please join me in this.

I also want to train my children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). I don't want to take this out of context, I want to daily tell them of the redeeming work of Christ on the cross. I also want to teach them them self control, a love of the word, an ability to share what is in their heart and what they are thinking, being humble to Godly instruction. Teaching self control, and in this I mean disciple is extremely hard if you are undisciplined in yourself and daily dealings.


This is my season, that of a homemaker. May I do it to God's glory but in his strength alone.

More soon about how I am putting the schedule together.

“No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.” Charles Spurgeon

I have been thinking for a little while now, that I need to get organised. More specifically I need some more discipline in my day to day activities.

I always thought that I was laid back and spontaneous and responsive to needs. Now these may be true, however I have come to realise that this is more selfishness on my part, I do not want to commit to a schedule because I want to do what I want to do whenever it pops into my head to do it.

Now don't get me wrong, the things I mentioned above are not wrong in themselves, it is always good to be able to meet peoples needs if a phone call for help comes through, but it is more about my heart and my motivation that is what needs working on. And so I have reached the conclusion that some structure in the day and overall in the week is needed.

So I plan to get myself in some kind or routine, not overkill and not crushing what is the joy of a surprise in a day, but in order to free me to serve my family and to do it with some consistency.

Oh and my Mum will be thrilled too!

More soon about why and how. It is something that needs to be done prayerfully, so I am sure that I am working on the areas that God has set as my priority, not what takes my fancy to schedule into a day! I'm sure that there'll be some amusing bumps along the way.