Lessons I'm Learning As I Surrender...

Psalm 119:71

"It was good for me to be afflicted
       so that I might learn your decrees."

Mornings around here are busy. They are unpredictable. They are tiring.

A while back, I discovered that I'm definitely not a schedule person, I'm a routine person. And while the routine I have set up really does help our mornings run smoothly, there are always unknown factors that can disturb a perfectly scheduled morning.

--A potty-training toddler has an "accident", leaving quite a mess to clean up

--Momma has a headache and is running in slow motion

--The baby is teething and follows you around in a half scream/half cry all morning

--Someone dumps over the gallon of milk

--The sink is leaking

--Someone spills oatmeal all over another child's worksheets

--Someones tummy is hurting

and sometimes the hardest to deal with...

--Momma didn't get to have her quiet time with Jesus

The first thing I'm learning as I am freshly surrendering my days to the Lord, is that if I am truly surrendered, I'll be content even when events happen that are out of my control.

If I am surrendered, I know that whatever happens in my day is for a purpose--

If I wake early to have my quiet time, but the rest of the house decides to wake up too, the Lord must have known that I could creatively get time with Him another way that day.

If I didn't get my timing down right and missed my morning shower, the Lord must have known I'd still get by without that coveted shower.

If...If...If...lately seems more like "when...when...when" but I've become okay with that because I'm surrendered to HIS plan, not mine.

He is the Author of my day and it won't do much good to pine after how I wanted the day to go, when obviously it's not going to look the way I had hoped.

Over the years, I have become SURE with many things about my Lord...a couple of those things are~~

He is purposeful.

He is in control.

He is always working on me.

It's because of those reasons I can be assured that surrendering my day to Him means trusting Him that He knows my needs even better than me.  AND that He will supply all my needs, BUT that he loves me enough to sometimes not let everything happen the way I plan and hope.  

Because thankfully, He knows better than to always let me get my way...He has too many lessons to teach me to that happen!!!

Psalm 119:71

"It was good for me to be afflicted
       so that I might learn your decrees."

(Looking over last years routine, I'm realizing it's time to update that post...that'll be coming soon!)

Mommy's Daily Chores and Weekly Rotations

Last Wednesday I talked about my children's chores (see HERE), and so this week I wanted to talk about my part of the chores!

I've said here before that I have issues with being OCD about the cleanliness of my house...and I don't say that lightly.  It really is a struggle for me to let go of my control when it comes to messes and tidiness.

So when I developed a cleaning schedule, it wasn't because it would never get done...it was because that was ALL that was getting done and I'd sacrifice playing with my kids for various housekeeping tasks.

I didn't used to clean every day, but I would often find myself panicking that something needed dusted, vacuumed or swept.  And the NEED was really just me over-reacting about a small mess my critical eye would spot!

Then I got a breath of fresh air, when I read a series of posts my MOMYS friend, Amy (check here, here and here!).  She presented the idea that she doesn't think "fly by the seat of your pants" is God's design...even when it comes to cleaning...because He is a God of timing and order... who orchestrated creation in seven specific days (along with seasons, a rising/setting sun, etc).

Before reading her post, I had some daily activities I did, but now I actually have a system!  It now looks like this:
Everyday Chores
-Dinner Prep
-Weekly Cleaning Activity (see below)
-Daily Focus Area (see below)
-Laundry Maintain (daily keeping up with loading, switching and folding laundry)

Weekly Cleaning Schedule:
Monday--Laundry (since I don't do laundry on the weekends, this is my day to catch up and the rest of the week I maintain). 
Tuesday--Dusting (the boys help me with sock on hands!)
Wednesday--Floors: Sweep/Mop
Thursday--Floors: Vacuum
Friday--Bathrooms
Saturday--Ironing/Organizing
Sunday--Rest!
(My husband and I's personal preference is a "clean house" on the weekends, not the beginning of the week...so this schedule helps us to feel like our house is clean come weekend!)

Daily Focus Area:
(Giving attention to each room a day at a time!)
Monday--Bedrooms (wash linens, declutter dressers, check under beds, etc)
Tuesday--Living Room (declutter bookshelves, tables, etc)
Wednesday--Kitchen (clean microwave, oven, fill containers, etc)
Thursday--Dining Room (clean off chairs, reorganize school area, etc)
Friday--Bathrooms (showers, straighten, switch towels, etc)
Saturday--Upstairs (pick up, clean, declutter, etc)
Sunday--Rest!

The way I did my cleaning schedule works SO well for me!  I feel like this saved my life!  I don't get stressed anymore about little "messes" I see, because I can just think to myself, "I'll get to that on...(appointed cleaning day)."  Of course, big, obvious messes (like spills and such) do get cleaned up right away!

When our family was smaller, one cleaning day worked great for me, but these days that just doesn't work very well!  So my house may not be totally clean at one time, but the rotation keeps my house in good, clean, working order!

And since I *LOVE* checklists, I also love when I get all four of my daily chores checked off!

This post is also linked to Real Clean Wednesday (and I'll be guest posting there next week!) and Works For Me Wednesday!

Daily Chores For The Little Ones

I used to drag in the mornings. I would wake up with a simultaneous prayer and deep sigh.  Before my feet even hit the floor, I was already tired just thinking "here we go again" and we'd start the day.  

I would get running first thing--fixing bowls of cereal, changing diapers, loading dishes, cleaning spills, loading my first pile of laundry into the washer, etc.  My tone most mornings was sour and pitiful.  I often found myself wishing that my mornings weren't so demanding of me.

Then I started giving my kids more credit...and it empowered them (click for link)!  They wanted to help, but my control issues were keeping them from it.  So I eased up on my control and gave them more responsibilities.  Quickly, they became thrilled with helping...they felt proud of the new things they could do and were excited they were allowed to do all these "grown up" things!

Then I just needed to establish a routine that worked to make our mornings less mundane and more about having fun and working together.

So about 4 months ago, I discovered a rhythm for our morning that works SO well for us!  I can honestly say now that...
 I LOVE MY MORNINGS... because they are now "our" mornings!  No more boys vegging in front of a DVD while momma runs around filling bowls and cups, cleaning up messes and dressing the babies...we are a team now!  And I keep telling my hubby, that I actually LOOK FORWARD to our mornings..and I know the kids do to!!!

Our morning rhythm success, has a lot to do with the chores we've set up.  Here's what the chores look like:

Schedule:
I have a post HERE about our schedule, so I won't go into it too much, but basically once we wake up and eat breakfast at the table (no DVD's in the mornings anymore) we start our chores.

First things first: MUSIC
We turn on some upbeat music and get to work!  My friend Amy wrote a great post about this HERE.

Chores by Age: (Morning)
**My 5-year-old, Trusten, is responsible for... 
Rinsing the breakfast dishes, and loading them into washer.
Taking the bedroom laundry to the porch and sorting and/or loading the washer.
Getting dressed, brushing teeth.
Making his bed.

**My 3-year-old, Brahm, is responsible for...
Washing off the breakfast table.
Taking living room laundry to porch and loading it in the washer.
Getting dressed, brushing teeth with mommy.
Making his bed.

**My 2-year-old, Samuel, is responsible for...
Getting all the cups to the counter
Getting dressed, brushing teeth with mommy
Putting any misc items back into his crib that mysteriously made it to the floor during the night.
Getting Bibles out for morning devotions.

All of this must be checked off before we move onto morning devotions!

(Afternoon)
**Trusten (5yo)...
Washing off lunch table
Kitchen clear (toys out of kitchen)
5 minute tidy (the room depends on what is needed)

**Brahm (3yo)
Cups to kitchen 
5 minute tidy (the room depends on what is needed)

**Samuel (2yo)
Shoe tidy (put all shoes on shoe shelf by door and/or straighten up shoes)
5 minute tidy (with Trusten--a bit of early mentoring)

(Evening)
**Trusten (5yo)
Wash off dinner table
10 minute tidy (the room depends on what is needed)

**Brahm (3yo)
Cups to kitchen
10 minute tidy

**Samuel (2yo)
Kitchen clear 
10 minute tidy with Trusten

Of course, now that we have a dog, I may need to tweak our chore chart to include some dog duties!

A few words about our chore chart...
--I used Sharpies for all the writing (each boy picked his own color).
--All the "check marks" are done in dry erase marker...
SO, when the day is over, I wipe off the check marks to prepare for the next day, but the chores and check boxes stay put!

Where are the kid-friendly pictures?
I used to use "chore cards" for the boys that had a picture of a boy brushing his teeth, making his bed, reading his Bible, etc.  We kept them in an envelope, but still, the cards got chewed up, lost or spilled on.

So, I took the "wall chart" route instead.  Honestly, it's more for me than the kids.  They have already gotten so used to the morning flow that they do each task without thinking.  But, I still like to keep track with our check-off chart.

I could have drawn little pictures next to each responsibility, but chose not to.  I don't have anything against that idea, and may even re-do it someday with pictures.

But for now, my kids seem to "get it" without needing picture reminders.

And what better way for them to be introduced to letters and words than by having them recognize which assortment of letters goes with the task they just completed?

It's just another way I can encourage them to read and apply it!


This post is also linked to Real Clean Wednesday and Works For Me Wednesday!


Come back next Wednesday for my part of the chores...how "mommy's" daily chores look and how I schedule the cleaning each week!

When Our Routine Doesn't Work..."Today We Will..."

As a momma to 4 kiddos (1 school age, 1 wanting to be school age, 1 toddler, 1 baby) we try to stick to a daily routine.  Often, when I tell people we have a schedule, they tell me all the reasons I don't need to be structured since all my children are so young.  But honestly, everyone in this house functions better with some structure and knowing what to expect in a day!

I know, for me, once I set a schedule, I can easily feel frustrated and defeated the first time my schedule isn't followed.  And with 4 little ones, there is rarely a day where something crazy and unexpected doesn't happen, which throws everything off!

That's why the key for me is: ROUTINE.  I no longer try to keep a schedule that is planned out by minutes and hours.  I figured out pretty quickly that just doesn't work for us!

Instead, I just aim for routine...and there are days even that is thrown out the window and then I revert to my "Today We Will..."

My ideal routine (we end up following this 3 days out of 5):
--Wake up
--Eat breakfast
--Get dressed, Brush teeth
--Make beds
--Devotions (everyone sits on couch and "reads" their Bible)
--Prayer and memory verse (together on the couch)
--School--move into dining room/school room *more below*
(Liberty lays down for nap)
(Trusten is learning the calendar, the globe, doing Rod and Staff and Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons)
(Brahm is working on counting objectives, number recognition and Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons)
(Samuel is learning to sit quietly and play during school time!)
--Play time
--Lunch (and daddy's home to eat with us!)
--Group read aloud
--Naps/Rest time
--Play
--Pick up house
--Daddy home from work
--Dinner
--Family Worship

*School usually takes us about an hour--including and considering interupptions!
----We all start out talking about the calendar (day, month, year)
----Then we move onto the globe and just discuss it (they always have questions about "where is this?" "who lives here?" etc)
----Brahm and Samuel then start playing school (this means they cut paper and glue) while I start Trusten's R&S
----Then Trusten takes a break, while I work with Brahm on his objectives and TYCTR
----Brahm and Samuel are dismissed from table and Trusten works on TYCTR
----Very soon Liberty wakes up (note: because Brahm and Samuel are playing crazy!)

So then what about the other 2 out of 5 days when mommy is feeling lazy tired :) or Liberty isn't cooperating, etc?

Then we just focus on our "Today We Will..." list.
"Today We Will" is what we aim for on a crazy day.  (These things WILL get done, but in no particular order! )
**Have Breakfast
**Brush Teeth
**Quiet time with Jesus
**Trusten: Rod and Staff workbook
**Brahm: Counting and/or Letters
**Lunch
**Naps
**Pick up house
**Dinner
**Family Worship

On days, like these, we play LOTS of Legos!

(Notice we don't necessarily attempt to get dressed, make beds and do every school lesson on "those kinds of days")

And if I can accomplish my "Today We Will" things on "those kinds of days", I'm happy!

Do you homeschool?  What do you do day to day?  Join the discussion over at Amy's Blog (Raising Arrows)!

Managers Of Their Homes

1 Timothy 5:14, "So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander."

The idea of a M.O.T.H. binder comes from Steve and Teri Maxwell's website. I haven't read the book itself, but I have read a lot about the book...if that makes any sense!

My M.O.T.H. binder is pretty simple right now because my kids are still young, so there is not a whole lot of scheduling and planning. I'm sure, though, as the years go on, I'll be adding much to it!

The basic idea of my binder is to keep all my affairs of our home together in the same place.

-If there is an emergency and Ryan or I (or both of us) have to leave the boys under someone's care, our MOTH binder will also provide them guidance on how our home works (including allergies, weekly commitments, chores, etc).

-Instead of having several drawers with different papers, I keep a record of everything important (pertaining to each family member and our basic home maintenance) in the binder.

-It keeps keeps things simple for me-I always know where to find my many lists I love to write!

So far my binder consists of:

-"Day to Day" which is:

• to-do lists
• house rules
• daily reminders
• morning and evening "chores" for each boy
• addresses/numbers we use often
• our school learning objectives
• my cleaning schedule
• our daily and weekly schedules
• etc

-"Meals" which is:

• meals I want to try
• our monthly meal planner
• grocery lists
• meals rotation list
• quick meals to feed a big group that comes by unexpectedly (!)
• cooking tips
• coupons
• etc

-"Home-Made and Money Savings" which is:

• info on my cloth diapers (washing, stripping, etc)
• money saving tips
• comparison charts for shopping
• my home recipes (like laundry soap, dishwasher detergent, diaper creme, baby wipes, hand soap...)
• etc

-"Faith and Encouragement" which is:

• our family mission statement
• family vision
• verses I'm memorizing
• verses the boys are (or will) memorize
• encouraging articles, quotes, e-mails, threads on M.O.M.Y.S.
• etc
  

In the future I hope to add:

-Education: curriculum samples, deals on books, recommended curriculum, etc.

-Wheeler 200 year plan: this is something personal we're working on...so generations to come will know what their great-great grandparents prayed and desired for them. This is family goals, family beliefs, etc.

-Health: doctor info, family medical histories, allergies, etc.

-Sewing projects

For more info, my good friend, Mandy, has an excellent post on her blog about her M.O.T.H. binder here.

Day to day

Ever since summer ended, I've been trying to set a new schedule for us. It took some trial and error and a lot of praying, but I believe I finally have a weekly schedule that works!

It's important to Ryan and I that our boys (even though they are young) know that their entire day can not be spent on play. While play is important, it's also important they understand there is more to life.

Here is what a week day in our house looks like: (the order stays the same, but times vary)

7:30 ~ Wake, Breakfast and Clean-up
8:00 ~ Get dressed and Boys help with Chores
8:30 ~ Play
9:30 ~ Worship and Bible at family alter
***prayer
***memory verse
***Bible story
***put on the armor of God (Eph 6)
9:45 ~ "School" at table
***work on Boo's goals
***work on T-Man's goals
10:15~Play outside
11:30~Prepare, Eat and Clean-up Lunch
12:15~Read-alouds (right now we're going through Little House on the Prairie chapter books)
12:45~Boo and SJ down for naps
***"Teach Your Child to Read" workbook with T-Man or books of interest with T-Man
(right now he's interested in spiders, so we stocked up at the library)
1:30 ~ T-Man rest time
3:30 ~ Daddy home! Family time! Fun time!
5:30 ~ Prepare, Eat, Clean-up dinner
6:15 ~ Usually take a walk
7:30 ~ Family worship
8:00 ~ Bed-time