Busyness
My Dad always reminds me that I am in control of my schedule. I'm glad that he keeps reminding me because I keep forgetting. I keep feeling like I turn around and my schedule is overflowing and I can't understand why.
Here is what I am working on to lighten my load:
* Do church work Sunday instead of Monday. When the building is fairly empty and quiet, I get so much work done. On Mondays the building is full and the kids in the daycare are loud, and there are loads of interruptions. Coming Sundays to get work done is much more efficient.
* Get off facebook. Facebook is not bad, but it isn't good for me. I unfollowed every single person and follow weather, local news, homeschool articles, and church. This helps with me wasting my time.
* I have been adding more and more chores onto Kara. While I did take back bathroom cleaning duties, this is where we are now: she does her own laundry weekly, she cleans the back porch weekly (either with the leaf blower or the broom), she mops the kitchen weekly, and she will do dinner dishes (load the dishwasher) after dinner. I don't think this is overwhelming to Kara, but it helps me so much.
* I have a Roomba. This little robot vacuums while I do something else - even if that thing is rest.
* We have found really great curriculum that allows Kara to do most of school by herself. It took a while to get here, but now she can do every subject alone except Math. Wow, she impresses me. When I ask her if it is too much for her, she raises her eyebrows with confidence and assures me she's got this.
* For that matter I assign her one week's worth of school that must be done before bed Friday nights. She makes her own schedule for the week and usually finishes early enough for a light Friday or Friday off. Usually. ;-) Physically and emotionally letting go of that is a huge weight off my shoulders.
* I use an online calendar, grocery list, meal planner, lesson plan combo. It's a free app called Cozi that Merideth told me about. Kara can log on and ask what we are doing later today, when is our trip again?, and what is for dinner. All my mom friends out there know kids ask that stuff over and over and it can add up to being an energy zapper. Now she can look for herself. Also, while she is logged on, she can add to the grocery list herself, saving me time from every time she says, "we are out of strawberries - can you get more at the store?" Now I can ask her to add it to the list.
* I just mentioned this, but I plan my meals out, one week at a time. I usually do it while I do lesson plans. Nothing is set in stone, but I have a plan and make sure I have the ingredients ready.
* I don't stay for all of Kara's horse lessons. In fact, I go to like 1 in 10 these days. You may think that makes me a bad mom, but I spend so much time with Kara as a homeschool mom, that I think she knows I love her and support her and our quality time box is checked. Not to mention, I have stayed for every lesson for the last 5-6 years. I'm good.
* I am trying something new with the trips I have coming up - I am making them short. I used to think that if I am going to fly all that way or drive all that way, I should stay a while to make it worth it. Not any more. I know any trip with other kids: two nights is plenty. When I can, one night will suffice. This is hard for me, but I think it's important and will allow me to keep these trips up, without exhausting me. Packing is easier, thinking about who will feed the kitties for me, hotel costs stay down, etc. Not to mention, if I leave sooner, I do that whole quit-while-you-are-ahead and keep-them-wanting-more thing. :-)
* You know how when you tithe 10%, that remaining 90% goes so much further than the original 100% would have? That is God working. I think it is the same way with time. So, I tithe a portion of my time to God and watch him multiply the rest of it for me. I notice on days when I don't, I feel overwhelmed and way too busy.
* Learning when to say yes and when to say no. Wow. I will work on this for a while longer. People who know me right now probably see me working on this. I mess up and sometimes change my mind, but thankfully people are patient with me. I'm also working on what yes means - it doesn't mean I am the CEO in charge of what I said yes to. I can partially participate sometimes.
* The hardest thing I need to work on: actual rest. I feel guilty being totally restful. I promise to work on that. And to not feel guilty. For that matter, I need to let my mind rest. Even during down time, I don't completely unwind. I'm working on that.
Here is what I am working on to lighten my load:
* Do church work Sunday instead of Monday. When the building is fairly empty and quiet, I get so much work done. On Mondays the building is full and the kids in the daycare are loud, and there are loads of interruptions. Coming Sundays to get work done is much more efficient.
* Get off facebook. Facebook is not bad, but it isn't good for me. I unfollowed every single person and follow weather, local news, homeschool articles, and church. This helps with me wasting my time.
* I have been adding more and more chores onto Kara. While I did take back bathroom cleaning duties, this is where we are now: she does her own laundry weekly, she cleans the back porch weekly (either with the leaf blower or the broom), she mops the kitchen weekly, and she will do dinner dishes (load the dishwasher) after dinner. I don't think this is overwhelming to Kara, but it helps me so much.
* I have a Roomba. This little robot vacuums while I do something else - even if that thing is rest.
* We have found really great curriculum that allows Kara to do most of school by herself. It took a while to get here, but now she can do every subject alone except Math. Wow, she impresses me. When I ask her if it is too much for her, she raises her eyebrows with confidence and assures me she's got this.
* For that matter I assign her one week's worth of school that must be done before bed Friday nights. She makes her own schedule for the week and usually finishes early enough for a light Friday or Friday off. Usually. ;-) Physically and emotionally letting go of that is a huge weight off my shoulders.
* I use an online calendar, grocery list, meal planner, lesson plan combo. It's a free app called Cozi that Merideth told me about. Kara can log on and ask what we are doing later today, when is our trip again?, and what is for dinner. All my mom friends out there know kids ask that stuff over and over and it can add up to being an energy zapper. Now she can look for herself. Also, while she is logged on, she can add to the grocery list herself, saving me time from every time she says, "we are out of strawberries - can you get more at the store?" Now I can ask her to add it to the list.
* I just mentioned this, but I plan my meals out, one week at a time. I usually do it while I do lesson plans. Nothing is set in stone, but I have a plan and make sure I have the ingredients ready.
* I don't stay for all of Kara's horse lessons. In fact, I go to like 1 in 10 these days. You may think that makes me a bad mom, but I spend so much time with Kara as a homeschool mom, that I think she knows I love her and support her and our quality time box is checked. Not to mention, I have stayed for every lesson for the last 5-6 years. I'm good.
* I am trying something new with the trips I have coming up - I am making them short. I used to think that if I am going to fly all that way or drive all that way, I should stay a while to make it worth it. Not any more. I know any trip with other kids: two nights is plenty. When I can, one night will suffice. This is hard for me, but I think it's important and will allow me to keep these trips up, without exhausting me. Packing is easier, thinking about who will feed the kitties for me, hotel costs stay down, etc. Not to mention, if I leave sooner, I do that whole quit-while-you-are-ahead and keep-them-wanting-more thing. :-)
* You know how when you tithe 10%, that remaining 90% goes so much further than the original 100% would have? That is God working. I think it is the same way with time. So, I tithe a portion of my time to God and watch him multiply the rest of it for me. I notice on days when I don't, I feel overwhelmed and way too busy.
* Learning when to say yes and when to say no. Wow. I will work on this for a while longer. People who know me right now probably see me working on this. I mess up and sometimes change my mind, but thankfully people are patient with me. I'm also working on what yes means - it doesn't mean I am the CEO in charge of what I said yes to. I can partially participate sometimes.
* The hardest thing I need to work on: actual rest. I feel guilty being totally restful. I promise to work on that. And to not feel guilty. For that matter, I need to let my mind rest. Even during down time, I don't completely unwind. I'm working on that.
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