Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Motherhood on a Tuesday

My plan is to do a Motherhood post every Monday. I don't.
I have many plans that don't come to fruition. Many.
I am struggling. Again.
I have a discipline plan. I give in because I am too tired, physically and emotionally. The plan fails. The situation gets worse. I struggle.
I have a routine for housework. I am too tired, physically and emotionally. The routine isn't followed. Mt. Washmore explodes. There is not enough clean underwear.
But in the midst off all this supposed failure are little moments that let me know I am on the right path. I am just having a hard time focusing on these blessings. Again.
I want more time to take care of myself. A half hour each day to go for a nice walk. Do some yoga. Finish reading a book. I don't want this for selfish reasons. I want it so I can be less tired, physically and emotionally. I want it so I can be a better mom. I don't know how to get it.
I need your prayers. Please.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

WIP Wednesday

I have many knitted UFOs (unfinished objects) that need work. There is the back bedroom disaster and Mt. Washmore, not to mention the garage. They all need work. But right now I am trying to focus on my Home Management Notebook for 2012. My current printer isn't up to the task of printing the needed pages, so I'm doing research. I'm thinking of getting a 3 in 1 wireless printer. We shall see. As with all purchases, the budget must be consulted.
For the Notebook, I am going to go with a different idea for 2012. I found a blog (and since lost it) that showed a very well thought out Notebook that had laminated pages and a spiral binding. I am going to steal this idea and try to make it my own. The laminated pages should help cut down on printer wear and tear, which considering the number of coloring pages I print is a very good thing. It will also be less bulky then the 3 ring binder I now use, which will help with portability and accessibility. I have a huge recipe section now, which I think I will just leave in the binder.
I have yearly, monthly, weekly and daily schedules/lists that will all be pre-printed with the weekly and daily pages laminated so I can reuse them. I also have a basic daily schedule posted in the kitchen to help me get back on track when I lose focus. A lot of planning and effort go into a good Home Management Notebook, but it is all worth it! My house is definitely cleaner and more organized when I stick to my schedules, not to mention happier children and healthier dinners!
It may all seem like a bit much, but its not. Have you ever seen an Outlook schedule for a busy office professional? Not much different.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Full Hands, Full Heart

I don't understand why people think I'm crazy because I have more then 1.2 kids. Any day I take the kids out in public, I'm sure to hear the phrase "You have your hands full!" I always reply with "and my heart too!" People usually smile and tell me my kids are cute. Unless, like the lady at the grocery store yesterday, they run off in a disgusted huff before I can respond. Really? I wish I could ask people like her a few questions. Like: Why is my having 3 kids who actually know how to behave in public such an inconvenience to you? What about my kids disturbs you so much? When you were a kid, did you dislike children as much as you do now?
I value my children. I see their worth. I know that they are fully human, now at their present age. They contribute to my life and bring me joy. The inevitable sleepless nights and frustrated afternoons that come with having 3 boys under 5 is a small part of the overall blessing of being their mother. I think a lot of the problems we face in our current culture could be solved if Motherhood was respected and children were valued.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Start Again

They boys sing a song for the days of the week that goes "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and then we start again!"
I am hoping to pick myself up a bit and do as the songs says - start again. I have been trying, it seems in vain at times, to follow my Mother's Rule of Life. Most days I do alright. The past few months have been better then the beginning of the year. But then its really easy to be better then awful! I have a few new ideas on how to work my Home Management Notebook. I think I am going to do as one blog suggested and have certain pages that I use over and over again laminated and have the whole thing spiral bound. I wish I could remember the site. I'd share it. Not to mention, I'd like to look at it again. Oh well! Hopefully I can recall enough useful information to put some of it into practice. I really do a lot better taking care of my kids, the house and the dog, not to mention myself, when I keep to my routines. With 3 small kids in the house routines are necessary. Its the only way anyone ever gets to wear clean underwear. Which reminds me I need to go throw my sheets in the wash and finish making the bed. Clean is comfortable!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Smarty Pants

The picture of Joseph counting was taken almost a year ago. He can now count to 100 independently and is quickly picking up the pattern to count over 100. He also recently started reading. All the sight word and phonics work of the past 4 years has really paid off. I actually saw the moment when reading clicked for him! It was amazing! He was looking at a book that we have read a thousand times (wish I could remember the exact book, I was to excited about the moment to remember that detail) and he was going along half reading, half repeating the memorized story when he came to a word he wasn't sure about. He stopped, looked at it, and then sounded it out. He looked up at me for approval, I gave it, and he smiled a huge wonderful smile that told me how proud he was of himself in that moment. Then his reading became slower as he thoughtfully looked at each word as if for the first time. Saying them slowly. Looking at each letter and word come together to form a new world. At only 4 years old, he is an independent reader who can take almost any book of his shelf and happily read it to himself. He has even advanced to the point of being able to read silently to himself! Simply amazing!
Leo isn't too far behind. While Joseph is extremely determined and focused once something has grabbed his attention, Leo is a creative dreamer. He likes to look at the pictures of a book and make up his own stories, or variations on the current story. The perfect example of the difference in their personalities came during basic math last fall. The was 1 green worm and 1 blue worm. I asked the boys how many worms there were. Joseph quickly said "1 green worm and 1 blue worm is 2 worms!" and then Leo replied "The green worm is the mommy worm and the blue worm is the daddy worm. On Sunday they take their little worm baby and put him in his little worm car seat and get in their little worm car and go to little worm church!" I said I really liked his story and asked him how many worms their were. He said "3! The mommy worm, the daddy worm, and the baby worm!" I've told Leo he needs to work on writing his letters and words so he can write down his stories so other people can read them. He liked that idea a lot.