Saturday Scraps: 100's Day and Basketball Girl

• Isn't he cute? Yes, he is. He was so excited for a week to work on his 100's day project (celebrating the 100th day of school the kids make a project of their choice using 100 things). He made three different scenes and all of them were great. This was his choice to enter. Sadly, it was judged by junior high kids who had no idea what the early years of Mario looked like. He only played the retro games before we got the Wii. With it's block art it was perfect for lego's. He made a scene where Mario is running through a graveyard to save the princess in the castle at the end. I think these older kids just saw lego's, but we were very proud of him. It was all his idea and his work. I took him for an ice cream sandwich myself (the winners won a coupon for one at lunchtime) to celebrate.



(She is #2)




• Princess had two games this week. My camera stinks in the gym. The girls played their hearts out and even though they lost 15 to 19 they fought hard for it. There are only about 7 of them and the other school was huge (you can see the blue uniforms lined up on the bench) and there were lots of them, all big girls. Rick really loves going to the games. He is such a good daddy, he works hard and fast to be there in time and cheers them on so well. I have to encourage him not to try to coach them from the bleachers but....:) He really should coach but he cannot get off in time for all the practices.



• Lost started....and I'm still confused. Still a fan! However, they better throw this fan some scraps soon or I'm going to howl.

• I have another new blog to recommend. Mary and I grew up in the same homeschool circles. She is an avid reader and loves to chat about what she reads. I like that she has a refreshing layed back outlook and isn't afraid to say what she really likes and doesn't like. Lookout, she is also an Edward fan! Yes, there is a whole new world of Twilight kindreds. *sigh* Her blog is called "A Girl And Her Books" She seems to read from classic to contemporary that I'm not even aware of yet. Check it out! She also will go on my bloglist.

(just a sidenote funny: i was out with a friend this week and the this song came on and we both just stopped talking instantly.....and paused. if you know, you know why *wink* which really, the soundtrack on Twilight was better than the movie itself, but still....*sigh*)

• Scripture concept I've been pondering: "I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to the....I will rejoice in doing them good...with all my heart and all my soul. " Jer 32:40-41

Besides that my week has been focused on really working that SAHM gameplan and disciplining myself to persevere in all my domestic areas. It has made for a very nice week.

I'm A Fan Friday

I'm actually excited about this blog theme. I'm worried you'll learn too much about me but I'm excited to share whatever I loved in my life in the week.

1. I'm a fan of Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dana Carvey. At least part one. We have not watched part two yet. I'm even more a fan of watching my husband laugh till he's crying when he watches it. It's on Netflix Watch Now. (Thanks Trish!:)





2. I'm a fan of John Piper's sermon on Exodus about God hardening Pharaoh's heart. I learned a lot about election and predestination and Piper once again made it clear to understand. Well, at least he clearly pointed to the mystery of it...LOL! Not at all a waste of time to listen.





3. I'm a fan of the song "Telephone" by Lady Gaga and Beyonce'. No, I'm not a fan of Gaga herself, she is a little strange (though some of her songs are okay, many are raunchy). I love this song because sometimes a woman just wants to do that....leave it all and get on a dance floor. I don't do clubs but if they were just a bunch of girls needing a night out from home, I'd be there. I don't wanna think anymore...I left my head and heart on the dance floor. I promise, someday I'm shutting all my blinds and playing that to kick it in my living room!





4. I'm a fan of the book we are reading in my ladies discipleship group "Because He Loves Me" by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick. I'll be using some of her thoughts when I finally get to Part 4 of Christian Hedonism. It's really just reiterating so many things I've been pondering.





5. I'm such a fan of sushi. Rick and I both are. He got a Dummy book on Sushi but he says he can hardly read it because he starts salivating. So funny. I want a "got sushi" shirt. There has to be one. The problem is that it's hard to get it for a good deal. I want to learn to make California rolls at least at home so we can have it more. Princess and Superkid got to try some (yes, with the slab of raw salmon on it) a few weeks ago when we brought them home a taste and they LOVED it.




6. I'm a fan of people who think....who contribute, participate, converse, and greet the world with open arms. To those who can do it with grace and truth as Christ was said to do in the scriptures. I'm a fan of them, I like to be around them, and they encourage me to live my own life fully. I'm not a fan of the silent stuffies of the world, nor the obnoxious shouters, but I am a fan of those who have something to say on just about anything in the most friendly of ways.

What are you a fan of this week?

Thankful Thursday

I did not get to the Wed. post that was supposed to be Part 4 of my rant on Christian Hedonism. I've been a little discouraged as to whether it's been helpful or understandable here but I also just have a lot of thoughts to pull together and that takes time and effort I've not had today. Rick was off and honestly, after he took the kids to school we crawled back into bed and watched LOST on hulu.com (....what did you THINK I was going to say?:) Then we had some things we needed to get done. It was a productive day and I sat in the winter sunshine of my living room listening to NPR and sewing patches on Superkid's jeans. Lovely.

I'm doing this post tonight and scheduling it to post tomorrow because I know I have full day. I did not have to work today so I'm doing three hours at the day care tomorrow.

I AM THANKFUL!

• I'm so thankful Superkid rode w/o training wheels for the first time today! He has been ready for a long time but his chain was broke and Rick had not got to it. He took to it like water. No problems. He then came in when daddy had to run an errand though and he came through the kitchen telling me that he wanted to wait till daddy and his sisters got home because he was not sure if his breaks would break or not. I tried to reassure him that they were fine but I did not push it.


• I'm thankful my children make me laugh. Today Superkid said "Is it okay if I pay you to clean my room?" (to me) I laughed and said "No!". He laughed too. Later at dinner he though he knew what was for dessert, said what it was and then said "I've spilled the beans". We all laughed because it was a new phrase for him and then it got even funnier when he added "what does that mean?". "Oh, you don't know? You used it properly" I said. He said Mrs.B uses it in and he thought it was funny but was not sure what it meant.


• I'm thankful the new house cleaning routine is REALLY helping me. I don't stress about getting to everything and then end up getting to nothing. Last night I was going to clean my room while Rick took the crew to Awana but I just was dying for a quiet bubble bath without interruption. I remembered that today was my day to do that and I did get it done today! I don't even have to worry if I get everything done in that room because I can hit it again when that day comes back around. It helps me stay focused on one spot and then the spots add up. *Sigh* it's a beautiful thing.


• I'm thankful that my parenting convicts me. Lately the two on my mind have been how I tell the kids they can't play on the computer until their jobs are done and how they can't eat anything at bedtime when they decide they are hungry at the last minute. I should be just as disciplined on myself.


• I'm thankful LOST started again...but that's so not spiritual.:)


• I'm thankful I can trust God when he gives and when he says "no". I'm thankful I'm not anxious either way. At least not right now:)

NOTE: I have added a new feature to the posts. Blogger now allows you to have an opinion on each one. I LOVE comments, in fact they spur me on to keep this up, so if you have one (really, no matter what little tid-bit it is..it makes my day) please leave it. However, if you just have an opinion on the post click one of the options before you leave if you'd like! Thanks.

Tackle It Tuesday: SAHM Gameplan

My first post for Tackle it Tuesday is just getting my week on a game plan. One of the biggest challenges of a SAHM (which right now I am not a 100% candidate for that but I only work an hour and a half a day at a daycare) is to not let your time go down the toilet. When no one is watching and no boss is checking on you, it can be so easy to procrastinate over and over. Well, at least I do. Maybe you are more of a superwoman than me.

So, I tried this out last year and it worked when I kept it. Don't be discouraged (I tell myself) when life messes it up, just get back on track. Usually I'll get it going and it will be time for a big holiday, or kids get sick, or the car breaks down and something in this is really thrown off. The important thing is doing the next thing and not giving up.

Sometimes housekeeping is simply doing the next thing. Eventually you will get a lot done. Rarely do you get it ALL done and if you think you have, don't hold your breath.

The plan is to have a ball park idea for each day of the week. Somethings however have to be done every day. I know some mom's do laundry all on one day but I cannot because the stacks that have to be put away are just to overwhelming for me. So, I do a load a day if I can.

Here is my game plan:

Daily: One load of laundry

Keep the heart of the home healthy (see below)

Monday: Kitchen/Laundry room -

(I work an extra two hours on Monday morning before starting this so Monday is a big day I have to stay on task)

Weekly-clean counters, wipe down appliances, mop, clean out bad food in the fridge, wipe the fridge inside, update food inventory, make menus, bake goods for the week.

Monthly- Wipe down counters, vacuum cobwebs, wipe high decor items, pick up counter items and clean under, clean counter items, clean inside of stove, dishwasher, and gunk in washing machine.

Tuesday: Living Room/Dining Room

For me these are one big connected area so I lump them together.

Weekly-dust, vacuum, put away items in an organized way, tidy paperwork at the desk, vacuum, clean glass surfaces.

Monthly-oil wood surfaces, clean out old paperwork at desk, clean out window tracks, clean windows and dust blinds, vacuum cob webs.

Wednesday- Master Bedroom and Bathroom

Weekly- Tidy, dust and vacuum. Wash bedding. Clean shower, tub, sinks, etc, and mop floor.

Monthly- Oil furniture, dust blinds, clean windows, organize closet, vacuum cob webs, dust light fixtures, wash curtains.

Thursday-Paperwork Day

This is the day to do any paperwork I need to do but also look for shopping deals, coupons, and organize my list for needs and groceries. This takes more time than you might think to do well. I might look ahead to the next week for menu ideas and see what I need to pick up for them.

Friday- School Aid/Errands

I am up at the school in Superkid's class ever Friday morning. Then it's a good day to do errands. I have not been on this schedule for a few months because we didn't have a car but now I'm excited to do this. It's my day to be in town after staying on task all week. I get what we need and like to stop at a thrift store for fun while I'm out.

Saturday- Morning off/ Family Chores

We take it very slow Saturday morning. After a week of school schedule the kids really love to have a break and so do I.

Weekly- In the afternoon though they have to clean their bedrooms, and now I'm having them start to share the load of their own bathroom. We have many pick up times during the week though so that this task is not long and drawn out. The also vacuum and dust their rooms and wash their bedding.

Monthly-I try to clean their windows and vacuum cob webs. Sometimes some re-organizing of items is needed too.

We are also going to have them vacuum and wash one vehicle every other weekend together. This is a new development and we'll see how it goes.

I'm hoping to start some gardening chores on Saturday afternoons when they are out playing as the weather gets better.

Sunday- Church/Family Outings/Community Group

Sunday is are only real day as a family as Rick works most Saturday's. The important thing about the above routine is that by the time we get to Sunday, we can enjoy each other and just relax.

This is easy to put into a chart and print from a simple computer program. Once it's set up, it can go in your notebook for running the house. I'm hoping to complete mine soon and share about it.

Within all this is of course a keep up plan. The kids unload the dishes and put them away every morning, they pick up their stuff and dirty clothes etc. Otherwise, you don't have time to get through the daily tasks.

When I refer to keep the heart of the home healthy I mean keeping the kitchen tidy. I have found that if the kitchen does not get done first and kept running well, we spend more money on easy dinners and lunches. I also will get discouraged and not want to get up to hit my day if the kitchen is a mess. Every meal, a little work has to be done.