Living the day God gives you

I am a planner and a list-maker, working best with a routine so I know what to anticipate next. I learned it from my mother as she wrote and filled notebook after notebook with menu plans, budgets, and schedules. Those days that go according to plan, I feel triumphant, fall into bed tired but proud.


Those days are rare.


In our active home, there are always the things I didn't plan.
I didn't know I'd wake up at 3am, a cough that wouldn't let me sleep but even more a burden to write and so I would begin my day tired.
I didn't know baby would wake sick too and want to spend the day in my arms, a faithful and sweet companion but it makes mopping the kitchen floor tricky.
I didn't know a friend would have her 6th baby and now I would need to finish getting that gift together and a meal made.
I didn't know that my daughter would find the "-all" word family so difficult to master.
I didn't know about that the leaky basement and loads of wet towels to wash on top of it all.


It is easy for me to feel these are interruptions to my plan. The excuse then for a short fuse, feelings of incompetence, and the wish to go back to bed until I can wake up to one of those perfect days I have planned.


But instead I've been realizing these are not the interruptions to my life, but the very stuff of life. Writing my heart, comforting the sick, welcoming babies, teaching the difficult, managing an old yet beloved home ...this is the world God has given me. And it is all those moments that give the opportunity for love that I forgot in my plan. That is the difference between my plan and God's direction as it says in the Proverbs, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." He wants the day to be about giving and loving; I had the silly idea it was about perfection.

I am seeking a free heart this Lent:
not attached to so much stuff, so we've been busy de-cluttering;
not attached to easy comfort, so we've fasted from alcohol, meat and sweets.
And now I've realized not attached to my own agenda, letting God determine the steps.



Frances De Sales writes,

"A heart that is free
Is the close companion 
of a peaceful soul.

A free heart is one 
that is not attached to its own way 
of doing things,
That does not become impatient
When things don’t go its way.

A free heart will surely enjoy
Spiritual consolations,
But is not dependent on them,
And will, to the best of its ability,
Accept troubles in their stead.

A free heart is not so tied
to a schedule or a way of praying
that any change is upsetting
and a source of anxiety.
A free heart is not attached
to what is beyond its control.

A free heart prays to God
that his name be hallowed,
that his kingdom come, 
that his will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

For if the name of God is hallowed,
if his kingdom is in us,
if his will is being done,
a free spirit need not concern itself
With anything else."

Jesus does not promise a smooth life according to our own agendas, but does promise that we may learn from Him and find in His gentleness and lowliness, a burden light.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

Lenten Cleaning Update: Week One

The Lenten Cleaning is going well, so far I've been able to stay on track and keep up with everything else! Breaking the cleaning down into more manageable jobs has been helpful. I washed walls on Friday when the older two were at their homeschool co-op and the little one napped. It felt great to get rid of cobwebs and dust and food (ahh, life with babies!) from the walls. We did the floors, which entailed moving furniture and area rugs, on Saturday and my sweet husband did the bulk of the work. 

For cleaning the walls I used 1 gallon of hot water with 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of baking soda. I found the recipe (though I omitted the ammonia) and other great tips at "How to Clean Walls."

Monday I worked on the fridge and the oven. I chose today for these two since I don't usually bake on Mondays and it's my grocery shopping day, so the fridge is fairly empty anyway.

Tuesday and Wednesday I've done smaller jobs like cleaning out the microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer, work that I usually only do if catastrophe strikes! Overall I have found the work rewarding; the house has begun to feel deep-down clean. The rest of the week the de-cluttering of the kitchen will begin; I'll try to take pictures as I go. The pictures of the cleaning were quite boring--no one really wants to see my fridge!

The time dedicated to "work with my hands" has given me space to think more about the work of managing a home--it's higher and lower purposes--which I hope to write more on soon.

Cleaning in light of Lent has also led me to pray more while I work which I hope will continue after this season ends. 

And at the times when I haven't prayed, I've tried to just focus on the cleaning itself, working quietly and well as an attempt to worship the Creator and Giver of all of these good things, pushing out worries, those little conversations I have in my head, attempts to compose a blog post while I work! And as a result, I've often felt very blessed that I have whatever it is I'm cleaning. There have been small moments where I've been filled with gratitude for areas I usually grumble about (laundry, dishes). As I take the time to slowly and carefully clean, things shine again, their purpose is made more clear, and my work seems more important. This is very different then my  usual "throw yet another load of laundry in, notice how dirty the washer is getting, and give it a half-hearted wipe down." During those hurried times, I often feel annoyed, grumble about the effects of the Fall, and pine for fancier appliances and a maid. And so in trying to clean as part of a rhythm of work and rest, with goals of simplicity and proper care of His gifts, the work and I become more redeemed.

May His Work continue on my affections, my attachments, my will, and my ambitions as I make our home shine so we may live in His Abundance, capable of appreciating His good gifts.

I pray again,

"Teach me your way, O LORD...give me an undivided heart..." (Psalm 86:11 NIV)

An Undivided Heart.

A Heart that wills one thing.

A Heart detached from vain comforts that do not satisfy.

A Heart Uncluttered. Body and Soul. Our home. Our routine. Our affections.

All United to His will.

P.S. I also wanted to add an idea from my friend Christina, who has decided to not tackle a huge cleaning project right now, but liked the idea of the 40 days/40 bags on a smaller yet still meaningful scale. She writes,

"We are all, even A. [her almost 2 yr old], picking one thing a day to put in a bag that will be given away. Some days we will devote to a specific family and give things they need or might like, but most days we are just trying to clear out and such." What a great plan!

P.S.S. I've also kept the children entertained while I cleaned with The Chronicles of Narnia on CD:

They love this, listening over and over and over again. This edition is a dramatic reading of the books with some sound effects and the parts of the characters done by different actors which has really made the story come alive for them.

Anyone else attempting the 40 bags or 40 areas for Lent? Or have any other insights you've gained in your first week of Lent?

Cleaning in a Lenten Light: Ore et Labora

It is an old custom for Spring Cleaning to occur in the days before Holy Week or even on Maundy Thursday (remembering Christ washing the disciples' feet) which I have tried to follow these past few years.

Last year I shared a few reasons why this tradition makes sense:

1. Spring is here and we can finally open windows to air things out.

2. Cleaning is a task that you can spend in prayer and quiet to prepare for the somber days ahead.

4. For those of you who hate cleaning, the hard work pales in light of Christ's suffering.

5. The house is ready for guest and celebration on Sunday.

6. A fitting metaphor for the work of the cross and the resurrection: all things are made new.

But I've realized I need much more than a few days to do this properly, especially with all of the services and traditions that surround the last few days of Lent and the preparations for Easter. So after hearing about "40 bags in 40 days" for Lent around the blogosphere, I've decided to stretch out our spring cleaning and de-cluttering through all of Lent. Hopefully having smaller areas each day will make the task more manageable with young ones helping (or unhelping!).

I hope that in spending the time to go through closets, drawers, toys and more, we'll be able to give away the things we do not need as part of the traditional "alms-giving" of Lent. But it is always funny how children who haven't played with a toy in months will suddenly cling to the toy to be given away as a prized possession. And aren't we the same way with our sins? So often at Lent when I give up something like coffee, sweets, meat, or the internet, I don't think it's going to actually be that hard but come day three or four (okay, day one), my cravings make me realize how much I've become attached. The same thing happens with our possessions: the more we have, the more difficult it can become to be faithful stewards, to be thankful for them as gifts, and to be able to let them go if asked.

"Detachment from things gives us the freedom we need to follow Christ.  Goods are only the means."  Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God, Volume 2, Lent and Easter, 16.1 (H/T Wildflowers and Marbles)

I hope to include the children in the daily purging, so that I have their consensus before we give things away, and hopefully so they will learn more about the proper relation of the Christian to material goods.

"Material goods are good since they come from God.  They have been put by God at man's disposal since creation began, for his growth and development in society.  We are administrators of these goods for a time, for only a short term.  Everything should lead us to love God - Creator and Father -  and the things He has made and given us.  Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God, Volume 2, Lent and Easter, 16.1  (H/T Wildflowers and Marbles)

So check back in, I'm not sure if I'll be humble enough to include pictures, but I'll try to update each week. Let me know if you're going to try too!

*Here are the clean windows in the living room with curtains in the dryer!

Here is my list of the 40 areas I'd like to work on:

Pray and Work. Pray and Work. Pray and Work.

1.       Dining Room & Living Room- Pictures & Blinds, Curtains

2.       Downstairs Book cases

3.       Dining Room & Living Room-walls and windows,

4.       Dining room and living room floors

5.       Kitchen-oven, refrigerator,

6.       Kitchen-microwave, dishwasher

7.       Kitchen-spices

8.       Kitchen-pantry

9.       Kitchen-cabinets

10.   Kitchen-drawers

11.   Hall Closet/Landing- coats, hats and gloves,

12.   Hall Closet/Landing- the cubby

13.   Basement-laundry area

14.   Basement-storage

15.   basement- work bench

16.   kids room-Grace’s clothes

17.   kids room-Mather’s clothes

18.   Kids rooms toys

19.   Kids books

20.   Baby room-clothes

21.   Baby toys 0-3

22.   All kids rooms-walls, blinds, floor-dust, wash, vacuum

23.   Bathroom-clean

24.   Bathroom-storage, cabinets, etc.

25.   Our bedroom-clean

26.   Our bedroom de-clutter-bureaus

27.   Our bedroom under bed and closets

28.   Linens and Towels

29.   Attic Landing

30.   School Room-go through shelves

31.   Attic Storage-clothes,

32.   Attic Storage-holiday

33.   Attic storage-my school stuff

34.   Attic storage-books

35.   Attic storage-preschool supplies

36.   Attic storage-baby clothes

37.   Attic storage-maternity clothes

38.   Attic storage-kids toy holding area

39.   Shed -gardening

40.   Music-cds, playlists

  Feel free to stop by to help!!

Decorating for the Home for Lent

I had a friend recently ask how we moved from Epiphany to Lent in our home, so I thought I'd share with pictures:

As you enter our house, we change from a mantle decorated with the joyous light of Epiphany:

to the Bright Sadness of Lent:

We move from feasting on Fat Tuesday:

to fasting. Pretzels are a traditional Lenten bread dating back to the 5th century (Photo and recipe from Catholic Cuisine. ):

We move from celebration:

to contemplation:

We seek more time to pray at our Peace chair:

 

With visual reminders around the house of this season is about:

  

 

The side board in the dining room also serves as a place for prayer:

We bury the Alleluia so that we proclaim it ever more joyously at Easter:

G decided she wanted to cover it in crosses (for more on this custom visit here and for the banner I'm making for Easter visit here):

And with ashes placed upon our forehead we are told "Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return."

 

 

And then, we wait expectantly for Resurrection:

Preparing for Sabbath

It is Saturday evening and my Sabbath rest has almost begun. It was a day full of work to be able to enter into this rest. And now whether my work feels complete or not, I must rest.

Without rest, we become irritable, weary, depressed; we lose joy, stamina, patience. Our Heavenly Father rested and the world I care for is much, much smaller than His, so surely I can find the way to rest too.

The children are all snug in their beds, clothes and shoes laid out. Baby bags packed with bottles, diapers, and an extra change of clothes (because isn't it always on Sundays they want to leak through their clothes or forget they are potty trained?!) I remembered an extra snack for a quiet car ride home so hubby and I can enjoy the beautiful ride we have. Breakfast is made, the table set, even a slow-cooker dinner is waiting to be turned on. The house is clean and tidied (well, clean according my standards anyway) and we are caught up on laundry.

You may ask why bother with all of this extra work on Saturday, instead of spending it doing X, Y or Z?


It is because I am learning that the Lord's Day is the culmination of our week, as Abraham Heschel writes, "the Sabbath is not for the sake of weekdays; the weekdays are for the sake of Sabbath. It is not an interlude but the climax of living" (The Sabbath p. 14). And as Christians on this Holy Day, we celebrate the greatest mystery of our faith, Christ rose from the grave. Every Sunday is Easter again. And so, we worship and feast, kneeling to be fed spiritual food.

And amazingly, in a culture always driven for more, on the Sabbath we are told to stop.

Yes, there will still be some work to do: we live in a fallen world. Yes, despite my efforts, it will not be perfect day: we live in a fallen world. But this work was good work. This work will bring PEACE: rather than a morning rushed and busy, we will have calm and togetherness as we prepare for worship. This work will bring REST: rather than cooking and cleaning and folding, we will have time for a walk, a nap, good music, things which restore our souls. This work will bring JOY: a surprise baked into the morning oatmeal, a comfort meal for dinner, time for celebration. This work will bring THANKFULNESS: we can feel gratitude when we have time to delight in the fruit of our labor and in the great gifts we've received.


Norman Wirzba writes that the "Sabbath is a discipline and a practice" (Living the Sabbath p. 20) which means it is something we can get better at. Some weeks, I am not as prepared as this week, but God's grace is so abundant, He still accepts my worship and still restores my soul. Some Sundays, I enter church filled with worry, sleepiness, or nothing at all which is why I never tire of the opening prayer in our church service. Every week we acknowledge before God that He knows all that we bring and we ask for His help to worship aright:

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our
hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may
perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(How amazing that until Thomas Cranmer, this was a prayer only for the priest as he prepared for worship but  now it is prayer that we all pray together.) However, while there is grace and forgiveness for all that we bring to church on Sunday, it does not lessen our need for Sabbath. The practice of Sabbath is an attempt to model or pattern our lives after God's: "Put simply, Sabbath discipline introduces us to God's own ways of joy and delight" (Wirzba p. 21). In Genesis, we see that God worked, rested, and delighted. This too should be our goal as the Commandment teaches,

 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20

Welcoming our first cold morning!

This was our first chilly morning--43 degrees! I know, I know, if you are from warmer climates, it sounds terrible. If you are from the wintery north that has already had snow, it sounds balmy!

For our first brisk morning, I planned a hearty, easy-to-make Baked Oatmeal. I appreciate that I can stick it in the oven, then get everyone dressed and when we arrive, a nice hot dish of oatmeal is waiting. The big kids added milk to make it more of a cereal. The baby, who especially loved it, ate it more like an oatmeal bar.

• 3 cups rolled oats (I used quick cooking oats and it was ready in 30 minutes)
  
• 1 cup brown sugar (I cut to half a cup and it was still sweet)
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dried, fresh or frozen berries (we did frozen blueberries!)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in fruit. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.  

Enjoy!

 

A New Other World

"Have you ever been up at five o'clock on a fine summer morning? It is very beautiful. The sunlight is pinky and yellow, all the grass and trees are covered with dew diamonds. And all the shadows go the opposite way to the way they do in the evening, which is very interesting and makes you feel as though you were in a new other world."

-E. Nesbitt Five Children and It

Well, I'm finally posting after a month of silence. Is there anyone left reading?!

Our summer has been so full, it has been difficult to find the space mentally to write and once I stopped it was hard to begin again. It makes me appreciate even more my husband's ability to write, fitting his writing in between classes and office hours, or late at night when we are all asleep!

Don't get me wrong, I love summer: there are a million and one ways to spend a day and the freedom to do it. Yet by August I begin to look forward to the more structured routines of normal life. With all of the fun of summer, I've found it difficult not just to blog but to have time alone...to read, write, reflect...

And so, I have begun a new habit of waking up in the early morning. I'm loving it so much, I hope it will continue into the Fall but it may just be for this season of my life. I know there are seasons it certainly wouldn't have worked--the last months of pregnancy, night-wakings with a nursing baby, lots of late nights in a row. But though my days have been busy, I've been getting good sleep for the first time in a long while! And though I'd covet a few more minutes of sleep, the idea of time all to myself to do with as I please, is enough to get me going.

What do I do with these hours to myself?

It's been varied. But mainly I have good coffee and good books, time in prayer and Scripture, and end with a run and a shower.

Time to experience quiet. Experience peace. Experience beauty. The Nesbitt quote above says it so well. In the early morning, when the house is hushed, all seems good and fresh and new. And a hope and a desire build that the day will continue this way. Okay, with a house of little ones, it will never stay hushed, it shouldn't, right?! Not so quiet then, but an inner peace that overflows and fills the house.

Have you noticed how a mother's mood infects an entire household?

I know when I don't get this personal space, I become impatient and irritable, snapping instead of training, ignoring instead of correcting. I also get an overwhelming desire for escape and so can fritter away time on a project or on the internet. I am not present to the people and tasks at hand. I do dishes and daydream. I fold laundry and mentally compose an email. I cook dinner and plan meals for the week. It is no wonder I then do not enjoy these tasks.

The message our culture sends us is "faster is better; more is better." Susan Wise Bauer writes in the recent magazine article entitled, "Stop cleaning the kitchen and read a book" in the The Classical Teacher that to take the time to read a good book

"pushes back against our society, which tells us that the faster we work, the more we do, the more we produce and accumulate and experience, the better we are...But classical self-education helps us reorient ourselves away from that which is a market ethic. Speed and productivity are not moral goods. It is not ethically superior to do more and to be faster. Reading to yourself in the mornings, instead of doing something else (something "productive") pushes back against the speed ethic, the 'more is better' ethic. It resists the message that says to us: In order to be worthwhile, you must produce something tangible. When you choose to read instead of clean the kitchen you are refusing to accept that your worth as a person is measured by the visible results that you produce in the world. You are asserting, instead, that your worth as a person is based on who you are and who you were created to be...created in the image of God."

And so I may be tempted in this time to plan. I love my lists! Plan our day, our lessons, our grocery list, but I want to resist that. I may be tempted to catch up on internet reading, facebook, emails, but I want to resist that. Not that these things are in themselves problematic, but once the day begins there is little time for reflection or reading or sustained prayer. We always must respond to the urgent--the skinned knee, the hungry belly, the dirty bum. A moment of calm and we decide to de-clutter a desk, send an email, call the doctor, get a head start at dinner (all at the same time!). By the time the children are in bed, we feel like falling into bed ourselves but resist for time with our spouse, a favorite show, an entertaining book, our latest hobby. Picking up the stuff of real meat is rarely likely. Susan Wise Bauer's words are helpful but they are not new. The need for mothers to continue in self-education is of vital importance, evidenced even in the 1892 journal edited by the educator Charlotte Mason entitled "Mother Culture":

"There is no sadder sight in life than a mother, who has so used herself up in her children's childhood, that she has nothing to give them in their youth...is there not some need for "mother culture"? But how is the state of things to be altered? So many mothers say, "I simply have no time for myself!" "I never read a book!" Or else, "I don't think it is right to think of myself!" They not only starve their minds, but they do it deliberately, and with a sense of self-sacrifice which seems to supply ample justification... Each mother must settle this for herself. She must weigh things in the balance. She must see which is the most important--the time spent in luxuriously gloating over the charms of her fascinating baby, or what she may do with that time to keep herself "growing" for the sake of that baby "some day," when it will want her even more than it does now...The wisest woman I ever knew--the best wife, the best mother, the best mistress, the best friend--told me once, when I asked her how, with her weak health and many calls upon her time, she managed to read so much, "I always keep three books going--a stiff book, a moderately easy book, and a novel, and I always take up the one I feel fit for!" That is the secret; always have something "going" to grow by."

And so, I've been waking up "at 5 o'clock on a fine summer morning" and have found myself in a "in a new other world." One of books and ideas, freedom and peace, reflection and truth, Word and Light.

Spring Clean-Kitchen

I posted about how I hoped to get our mudroom back in shape. This area isn't heated so in the winter it becomes a dumping ground and since I can shut the door, I can forget it.

It felt so good to get it all in order. I started with the hardest area first and it surprisingly didn't take as long as I thought. So I was able to move on to the pantry, the fridge and a few of the cabinets that needed reorganizing. It's always hard when you first unpack at a new house to know where things will best work. I also got rid of some things we never use, junk that had accumulated and staples that were past their prime.

The only bad/good part was that it took me right up until dinner to get the work done and then I didn't want to mess it all up so hubby took us out for pizza!

So here are the pics for Spring Cleaning: Day Four and Five

Before:



After:


The Pantry:



Thanks again, Simple Mom, for the inspiration.

Summer Preparation-Schooling

Yesterday I posted about maintaining the "big rocks of our daily life" during our crazy summer schedule and another element that I am weighing is whether or not to continue with our "schooling."

I really appreciated Nancy Wilson's post Why Give Kids a Vacation Anyway? And I know for older students whose school year is packed with challenging work and projects and sports and enrichment, they need downtime.

But for us, our schooling is much more laid back. Our formal "school time"is a very short. Most of their learning comes while cooking in the kitchen, out on nature walks, working in the garden, reading good books together, playing with our ant farm, and doing montessori-type activities. We have found a wonderful little Kindergarten curriculum that is a delightful mix of Charlotte Mason, Classical Education, Unit Study and even some Montessori-ish activities. Now I know you purists cringe at the suggestion of combining these things but it has worked so well for this age. And it comes with a wonderful Christian focus, all in one laid out curriculum, for $100!!

We also have enjoyed scheduling our school time with the "church year" rather than the "civic year," changing our school focus during advent and lent and partying during Christmas and Easter so I feel we get enough breaks.

We've also noticed that our children thrive when we work their little brains a bit each day. Since the curriculum engages them in real learning, I think, it will tie in nicely with the different destinations we visit. For example, it has fallen that we are in the midst of a farm unit as we are heading out to my in-laws farm. We'll be able to see the animals and machines and barns we've only been able to read about. When we hit our "rock" unit we'll be near the Blue Ridge Mountains in VA and I hope we'll be able to do some hiking near waterfalls and some toddler rock-climbing!

And finally, my daughter is right now really grasping reading concepts and it seems if we stop now, she'll forget it all.

So I know many of you readers homeschool, so what do you think? Am I crazy? What has worked well for you?

Summer Preparation-The Summer Routine

Summer is a traveling time for us. This is my husband's last week of a set schedule at work so we will be off to visit his family in Canada, take trips to my parents at the shore, work at a camp for 2 weeks in VA, and try to hang out at Eastern's pool as much as possible! And we hope to add sight-seeing around Philadelphia, lots of hiking and a camping trip or two. By the end, we are happy and relaxed but tired and definitely ready for our normal routine to start up again.

I'm trying to plan now how to make all of these different schedules and travels work well for our little ones. We are definitely a family that appreciates structure and while I look forward to the variety, there are certain things that help to keep us sane.

I hope to still maintaining a sense of rhythm despite the fact that we may be in a different place or with different people. Some great advice that has stuck with me from last summer is a post from Kerry over at A Ten O'Clock Scholar with 5 Steps for establishing a summer routine.

Her main recommendation is to "Decide on the big rocks of our daily life. Plan for these and let them be the "anchors" of our day."

For our children, a biggie is sleep. I try not to let them miss their nap or stay up too late too many days in a row. They've never been kids who catch up on sleep by sleeping in. So I'm willing to read lots of stories, bring sound machines, and hang towels over windows in a hotel room to make it right for sleeping. Even if it means missing out on a few extra adventures. Now that my daughter is pretty much done napping, I'm still going to try to have her rest and read each day.

The second is to maintain regular meal and snack times whether at the beach, in the mountains or at home. I notice my little ones and I wither quickly otherwise.

The third is Book Time when my kids wake up in the mornings and from their afternoon nap. They so often wake up groggy, so some juice and a stack of books help them adjust back to the real world rather than hitting the floor running again.

I also really like how Kerry recommends providing visual cues for the day and so I'm creating a chart like the one she made here. I think my children will really respond to her suggestion of providing good transition habits, especially by creating a mood with light and music!

So what do you think? I'd love to hear what you do in the summer to keep kids happy in the midst of a more laid-back schedule and travel. How do you keep your sanity during the summer months? How do you help your children cope with travels?

I'll post soon on what we do to keep them happy on long car trips! We had a 7-hour car trip last summer with a 3 yr old and a 2 yr old that we managed to do with no movies thanks to the great idea from my Heather. But we are desperately looking to borrow a DVD player for the 4 hour plane ride, long lines at customs, and then 2 hours of driving on the trip to Alberta!

Summer Preparation and Work-Outdoors

Yesterday I posted on getting ready for warm weather inside the house.

Here is my list for things to do to get ready for outside!

Outdoors
• Rake winter debris from yard.
• Sweep porch and patio.
• Inspect yard and home exterior for winter damage.
• Take outdoor furniture out of storage--Clean and arrange deck/porch furniture.
• Clean birdfeeders thoroughly.
• Clean out shed.
• Organize garden tools.
• Spread fresh mulch.
• Rake and compost leaf litter/debris.
• Mow lawn; leave grass clippings down as mulch.
• Fill a pot hardy pansies!
• Turn on outside faucet.
• Clean the grill; fill the propane tank.

The Garden
• Plan garden plots and start seeds indoors.
• Harden tender seedlings.
• Establish new garden beds.
• Prepare containers.
• Purchase new soil, fertilizer, etc.
• Choose and plant summer blooming bulbs.
• Prune flowering bushes after blooming.
• Visit the nursery for spring plants, garden structures.

Kids Stuff

• Check bikes and helmet sizes
• Purchase fresh sandbox sand.
• Inventory/organize the kids' backyard toys.

Again, thank you to Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight for her wonderful planning guides.

Update-Summer Preparation Indoors

Okay, so today started as one of those bad days you wished you could just pull up the covers and stay in bed and after about an hour or so awake you're sure of it:

• baby woke up 2x in the night,
• 4 yr. daughter, who hasn't had an accident in months, wet the bed around 2am,
• Son had 2 major potty accidents, one right as we were walking out the door
• it was cold, dark and rainy on grocery shopping day--isn't getting 3 kids 4 and under and all your groceries in and out of the car enough without rain?!
• somehow the house exploded with mess; how could I clean out the mud room when I can't even walk across the kitchen to get there?!
  
• and we seemed to have no food

And so, while I posted of my plans to get Summer Preparation underway, I didn't know where to even begin with my cleaning, empty-cupboard, tired mess.

But then I thought about the idea of "Splendor in the Ordinary." What I felt I needed at that moment was rescue--a trip to a faraway island, a coffee and a book all to myself, my husband to come home immediately! Surely there was no beauty in my current circumstances...

Though I longed to escape, I tried to become present to my tasks. My husband always says, when I get overwhelmed like this, "Just work slowly and well." And so, I stopped and listened and looked.

Though the day was overcast, I noticed that it created a stark contrast to the white of our dogwood tree. Though it poured, I noticed that it left a lovely shower of pink blossoms on the sidewalks up and down our street.

I heard my children playing make-believe as Elizabeth and Zachariah, waiting for their son John to be born, I fixed my son's toy car (not high on my priorities), I included my daughter in my cleaning, we read a good book together.

I went slowly through the grocery store--baby in front pack, son in cart, daughter with list--and people smiled. (Usually, even when I've tried to get us tidied before we get to the store, we get stares and well-meaning comments like, "My, you have your hands full!") But today, each of my children at different moments brought happiness to someone. And my 2 year old son when going up for his nap, wrapped his pudgy arms around my neck and said, "Mom, I want to marry you."

The house and yard need to be purged of the build-up of winter grime. The windows need to be opened and everything aired out. But most of all, today it was my heart that needed the "clean sweep." Freed from expectations, freed from a sense of busyness, freed to be present to those with me, who will one day realize that you can't marry your mom and, in fact, she is the last person you'd want to marry anyway, but for today, I am the most important person in his world.

The funny thing is that even though I slowed down we still ate all three meals, the kitchen stocked again, the house cleaned, and laundry caught up.

I've included a few of the before and after pictures, just in case you don't believe me. They are for the Spring Cleaning Party being held over at Simple Mom. I loved her idea to start all cleaning projects by doing a "Clean Sweep" so go check it out. I hope to participate over the next two weeks!

BEFORE: AFTER:






BEFORE: AFTER:




BEFORE: AFTER:



Check back in tomorrow for more Summer Preparation Ideas too!

Summer Preparation-Indoors!

Recently I've been trying to follow the seasonal planning recommendations of Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight. I am always inspired by her Themes and Plans for each month.

So I thought I would try to create my own lists for this summer. You'll see that much is taken directly from her but organized in a way that best suits us. Some of her preparation is different since she lives in a different climate and I'm way behind her schedule :-)

Most of these things I do accomplish each year but I've never put it all together into one checklist and I've rarely planned ahead. Which is a little rough when you're hit with 98 degree weather in April and have no fans or light PJs for the kids! Once everything was put together on one list, I was also so encouraged by how much it actually takes to keep a house running smoothly. No wonder I go to bed tired!

So here is what I hope to accomplish each Spring "Indoors" to get ready for Summer:

• Launder winter bedding; switch over to spring bedding
• Get out lighter PJs and summer clothes; launder and put away winter clothes
• Organize rainy day play gear.
• Put away hats/gloves box and set up sunscreen, summer hats and bug spray station
• Shampoo or hang out rugs.
• Take down storm windows; hang screens.
• Re-stock craft supplies for the spring.
• Plan summer vacation-VBS, travel, day camps, weekend hikes, camping trip, guest visits, play groups
  
• Finish spring cleaning-Vacuum/Dust those hard to reach places (behind radiators, crown molding, under beds, and fans before we turn them on)
• Get out window air-conditioners
• Get out Summer linens for kitchen, dining, bathroom
• Put together a Spring Book Basket for the kids
  

• De-clutter Mud Room and Coat Rack

What do you do "Indoors" to get ready for warmer weather? Anything I should add to the list?

Tomorrow, I'll post on "Summer Preparation-Outdoors"! Thanks so much, Dawn, for all your help.