Friday is supposed to be our "day off". Grant has robotics in the afternoon, so I decided at the beginning of the term that we would use Friday as a field trip/fun day. However, October was so crazy! A family emergency took us to Kansas for a week, home repairs took another week, illness took another week. Because of that, we are now using Friday as our "catch up" day so that at the end of the term we will NOT be behind schedule! I'm hoping everything works out according to plan, I'm still tweaking their assignments/workload and trying to get them "settled" into their routines. I've drastically changed our homeschooling method and we are ALL still working on getting used to the rigor. (We're loving it, though, they are learning so much!)
Another thing I am working on is routine, order and consistency. Autumn is such a wonderful time of year. It brings back fond memories of my mother boiling cinnamon on the stove and working on handmade decorations. She made our house a festive place for the holidays. Just thinking about it makes me want to put on some comfy socks, heat up some cocoa, and turn on an old classic that we used to watch - like It's a Wonderful Life or White Christmas. I'm working really hard to maintain a peaceful home, so my children will have the same fond memories of this time of year.
My problem is, I have a very difficult time relaxing if I think that everything that should be done, hasn't been. I like my house to be clean and orderly, with everything in its place. This takes some effort on my part, as I am a perfectionist by nature, which means I have a difficult time ignoring the mindset 'if you want something done right, do it yourself'. I'm getting better and better at making the children responsible for things I would rather do myself. Of course, my 7 year old is not going to load the dishwasher exactly the way I would, but if he does that while one is swiffering the floor and the other is putting away leftovers and I am loading the laundry, it leaves much more time for us to be together as a family! Last night, after a successful 10 minute kitchen clean-up, hubby decided we all needed to get out of the house. So we hopped in the car for a trip to DQ and we all enjoyed a tasty treat and some good laughs! These are the things I want my children to remember.
My goal for November is to re-gain control of our daily routine, make lots of time for play, and create memories that will last a lifetime. I pray that God will give me the strength to do these things and the wisdom I need to get them done and I hope that someday, my children will be thankful for my efforts.
