This week I get a teacher planning day...maybe it will help me get to bed a little earlier because lately I feel like I have been burning the midnight oil a lot! I am very thankful that John offered me a day ALONE, with my stuff, in my house. Really it is to get organized, tab some books, organize our art supplies, school supplies, and bookshelves, make Molly's Preschool box, get our daily schedule set up etc. Tonight I worked on our daily schedule and when looking over how last years went...well I might have used it like 10 times the entire year so I revisited my Managers of their Homes book and looked at our weeks and it dawned on me....DUH...We do something different every single day. Our days never look the same so why make a schedule to follow if I don't allow for that. So this year...I have a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday schedule and the only thing that isn't written down is our fun field trips or extras like book club and my work schedule because it varies. When I go to work...I let it go and John does what he can...he can follow our schedule or not! But on Mondays, I wrote in our Co-op and Ballet, on Tuesdays...art class, on Wednesdays...church, on Thursdays...Piano and Outside Study time at Water Oak plantation, and Fridays..family movie and milkshake night....now obviously...trips happen and family get togethers happen but at least this year I have written in our every week activities. We are busy and if I do not account for ballet...well then it (the schedule) all falls apart and things don't get done. It makes it a little harder on the kids I think because they don't do the same thing every day but they are kids of shift workers and busy people and tend to do o.k. with it. We are not the kind of family that doesn't participate in things outside of the house so it would be silly to not write in things like church, ballet, etc.
Tomorrow is the orientation to our new CO-OP that we will participate in. The kids are stoked. We fixed up their notebooks tonight and they got their backpacks out. We are excited and nervous about what is in store. I'm looking forward to it always pushing up full force into the week...I need that push sometimes!
I think I have the chore thing down, maybe, again :) It seems complicated but again I am having to get more specific on our specifics! The kids are just going to have routine chores that they do everyday of the week...things that they are in charge of. We have three times during the day in our newly revised schedule that chores take place. On Fridays, during mid morning chore time, the kids pick a BIG chore out of the Paid chore box and do it. It get written down and they get paid every two weeks when John and I do. I go back and forth about allowances and paying the kids but I took the time (with the kids) to talk about the paid chores...they are above and beyond normal everyday things. Some of the chores in the box are cleaning all the ceiling fans, taking the items in the fridge out and cleaning the shelves, deep cleaning porch, etc. They are the big projects that don't need to be done everyday or even every week but need doing and I need help. Emily is having to earn money to pay for her ballet costumes this year so this helps and I want to teach them the habit and love of giving money to God. And then when they really want something they can save...The routine chores like bathrooms and floors and dusting and such are normal parts of our day and they do not get paid for those.
I'm feeling a little more organized and John has me dreaming of a school room in the garage and lots of storage space...maybe one day!
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