First Real Bibles

Layla, Julius and Gunnar all received their first "real" Bibles this Christmas.  Nate has been leading us in daily family worship and the kids wanted their own Bibles to read along with Mommy and Daddy.  Not familiar with what family worship consists of, then grab a few of these books/ CDs to find out (there are many more resources besides these).

Sit Down!

So this is what Gunnar did the other morning.  He grabbed my Bible and put it on the couch, grabbed his things, too(Goodnight Moon and sippy cup) and told me several times to "Sit Down."  You're right, buddy!  Mommy definitely needs to sit down and read her Bible.  Great idea!  Thanks for reminding me!

Making Progress

So I am making some progress with my to-do list.  We all know that there are always parts of our to-do list that are easier to get moving on than other parts.  "Sorting bins and packing away too small clothes" has been on my list since September!  It just seems to take more effort to go to the basement, bring up bins and work my way through all the baby and kid clothes.  I am trying to donate items that I am not especially fond of and throw away anything I may have stored that is stained.  My goal is to end up with a few empty bins to store the large laundry basket of small clothes I have hidden in an upstairs closet.  I hate spending money on more bins if I can find some to use in the house.  One sad moment did come when I started sorting through a "mystery" unmarked bin.  It contained some 3T girl clothing, an 18 month boys winter coat, and a small pile of boys 9-12 month clothing that I never got to use with Gunnar.  There was some really cute things in there and it made me want to cry that I never found them when they would have been useful!  It just serves as motivation to really get the rest of my bins sorted and better organized.  I am sure there is bound to be a few more mystery bins discovered. 

So my list is looking more like this now:

• Get back to daily school work 
• Finish "Ruby Holler" chapter book with the kids
• Wash all the dirty towels and sheets
• clean both bathrooms
• clean off fan blades in our bedroom (it's gross!) - can you tell I am avoiding this?
• Use up any remaining food in the fridge and grocery shop  - um, I really need to do this tonight to avoid anymore take-out dinners!
• Sort through clothing bins and store away clothing that is too small - Progress is being made!
• Find good dinner roll recipe for Thanksgiving - I am thinking about this recipe
• finish Christmas gift ideas for our kids - some progress, but need to write a complete list and more importantly order stuff online

This publicly made list is helping hold me accountable.  If you feel you need an additional push of accountability, add your to-do list to the comments section and see if making your list public helps you accomplish more!

Get Your Kids Involved

Cleaning House

 Toys have been significantly pared back recently.  This mommy was getting a bit frustrated with the sheer amount of toys scattered all over the floor and the lack of obedience in actually picking up toys.  So one day I lost it and pulled all the toys off the shelves and began piling them on the dining room table.  The kids helped me put correct pieces with the correct toys and we got everything sorted and matched up.  I then went down in the basement to survey the other toys stored there.  After throwing away broken toys and junky toys, I filled a laundry basket full of toys that would be donated.  After that I picked a few select items for upstairs and everything else went to the basement.  I told the kids that their behavior over the next few weeks would determine if I would bring up more.  They specifically want their kitchen and a big box of Duplo blocks.  I said they would need to earn them. 

What started as a punishment or consequence, has turned into an epiphany.  The kids don't really need many toys at their fingertips.  They are very happy with a few things and they end up using their creativity more to accomplish what they want during playtime.  Sure, they still want that kitchen to come upstairs, and it probably will here in the near future, but I would like to keep things more simple.  I am already a big fan of rotating toys.  I think now I will rotate and see what small amount of toys the kids are happy with.  They seem like they are having fun to me.  What do you think?

Forming New Habits

Layla kindly made this sign for me this weekend. I've been keeping it on the kitchen counter. As my family grows and we journey further into homeschooling, my daily routine of showering in the morning was becoming a thorn in my side. Oh, it works fine when children can play nicely while you shower and a baby can sit in a bouncer or exersaucer in the bathroom with you. But once your baby outgrows all that stuff, morning shower time can become complicated.

For quite some time I have been sticking Gunnar in his crib while I shower, but then I have to listen to him cry and call for me most of the time, which doesn't lend to a pleasant showering experience. The other option is waiting until nap time, which was fine when he still napped in the morning, but now he only sleeps in the afternoon. I feel gross having to wait that long to get cleaned up. The third option would be to wake up before Nate and shower. Let's just say that was not going to happen. At least not anytime soon, lol! I can just barely cope with getting up between 6:30 and 7:30 am most days, and some days not at all.

So, showering at night was becoming critical. I realized this a loooooong time ago, but I have struggled to make the change. Layla and Julius were encouraging me because they like that I am more available since I don't have to spend all that time getting ready. So I started Sunday night and I managed to repeat the habit last night, too! I just got to keep going, because it just removes one more thing from a potentially crazy day to try and get done. Thanks, Layla. I think your sign is working. You can keep pestering Mommy. I don't mind the (nagging) encouragement!

Do Over....Please!

Yesterday morning was....interesting. Before Gunnar, Julius and I even made it halfway down the stairs, crying, pouting and general disobedience were already taking place. A few minutes later, Layla came down to join the rest of the family and added to the already chaotic environment. By the time Nate was kissing us all goodbye and wishing me a better turnout of the day, I had made my decision that we needed a "do over."

All four of us watched daddy drive away and then we marched back upstairs to bed. I let Layla and Julius take a magazine to their beds, and Gunnar came to bed with me. For the next 25 minutes I rested my eyes and Gunnar quietly laid next to me. I could hear Layla and Julius enjoying their magazines in their room. After almost a half and hour, the baby was ready to get up. The four of us headed back downstairs and enjoyed a more peaceful morning routine. Sometimes you just need to ask, "Can I start over?" Thank goodness, yesterday we could!