Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Still Breathing

Yes, I am still alive. Taking it one day at a time. I have been so BUSY lately. Just trying to juggle too many balls in the air at one time. Plus with homeschooling now, I feel like that added a watermelon to my other smallish juggling balls. I am trying to finish a HUGE scrapbook-for-hire project and only have 1 page left to go, plus some touch up work. I started knitting a sweater for Sienna that is near completion. I started knitting a super fun looking hat for Tatiana. This last weekend I went to Jacob's homecoming football game and then to Buffalo Wild Wings, since it was my 10th high school reunion. So much fun! I realized I think I am too old to be staying up til 2:30 am. Then again, in a way, I'm too young not too. Here is a picture of my best buddy Michelle & I (can you believe we have actually been friends for UM....12 years??!!):


These are the pictures of the kiddos that I brought with me to show my friends:



This coming weekend my dear old friend Justine is driving up from North Carolina to visit for a couple days, as she has 3 weeks of army leave. I am so excited I am just beside myself. I haven't seen her since Tatiana was about 1 year old. That means I am planning weekend food/activities & trying to clean house (well, haven't started that part yet, but I will). In the midst of all this, I have been working on my part-part-part-time job of surveying housing developments, which needs to be completed by Friday (when I will have to drive out to Schaumburg~YUK!~to return my materials). Sometimes I feel like I am streeeeeeeeeeeetching so thin with so many things on my plate. Which leads my to a parenting related thought: does anyone out there use a family schedule? You know, like a Supernanny-type routine where the whole day is planned out? If you do, please tell me how you like/dislike it. Maybe it would work for me. Maybe I would feel like there was a definite time for things like cleaning, playing & working. Otherwise just let me know that you are still alive too OR what you do to keep yourself from going insane when your plate is ready to spill over. God Bless!

P.S. I just have to share this picture that I took today. Sienna got to join us for some school time, since she was being so well-behaved before her nap time. I *so* love the girls and I living life TOGETHER ;-)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad to know you are still kickin', Becki. To answer your question, I have a schedule that I stick to that has saved my life, and my sanity with having Kaitlyn and Landon so close in age. I think it really helps the kids out to. They need a routine and I think they thrive on that. This is what my day looks like (unless something pops up or we opt for a playdate with someone):
6:30AM up for a half hour devotion time unless Landon is up early
7:00AM Landon's up
7:30AM breakfast (it's like he knows that it's that time too!)
8AM playtime and usually when I get two loads of laundry done if need be.
9AM wake Kaitlyn and it's upstairs for breakfast while we watch 1/2 hour of TV
9:30 or 10AM out for a jog
10:40-11:40 outside playtime
11:45 lunch (this is when I pick up and vacuum the house)
12:15 inside or outside playtime
1:30-3:30 or 4 NAP!! (I try to clean a room in my house during this time and also dig in to my Bible study. It's my time.)
4:15 Daddy is home
4:30 or 4:45 Dinner is on the table
Then the rest of the evening is up to whatever plans we have or what Dan feels like doing. This is my life almost everyday and it keeps me sane.

Anonymous said...

hey there,
well as you know we do have a schedule for our family but def. not as strict as it used to be. i think its great to have a schedule but allowing for some freedom also!! since beth gave hers i'll give you a peek at our typical day (sometimes it changes but not very often)
5:30-devotion/biggest loser toning
(i have to get up extra early because it never fails that one of the kids are up usually by6:30 but sometimes i do sleep in, especially when one or all of the kids are up during the night)
7:00 all kids up and dressed, we have a morning routine which is
up, bed made right away, dressed from head to toe, hair done, bathroom lysol wiped down. I have the same routine for myself.
7:30 breakfast
8:00 play time, clean up time, i throw in a load of laundry (I do one load a day!)this is when I would like to do some walking as well.
9-10 School and homework (when the older kids are settled in and don't need as much help I do colors and counting w/clay and blocks w/selah)
10-11 weather permitting outside playtime or inside game and book time
11-12 extra clean up, lunch and jordan off to K
12:30-3:00 NAP for two babies, Sav plays outside or rests and she does extra school work while I work on any paper/computer work, finish load of laundry and clean up kitchen area. sometimes I do a nap too:0)
3:15-5 is free time, I start dinner and just hang out with the kids
after dinner which is at 5 we ethier do what ever or have extra activities such as sparks, or MG, somtimes we go to the library or take a walk!!
I am working on incorporating a walking time in the morning, but still trying to get that scheduled in! We also have a night time routine which starts at 7pm, the kids do a 10min. clean up, wash up, get jamas on, pick out clothes for next day, and then starting at 7:30 I go down starting from youngest to oldest and take them along and read a book ,so everyone is in bed by 8pm. Just like Beth said they thrive on things being the same over and over again so they really enjoy it!!
as far as any cleaning schedule i do a home blessing (main cleaning)on monday mornings (1hr.) the rest of the days i just keep up on each room a little at a time in the afternoons or evenings. but because i stick to a schedule there too, i don't have to be spending a lot of time on those things! Good luck, hope you have learned some interesting things that will work for you or you can adapt to work for you! You know the website i love and it works for me! :0)