Saturday, August 7, 2010

Here We Go!

School is beginning in earnest for both Carrie's family and my own. We've been doing a K4 type curriculum for my daughter--started it in July since it's SO HOT and then we can take a break come October and enjoy the weather/outdoors more. Carrie just began homeschooling her family this week. I start school next week--I'll be doing an online library science program through the university in town.

What does all this mean for our everyday lives? Routine, routine, routine.

For my family, this means we'll go back to my each-day-of-the-week-plan in which each day has a different major chore allocated to it. This has served me well during the past couple of years. I've changed days around as needed, but here is how this year is shaping up:

Monday: Laundry; Tidy up from weekend; empty trash; last minute homework...
Tuesday: errands
Wednesday: homework--my classes are Tuesday night, so I'd better plan on getting going on Wed just in case something comes up during the week!
Thursday: Bible study and office odds and ends in the afternoon (correspondence, business/banking, etc.)
Friday: Library story time and clean-the-house day; wash linens/towels
Saturday: Home improvement day and/or family fun day! Work ahead for Sunday (extra food prep and so forth)

More important than this is my renewed desire to complete each task when it's begun. How many times have you started cleaning up the kitchen and run out of steam before you get to the crockpot? It's still sitting there in the morning, isn't it? Or, what about wiping off the table after lunch? Putting up the clean laundry? Dealing with the (junk) mail right away? Vacuumed, but left the mopping for another day? Put up ALMOST all the toys....

Last year, on "Earth Day," my husband brought home a little magnet from his work that was supposed to inspire us to care for the earth. In reality, it's helped me deal with household needs in a more timely fashion. Here it is:

If not now, when? If not me, who?

3 comments:

Alli said...

We officially start school on Monday, but ever since we moved into this house in May I have been working toward the goal of being a better household manager, knowing that around 4 hours of our day will be centered on school.

I totally get what you mean about running out of steam when in the middle of chores. I do that to the kitchen all the time and have been trying to get better about it.

Alli said...

Oh, and I'm reminded of Ma Ingalls' list of chores:

Wash on Monday
Iron on Tuesday
Mend on Wednesday
Churn on Thursday
Clean on Friday
Bake on Saturday
Rest on Sunday

Betsy said...

I love it! (The Ma Ingalls reference) I've been checking out the Flylady for some good reminders, too, since she's big on the weekly routine. That routine is the thing! And aren't we glad that "washing" on Mondays no longer involves hauling water, heating it over a fire, scrubbing on a washboard, laying out to dry, etc. etc. No wonder they didn't have very many clothes. You'd never be able to wash them all!