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Daily Life, Project 366

Starbucks Anyone?

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In the past two days I’ve been to Starbucks three times.

Three different Starbucks.

In two days.

Yes, that means today I went to Starbucks twice. Can you feel the coffee rush from here?

notice those starbucks cups

Nancy, Beckie, Michelle and I hit Starbucks for a power meeting.

Let’s see, I had a women’s retreat planning meeting one night. We finished our session over coffee and scones. Today I double booked Starbucks. Nothing like living in the suburbs and having multiple coffee shops around town. At 4 pm I met with an awesome young woman who works with the middle school group at church and then at 5 pm I scooted over to another Starbucks to visit with a homeschooling mom.

Not a typical week, even if I do love a tasty Americano with steamed milk. I am trying to be open to who God is placing in my life at this time and take the effort to carve out some quality time with them. Too often I find the weeks pass by in a blur and I haven’t connected meaningfully with anyone outside my family.

Daniel and I are reading Colossians in our daily quiet time. These verses are my prayer this week:

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (Colossians 1:10-12)

Kathy
Project 366 – Day 9

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Project 366, Works for Me Wednesday

WFMW – Backwards Day

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wfmwIt’s Backwards Day again on the Works for Me Wednesday post!! What shall we talk about? I was planning to write about our new school schedule and daily routine. After all, it’s been two days and it’s going great. :) Instead, I’d love to take advantage of Backwards Day and get some help on maintaining and keeping our new routine. My oh, so optimistic oldest son has given me two or three weeks before the whole thing falls apart. This is how he and I figured it would go:

Week One:

Struggle through the new routine. Claw and fight to get up early. Try desperately to stay on track with our intense school schedule. Check the new Schedule regularly. Fuss and whine about all the work and lack of fun. Admonish children NOT to follow mother’s bad example of whining and fussing.

Week Two:

Get in the groove of things. Tired but cheerful in the morning. Hardly any complaining as everyone begins to accept the structure and higher level of work expected of them. The house is clean, meals are nourishing, and school is accomplished. The Schedule Printout is well-worn and nearly memorized.

let's read!

Even late at night, in their pj’s, the children continue with their studies.

Week Three:

The newness of plan begins to fade. Slowly bad habits slide back in to our routine as the Schedule is “set aside”. Surely we don’t need to look at it all the time. We’ll just do a little adjusting here and there. The snooze button is pushed two or three times and the alarm turned off all together one day, a little bit of movie watching happens over lunch, email and blog stats are checked mid-morning, chores are pushed later and later and then forgotten.

i just need to check a few things

Let me just see if anyone left a comment on the blog.

Week Four:

No one bothers to even set their alarms. The Schedule is permanently “lost.” Mom decides to take a few days off to refocus and catch up on her blogging. Kids spend more time playing educational computer games than doing any real school.

a game, anyone?

Anyone up for a quick board game?

This does not look good, people! Help me out. Tell me your best ideas for staying on a disciplined schedule. How do you keep to it day after day, month after month? Do you use rewards or consequences? Are you an Excel expert? Do you post charts around the house, use a calendar, day timer or Blackberry? How do you get up early every morning? I am NOT a morning person and I need all the help in that area that I can get. I know there are gifted, organized people that stop by here now and then. Share with me your words of wisdom!

Stop by Works for Me Wednesday for other desperate souls needing help.

a good book is hard to resist

Kathy
Project 366 – Day 8

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Daily Life, Project 366

Almost Monday

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It’s been a long day and I’m scrambling to finish everything in order to get in bed by 11 pm. Rachel and I ran errands after church. We didn’t get home until the middle of the afternoon. We did some returns, bought 1/2 price calendars at Barnes and Noble, shopped at Target and then got some groceries on our way home. It was fun! I like having a shopping buddy. :)

The afternoon was spent tidying up for our Bible study company, working on school schedules and keeping the kids quiet so Tim could nap. I didn’t do so well on that last one. I think Joshua vacuumed right outside the door while Tim was sleeping.

daniel, david and eli

During fellowship hour at church, the boys wrestle on one side of the room…

I am working on a Excel spreadsheet for our daily schedule. As I go through all the subjects required for each child, I see over and over they need time WITH ME! There’s only one of me and five of them! They have me outnumbered. I don’t see a place in the schedule for hours of blogging and frivolous internet surfing. Sigh.

Monday is a time of true fresh starts (or re-starts) for us.

  • School begins
  • Back to regular exercising at the YMCA
  • Healthy eating for the whole family – more veggies, less sweets, better planned meals
  • Return to my eating plan – recording food, cutting back on calories, aiming for losing NOT gaining
  • New school schedule and chore charts for the kids
  • Renewed commitment to daily Quiet Times – Bible reading and prayer
  • Consistent bedtimes for the kids and early to bed for me

Can I get some coffee to go with this new well-ordered life? I have a feeling I’m going to need it.

Jaalah, Elizabeth, Emma, Sarah, Tarah and Caedie

…and the girls giggle and visit on the other.

Tim’s lunch is all prepared, including his breakfast pancakes for the week (extras stored in Ziploc bags), the dishwasher is running, the kids are in bed, and I am almost finished with our schedule for tomorrow. I have a plan for staying on track (mainly it involves shutting down my email and blog during school hours) and am ready to attack the new semester with enthusiasm.

Thanks for all your kind words about the blog, our little family and my personal quest for healthy habits (including sleep). It means so much to us to have your encouragement and support.

Kathy
Project 366 – Day 6

I think I accidentally labeled yesterday as Day 6 when it should have been Day 5. That’s what happens when you post after midnight, you get your days confused. No longer! (Yeah, right, we’ll see about that)

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Project 366, Silliness

Stair Stepping Children

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This is me posting one picture, a short caption and going straight to bed.

Please ignore the fact that it’s already 1 am and I drank some coffee at 11 pm.

Yes, I am an idiot.

How’s that for a caption — Yes, I am an idiot.

I like it. It’s short, pithy and isn’t very difficult to spell.

what a bunch of silly pies

Goofy faces but sweet children.

So it doesn’t have anything to do with the actual picture, I’m still finding my way on this Short Blog Post path.

Kathy
Project 366 – Day 6

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Daily Life

How to Go to Bed Early

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I asked one of my children how I was going to be able to get to bed at a decent hour next week when School Starts and life as we know it (aka Holiday Hours) ends.

First, you stop blogging, my helpful child responded, then you, pay attention here, Mom, you turn off the computer, walk away and go to bed.

Just walk away.

Ah, so young to have such wisdom.

But my bloggy fans, I sputtered, surely you don’t expect me to leave them without exciting, witty posts to read each morning?

The world, weary sigh and slight shake of the head said it all.

Just walk away, Mom.

Thankfully Tim spoke up and said I could always post a picture and short caption and still make it to bed before midnight. Obviously he has proper respect for our devoted readers.

Sadly, I don’t even have a decent picture for today. We had a co-op meeting in the morning and saw an incredible rainbow on the way home. Have you ever taken a picture while driving? Let’s just say it’s definitely not a skill I have quite perfected.

It’s just shy of midnight and I’m going to follow my beloved child’s advice. Of course, I need to start the dishwasher on my way, oh and throw in a load of clothes, turn off the lights, and put away the juice someone left out.

But then, I’m going straight to bed.

Kathy

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