Structure and calendars

I personally am not the most structured person.   Unfortunately for me, I don't think structure is optional for the kids.   Pondering the plethora of age levels living under my roof and all the stages of development going on, from dreaming of retirement, to not quite potty trained and all the teenage behavior in between, is pushing the envelope with me to insist on calendars and more routine in the house.   I thought it was good enough to simply get done what we could get done but am realizing how there is only one of me and that the older kiddos need to learn how to use a calendar and take more responsibility for their own lives.  

I cannot begin to explain the dragging of feet and their blaming me for not knowing what they can do next in their home educated journey or in helping around the house.   Helping is not an option either.    I have visions of faces coming at me asking me questions in my not so distant past.   I am going to attempt to have calendar, goal making meetings weekly and try to make it fun.   That lovely phrase in probably all parenting/teacher books is that kids like to know what is expected of them.   Even though I feel I have given them what is expected, I suppose it is too wishy washy for them and black and white check lists will help.   I will have to have a fight with my own 'laid back' self to persevere with this.  

Extinguishing whining will be a whole different goal but not really.   I think I am going to have them track their whining on the calendar to see how that is going for them.   Can I do this????   Hopefully.   Stay tuned.   Perhaps I will have my blog keep me more accountable on this one......

Constant

Planning.   Organizing.   Thinking how to make it all go more smoothly.   Tomorrow is my infamous Monday.   I tend to loath Mondays.   A friend of mine and I joke that we should take every Monday off as Sunday can take tons of energy and leave us road kill.   Several years ago I had a system which helped me keep the family sanity of cleaning for 45 minutes or so every morning.   The idea came from a cd published by the Fundagelicals, "24 hours is All You Get."   Yep.   It the best thing I bought from the Fundagelicals as far as remembering routines and keeping it simple to accomplish more.   That particular year we cleaned a few rooms every morning.    I think it is time to pick up this habit again.

My neighbor Jim has trained my husband, of almost 25 years, to clean up the kitchen down to the counters every night.   Incredibly awesome.   My ego will not be shattered by the husband sweeping and wiping down counters.   Major sigh of relief.   In the house he grew up in, the mom did everything.   What his mom did though was quietly go about what needed to be done because it needed to be done.   This gene has finally come to the surface in her son.    Phew.

Figuring out how to hammer school and keep on top of the clutter is my goal.....again.....for this new week.   Catechesis and read aloud time will have to happen first or IT will not get done.   Nap time for a few hours this evening and then attack.   The nine kiddos and 45 year old me will give it a try.   Yay, older than 45 year old me husband has joined the club. 

Blessings on your week y'all.   

Getting a grip

Today I am attempting once again to get on top of things around here.   Cracking the whip and getting the academics more organized and shockeroo....done.    Life is less daunting if one can find the 'want to' to get on top of these things.   I need to get on top of my kitchen cabinets and dedust a bit.....I need to get on top of a ladder and clean the light fixtures out.   Hmmm.......

This crazy pastor (Grobien) recommended some parenting book about achieving less whining, complaining etc., in the house hold and it is really not much more than the discipline program we learned at Camp T. back in the day.   I blogged about that once upon a time on my old blog, about how kids keep a score card on you and know if this adult or that adult means what they say the first time, the second time or maybe the adult will never do a thing about following through with their own instructions.    Yep.   I do need to revisit the follow through thing and it all takes energy.   We lose a bit of energy with each kid and when we recommit to following through and expecting obedience we fall asleep faster in the evening.   It is exhausting but worth it of course. 

 So thank you Pastor Grobien for the ten dollarish reminder of what I already know.   When I read the email and the information I was tempted to call him the next day and hold out the phone if he answered so he could hear my darling cherubs whining and bickering.......I didn't.    I got it.   

School - so far so good

We frankly haven't had a chance to do a lot of school so far this year. There seems to be a myriad of interruptions lately. The onslaught of tomatoes has happened so we are making salsa, sauce and hopefully whole tomatoes to satisfy the tummies this next year. I try to have the kids do math and such in the morning and then tag team the cannery in the afternoon. So far it is working as long as I don't get too worried about output. Two days ago, I went to get a chicken out of the freezer for dinner only to discover that the freezer had been unplugged. We spent the rest of the day and into the evening cooking and refreezing the chicken. We lost some meat but were at least able to save some too. That was a headache and somewhat of a heart ache as I know how hard the boys worked to raise them. Oh well. I guess I do have a knack for not letting stuff like that rock my world by this time it was a little more challenging.

Erik should be home now during the day. He was hired to scrape and paint our piano teacher's home about a month ago and the job is now finished. His boss made a friend in the process and Erik of course did as well. Scott, his boss, still carries on about how much he is wowed by Erik. I am wowed by Erik too. He has come a long way in the last few years. Scott did indicate he would hire him again if there was another 'small' job came along. I can not wait to see the house tomorrow to see how it looks.

Erik is also taking his first college level class and is holding his own so far. He does not want my help. I did catch a little glitch but other than that he has been on his own and seems to be doing fine. As more is handed to him in responsibility, he is conquering and dividing. Very happy for him.

So we will all be able to tackle our school work and food processing together again now that Erik is done. So far I have mostly conquered the urge to panic as school has not been happening too often. Unschooling prevails so far and it is okay. I just can't worry too much about it and the pace should pick up a little more here soon. We get done what we can each day and it is okay.

Now to look up a chicken recipe for dinner tonight. Chicken............