Category: Kids

Good morning everyone! This morning is a little dreary outside but the temperature is just about perfect for me… in the low 70s.

I got up earlier than I had been… yay me… but then crawled back in bed because the house was cold as the AC had been left on all night. I really need to replace it with one that has a thermostat. This particular unit is AC/heat and cools/warms the whole house. I have priced a new one for around $600 and it comes with a remote which would be a plus as I am too short to reach the unit right now.

Anyway I did manage to get up before the kids did and I enjoyed 2 cups of hot coffee in the semi dark kitchen! Normally I get started on one cup and the kids come in and I never get around to finishing it and if I do I almost never finish the second cup while it is hot. It is so nice to have that little bit of peace and quiet before starting the hustle and bustle of our day.

I went over my plans for the day which include:

• Getting dressed and ready for the day
• Take your vitamins
• Devotional/Prayer time (I have recently downloaded a couple of apps that send me verses/devotionals to read.)
• Make Bed
• Check the AC and porch lights
• Start Coffee (which is usually already going as I have an automatic coffee pot right now)
• Start a load of laundry (Today is my day to wash)
• Check freezer (I just cleaned it and have it on the porch so I will keep check on it for a few days to make sure everything is working. Plus I walk past it to go to the wash shed so it is really easy to do.)
• Check my calendar for events, daily missions, and menus (I have lots of reminders on my calendar… for instance today I need to work on club updates and newsletters for our Square Dance clubs)
• Check bank balance and emails
• Make a TO-D0 list (this includes working on a couple of books and a curriculum plan I am wanting to do with the kids)
• Make Breakfast (Today is an easy day — Cereal)
• Oil (I use some essential oils in diffusers throughout the house)
• Make tea and drinks
• Kids up and dressed (I have them each listed individually on my list)
• Fill Water Bottles (this is DD10’s job)
• Eat Breakfast
• Brush the kid’s teeth
• Swish & Swipe the Bathroom
• Empty the Kitchen Trash
• Clean the kitchen (DD18 usually helps with the dishes, DD8 wipes the table and benches, while DD10 sweeps the floor.)
• Feed the critters (the youngest boys are in charge of doing this)
• Drink your water
• Morning Board/Circle Time (We do a lot of group activities during this time. Then I get everyone set up on their computers for individual studies.)
• School Work (Before snack I am usually more one on one with the little guys who will have some kind of activity to do after snack to keep them occupied so I can help big sisters.)
• Make Lunch Boxes (Tuna Salad w/cherry tomatoes and chips)
• 2 minute Hot Spot Fire Drill (I mentioned my Hot Spots here)
• Laundry Check (I keep a timer set so I know when the washer/dryer should be finished up. When the timer goes off I run out to the wash shed to check on the laundry.)
• What’s for dinner? Tonight will be Crunchy Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Vegetable Casserole. (I will be using some of the mixed veggies we got from Southwestern Produce Company.)
• Daily Mission  (This week we are focusing on the Master Bedroom… I will have the kids work in their rooms as well… as far as a Master Bedroom goes we don’t currently have one so I will work around my bed and closet doing as much as I can to declutter and organize it.)
• Holiday Mission (not too early to start getting ready)
• Weekly Tasks (Today I would like to get my laundry finished, scrub & shine my sink, and wash out my coffee pot plus complete a few things off of my Weekly House Blessing list which I often have the kids help out with.)
• Drink you water (Yes, I have to remind myself as I could go the whole day without eating or drinking anything when I get busy.)
• Snack (We take a little break and may even go out to the porch to feed the ducks or the fish.)
• Schoolwork (This is usually when I spend more one on one with the older girls when they need help with activities.)
• Quick Pickup (Everyone helps put away their school supplies and workbooks plus any other activities they may have been working on. We also put away computers and make sure they get charged, if needed.)
• Eat Lunch
• Clean Kitchen
• Fill Water Bottles
• Monthly Tasks (this week I will spot clean the couch and wash the AC filter)
• Quiet time/Naps (We have a no feet on the floor rule and they don’t have to take a nap but they do need to be quiet so everyone can rest a bit and so Mommy can work a little on important things.)
• Devotional Time

This may seem like a lot to do but in reality most of these tasks only require a minute or two each. By dividing up some of the chores throughout the week it helps keep the house clean without feeling so much like ‘work’. Also the kids are in the habit of cleaning up their own messes which helps out a lot. I may not be able to check of all of these tasks and that’s OK too.

While they are down for naps I will finish up a few things that need to be done and then try to work on my TO-DO list. I will also make sure the laundry gets finished as that is important to me to keep up with.

When quiet time is over we just have a few things on our daily list:

• Laundry Check (if it hasn’t finished beforehand)
• Drink Water
• Snack
• Outside play or DVD/Free Play
• Check mail (we don’t have a mailbox close to the house so sometimes I just wait until I am headed to town to check the box unless I am waiting for something in particular.)
• Drink Water
• Start Supper at 4:30 (it doesn’t always happen on time but it does help to remind me when I get busy.)
• Quick pick up
• Eat dinner 5:00 – 5:30 (sometimes it’s later but the kids start getting grouchy if we don’t eat about the same time.)

After dinner we will all do our chores and then have some quiet play while everyone takes turns getting their showers. With one bathroom this can be a little nerve wracking but it is getting better.

• Clean kitchen (I really like to have a clean kitchen in the morning.)
• Shine your sink
• Put out clean dish rags (No one likes sour smelling dish rags…yuck!)
• Check the bread basket (I usually have bread in the freezer and pull out a loaf at a time as we need it.)
• Get the coffee pot ready…. please!
• Wash the water bottles
• Clean glasses (The kids who wear glass have a spot to hang them in the kitchen as they just aren’t responsible enough to keep up with them when they take them to the rooms. They also clean them before they go to bed so they are ready for the next day. )
• Baths & PJs
• Layout clothes for tomorrow (We are still working on this.)
• Quick Pickup (Everyone helps to do a quick pick up before bed.)
• Brush Teeth
• Bedtime Story or Quiet Play

Before I go to bed I do a check to make sure everything is out of the floor and away from the bathroom door.

• Check the porch lights and AC (Last night I went to bed early and fell asleep before checking everything.)
• 2 minute Hot Spot Drill (I usually try to do this but sometimes I am just too tired.)
• Check the calendar (I will try to check my calendar for the next day in case there is something important I have forgotten about.)
• Check tomorrow’s menu
• Shower, get ready for bed, take out contacts.
• Layout clothes (I will get out my clothes for the next day and set them in the bathroom cabinet so I’m not fumbling around in the dark trying to figure out what to wear.)
• Prayer time/devotions (I do like to try and have a bit of quiet time for devotions or just relaxing at the end of the day.)

This is really just a guideline to help me stay on track. With so many people in the house we really have to keep up with tasks and chores or we can fall into chaos really quickly. Do I do each and every one of these things every single day? No. Do I try? Yes. Do we take days off? Yes, and then we get back on track again. Is it necessary to have a list? For me it is. Is this a list for everyone to use? Probably not, as each family is different and this is tailored to my family and our routines. You could use this as a guideline. I will do another post soon about how you can set up your own checklist.

I have also been having quite a few ‘Just Because’ activities and tasks that I randomly decide to do. I’ll post more about these and how they have benefited my family soon.

Right now I need to print out the spelling work for DD10 as I didn’t get around to doing it over the weekend. Then I need to work on sight words with DS5, DS4, and DS14. Our routines just keep everything running smoothly and keep me from feeling rushed and ‘behind’ all day.

For me my house is my job. I am the ‘boss’ and in order to keep things running smoothly I must delegate things to others. I also have to supervise them as they complete their tasks/chores. By doing so I am teaching them important skills that they will need when they grow up and start their own families. This is my job to make sure that they learn what it means to be responsible and be held accountable for their work.

I will try to post a bit later about what we have accomplished throughout our day.

Have a blessed day!