Sanctuary in the Middle of Change

I've been thinking a lot this week about my Homekeeping Mission Statement for 2011. The first time I wrote one, was back in 2008, when I joined the Company Girl fun and dove into Small Things.

Back then, I had a one year old, a three year old, a four year old, a five year old, and a six year old! Needless to say, I needed that mission statement to keep me sane! Today, my children are a little older, and four out of five of them are in school. Though the wording has changed some, the main statement (in bold) has stuck with me.

HOMEKEEPING MISSION 2011
I want my home to be, peaceful, simple, and cozy. I will value my relationships with my husband and children by showing them unconditional love and acceptance. I will maintain a reasonable housekeeping schedule and designate chores to keep clutter at bay. I will decorate tastefully and affordably, creating a relaxing environment for my family and all who enter my home.

Do you recognize the three elements in the beginning? They may be different words, but they are still the same three legs of an old reliable stool. Peace, Order, and Beauty. You can find the origin of this story on Rachel Anne's Blog.

And now for my big announcement:
My family will be moving to a new location in June of 2011! We have the opportunity to begin a new business adventure in my husband's home town, where his parents still live. I will be blogging more about it in the future, but today I simply wanted to share the good news with you over coffee.

Over the next several months, I will be living out my Homekeeping Mission Statement while I pack, organize, and slim down our belongings. I'll be honest with you. Maintaining sanctuary in our home while preparing for the big move will be a challenge. Hopefully, with a little patience and a lot of prayer, this Company Girl will be able to keep peace, order, and beauty alive in the middle of it all. :)

May all of your homes be blessed in 2011!
~Melissa

Confessions over Company Girl Coffee

Good morning! Come on in and stay for a spell. I have to admit, I've been sleeping in lately. Until 7:30am, that is. You see, I am not a very big morning person. I wish I could wake up with as much energy and enthusiasm as my children, but I tend to drag my feet until I've had my first cup of coffee. Read on, if you dare, for a few more confessions about how I sometimes make it through my mornings :)

Confession #1: I let my kids watch cartoons in the morning. Yes, I admit it. As long as I approve of the show, they are allowed to watch it. I still believe in putting a limit on screen time, but I don't think it hurts any to let them watch their favorites. This morning's choice isn't even a cartoon. It's a show called "Hi Five", with songs and skits and puppets and they LOVE it! :) Truthfully, I love it too. I love the sound of the laughter it produces from my children.

Confession #2: Some mornings I use cheater breakfasts like toaster waffles. I try to pick the ones that have more fiber and less sugar, of coarse. Add some fruit and you have an instant kid pleaser. Once in a while I just have a morning when I need an easy "fix it yourself" breakfast.

Confession #3: I often sneak in a little devotion time while the kids are getting ready for school, or wherever we may be going that day. They are all old enough to get dressed by themselves now, so while I send them off to their rooms to get ready, I take a few quiet moments to myself. Sometimes it might be all I can get until they go to bed...especially during the summer.

Confession #4: When we have plans to go somewhere, I usually don't get ready until AFTER all my kids are ready. I know this is probably backwards, but I like the feeling of knowing everyone is good to go, so I can take whatever time that's left to tend to my own needs. This is especially helpful to me on Sundays so I know that when I'm ready all I have to do is announce that it's time to go out the door and everyone is dressed to shoes with no last minute surprises.

Now that you know a few of my coping methods to make it through my mornings, I'd love to hear some of yours. Do you have a morning routine? Anyone out there get up at the crack of dawn? (Gasp!) How do you start your day successfully?

Have a great weekend all!
~Melissa~

Scheduling Matters

Today I went and spoke at my church to a group of wonderful ladies about creating sanctuary in our homes. Most of the material that I used was borrowed from what I have learned from Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary. What I realized as I was putting together my notes last night for my talk today is that I have virtually taken everything that I have learned from her about peace, order, and beauty, and adapted it to be my own.

Over the years I have read many books on organization. I've tried lots of different "systems" and developed my own methods by trial and error. What I have arrived at (at least for this season in my life) was not something I came up with over night. I spend time on it every year (at least once a year) evaluating what still works for me, and what needs to be changed.

If you're reading this and you're thinking that it's time to take some steps of your own to work out a reasonable housekeeping schedule, then I would recommend visiting Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary. Don't try to do all the steps in one day. It will just seem overwhelming. Walk through them one step at a time, one day at time. It's worth the initial time investment to arrive at a doable, "real world" housekeeping schedule.

Thanks, Rachel, for all of your inspiration and encouragement!

10 at 10 for 2010

I'm not really one to make New Year's Resolutions, so we'll call this one a fun mommy son activity instead. :)

After looking at my schedule and trying to fit in exercise, I decided to take 10 minutes to do some form of Yoga, cardio, or strength training on my Wii Fit Plus three days a week. My youngest son is a big fan of boxing on Wii, so I told him that three days a week we would exercise together. It's a fun way to get some of his energy out while the weather is poor, and in a strange way, it holds me accountable to keep moving.

I'll start with 10 minutes and increase the amount of time I spend from there. Why 10:00am? Because I watch a 1 year old and that's when he goes down for nap. There you have it. 10 minutes at 10:00am to become more fit in 2010.

What do you do to fit exercise into your schedule?

Pockets of Time

Today over at Home Sanctuary, Rachel Anne asked us to think about what we can accomplish during small "pockets" of time during the day. This is a list that I have made before, but I often revisit, and revise it as I think of new things to do.

De-clutter my Car: Are you early for a meeting or waiting to pick kids up at school? De-clutter your car! Gather up all the recyclables, including plastic bottles, soda cans and paper, and put them in a bag. Put all trash in another bag. Use a damp cloth or disposable wipe to clean all surfaces. Group any remaining things that you need to remove from your car later, such as clothes and newly purchased items. When you leave your car, take all the trash and recycling with you. Remove the other items as soon as you get a chance.

Prep for a Meal: When you have an extra 15 minutes at night or in the morning, use it to prepare a meal. Slice some sourdough bread and make your favorite sandwich for a bag lunch. Or your meal prep might include tossing some meat, spices and vegetables into a slow-cooker or crock pot.

Clip, Sort, and File Coupons: If you are a coupon clipper like me, you might have a stack set aside to sort and put away! Coupons can be organized with minimal time and effort. That way when you think of something you need or find something on sale, you don't have to shuffle through a mess of coupons to find the one you need!

Match the Socks: Grab a container and pile all solo socks inside. Match what you can.

Clean up "Message Central:" Wherever messages are taken, clutter seems to arise. Go through any miscellaneous messages or notepads and discard items no longer needed. Test the pens; get rid of those that don't work. Clear off your answering machine.

Clean Off The Fridge: If you have kids' artwork wallpapering the front, consider featuring them in an alternative style. If you keep reminder notes on the fridge, straiten them up and remove outdated notes.

Sort the Mail: Gather all the mail into one place. Don't read the mail--just make piles. Create a pile for garbage, one for bills, one for to-read items and additional piles for other people in the home (i.e. give to husband, child, mother.) When done transfer the piles for others to somewhere they will see them. Put the to-read items in a place you will read them. Toss the junk in the garbage. Return the bills to the inbox.

Go through the Bills: This is best to complete after the task above. Remove all bills from their envelopes and lay flat. Staple of paperclip those with multiple pages. Tuck the return envelope around the bill. Throw out all the miscellaneous offers included in the bills. Stack them in three piles... receipts/file only (if you use auto-pay), to pay within the next 14 days, to pay after 14 days.

Wipe Down the Appliances: Grab the Windex and wipe down the front surfaces of your kitchen appliances.

Clear the Junk Drawer: Empty the drawer entirely. Go through each item and either throw it out or return to its proper place. There is no reason to use up prime storage to hold "junk."

Wipe Down the Microwave: Give your microwave a thorough cleaning--inside and out!

Wipe Down a Shower Door: Spray the front and back and let it "set" for a couple of minutes while wiping down the vanity area. Return and wipe down the shower door. Go ahead...set your timer! You'd be surprised at how much you can get done in only 10 minutes.

Wash a Window: Wash a window (inside or outside--your pick). Be careful on this one though, if you only have 15 minutes you need to have the discipline to stop at one window!

Match-Up Your Media: Return CDs, DVDs, video games and computer programs to their proper storage cases.

Go through Your Media: Do you need to keep the install disks to printers you no longer own or programs you no longer use? Get rid of any unneeded items to make it easier to find what you do need.

Check the Medicine Cabinet: Check the expiration date of all vitamins, prescriptions and medicine cabinet supplies, discarding any expired items.

Toss 10: Find 10 things in your house to donate or throw away.

Sweep the Entry Way: Take a moment to sweep the outside entrance of your home.

Wipe down your mirrors: Take your Windex and and clean a few mirrors in your home.

Change a light bulb: Quit walking by that burned out light bulb! It only takes a couple of minutes to replace it with a new one.

Load or unload the dishwasher: If you don't have a dishwasher then put the dishes in the sink to soak, or put away the ones away that have finished drying.

My list continues on, but you get the idea. The important thing is to take advantage of those priceless pockets of time during your day that you don't actually have anything "scheduled." Sometimes if I only have five minutes, I take a water break. I fill my cup, sit down, and enjoy an ice cold glass of water while I re-focus. It's important to take time for yourself too!

Thanks Rachel Anne, for the reminder that there are so many things you can do in small increments of time!

Company Girl Coffee 6.12.09

"Celebrate the significance and wonder of life. Don't wait until it hits you over the head. It's already there; waiting for you to embrace it." ~Nicole Johnson (Fresh -Brewed Life)

Good morning! When I read this at the end of my morning devotional, I had to share it with you. Grab a cup of coffee, make yourself comfortable, and I'll tell you a little secret that I've learned this week. Are you ready? I can picture you leaning in closer with anticipation on the other side of that screen.

Here it is: Life is not meant to be taken so seriously all of the time.

I know that some of you out there are laughing at me, and some of you who are just like me are wondering if I've lost it. You see, I am a serious person by nature. I am, as one would say, "set in my ways." I like routine, lists, and predictability.

While I would like to suggest there is nothing wrong with any of those things in perspective, sometimes my seriousness can be a serious downer to those around me! At that point I just need a little reminder to lighten up and enjoy life a little. For example, this week my favorite small thing was Finding Something to Savor. It has carried all throughout my week and I have been finding myself savoring all kinds of things. A silly dance. A new game with my kids. Laughing out loud at a funny book. A great talk with my guy while giving him a back massage to relieve some tension.

None of these things happened at the expense of my normal daily tasks. I still got most of my normal routine in also. It's just that in the midst of it all, I allowed myself to see what God saw from the very beginning when He created life. It is very good.

I like the wording in the Message version of the Bible...
"God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!"

Enjoy your weekend everyone! Thanks for stopping by for coffee, and don't forget to stop and embrace life as it happens! :)

Here's a great video for any of you who might remember the show "Fame."

Life is a celebration

I found WHAT in my kitchen???

Well, it's Monday. Not only that, but the first Monday of the month, which is when I try to get a lot of my once a month tasks out of the way. What's on my once a month list, you ask? Let's see...

• Shine my kitchen sink
• Empty the vacuum cleaner
• Scrub my kitchen counter tops
• Thoroughly mop kitchen and dining room areas
• Clean out the entry way closet

You know, there are more things on my list that I'd like to say that I actually DO once a month, but then I'd just be fibbing! Those five things are the ones that I am pretty consistent about crossing off my list every month. As you can see, the tasks are mostly centered around my kitchen.

Today's Small Thing over at Home Sanctuary was to look at your kitchen through new eyes, or the eyes of a visitor. I like to think of my kitchen as pretty sanitary, since I spend most of my time there. I was shocked to notice a few things that I usually look past from day to day.

• Drawers/cupboards with food that has been splashed or spilled on them
• Appliances that are dusty or have food or drink splashed or spilled on them
• Gunk (there's no other word for it) in the crevices around my stove
• Crumbs in the corners of the counters
• A pile of papers at the edge of the counter (or worse, spread out all over the place!)

Just to name a few! It was a real eye opener for me. Now, I'm not saying that my kitchen or any other room in my house has to be sparkling clean, 24/7. That would be an impossible feat and I am all about manageable cleanliness. I just had to ask myself today "Where else in my home have I looked past some pretty obvious eye sores?"

It caused me to once again re-visit my master task list and do some brainstorming about how to keep a productive cleaning schedule going. It's a work in progress. I usually get this way every year about now. After all, Spring Cleaning is just around the corner. Why not start planning for it now? I'll let you know how things progress!

What kinds of things are a "must" around your home when it comes to cleanliness?

Didn't I Just Do That Yesterday?

I've been thinking a lot today as I've been crossing things off my "to do" list. Many times throughout my day I find myself asking the question "didn't I just do that yesterday?" The answer to that is most often "yes." Sometimes the answer is "no," but then it's followed by "you just did that 10 minutes ago." I often find myself cleaning up messes only to have one of my children, or even my husband follow behind me making new messes. It's like being in the Twilight Cleaning Zone. You never know what new mess you're going to find when you turn around!

Most days I don't mind. If I catch the mess maker in the act, I will even politely (or sometimes not so politely) ask them to clean it up. Sometimes, though, I leave the mess with the thought "I'll get to that tomorrow." This is where it gets dangerous for me. Tomorrows can really add up if you let them. That's why I have a list, or a routine, that I refer to on a daily basis.

I have heard this list called many things. In fact, I have changed what I call mine several times. It's currently labeled "Cleaning Specifications," (thanks to Katherine, over at Raising Five) and I have one for each room in my house. Whatever you call it, it is a necessary part of life and without it, sanctuary can quickly turn tsunami. The clutter and mess slowly takes over until it becomes just plain overwhelming.

I am determined not to let that happen. I have to confess. I am NOT a neat person by nature. I'll be honest about that. I have to work hard at keeping my home even half way decently clean. I struggle just as much as the next woman with balancing my "to do" list with my "to live" list. That's why I always come back to my basic Cleaning Spec. List. If I can keep up on the basics, I may be able to keep my head above water. I might, on a good day, even get ahead of the game!

Proverbs 31:27 "She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat." (Amplified)

I don't have time...or do I?

A while back Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary posed the question "What's in Your Pockets?" She asked us to make a list of things that we can do in 15 minutes or less, or a "pocket" of time. I personally had that list already, so I went to it, edited it, put it back in my folder, and called it good. I call it my "It'll only take a minute...or 15" list. The problem is, it's there, in my folder, where I don't see it every day. I probably don't even look at it once a month!

I have another mental list of things that I often refer to. I like to call it my "I don't have time for that right now" list. Actually, when I think about it, most things on that list can be accomplished in less than 15 minutes. What's at the top of the list? Shower. I know what you're thinking. "Gross...I don't want to know what she smells like!" Rest assured, I do get around to showering eventually in my day. But today I realized something. If I would just get up 15 minutes before my kids do (they are like clockwork) then I could shower in peace and quiet first thing in the morning.

15 minutes. That's all it takes. Here's the kicker...that's WITH shaving my legs AND Shampooing/Conditioning my hair. I kid you not. I timed myself this morning. It takes less than a minute to shampoo my hair and slap on some deep conditioner. Then I took less than a minute to shave my underarms. Less than two minutes to shave my legs, and less than a minute to wash my face and body. And I was not rushing it. By then, I was ready to rinse my hair and hop out of the shower. Are you counting? That's' a total of about 6 minutes, and then I spent another three minutes or so pampering myself with some body lotion and moisturizing my face. I try not to spend a lot of time on my hair, so 5 minutes to blow dry the hair and a minute to put on minimal make-up. Voila! I am ready to face my day! Sorry if that little scenario was TMI, I just wanted to get my point across.

I CAN take time to take care of myself. When I do that, I feel a lot more generous with my time to take care of others around me. I am building my house here. Proverbs 14:1 says "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." How do I build my house? By a number of things. According to Rachel Anne, Sanctuary is in the small things. So I've been paying close attention to how much time I spend on each small thing that I've done today. Here's a list of just a few that take less than 15 minutes, some less than 5.

• Make my bed
• Empty the Dishwasher
• Make breakfast
• Rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher
• Start the laundry
• Make two phone calls
• Organize the vacuum supplies
• Take the trash out of the van
• Empty the kitchen trash and replace the lining

My list goes on, but you get the idea. A lot of the time I look at my list and I think "Oh, I'll get to that later." The thing is, if I do it NOW, I feel good about getting it marked off my list. I also free up the valuable time that I'm going to need later in my day. For what, you ask? My family. When I eliminate procrastination, my kids and my spouse reap the benefits. Then they don't have to hear that ever so common phrase "I don't have time right now."

What can you move from your "I don't have time" to your "It'll only take a minute...or 15" list?

Taking Care of Mom

Recently I've been chatting with a friend about the onset of another cold/flu season. For some great ideas about how to keep healthy this time of year, you can visit my friend Andrea over at My Life With You.

In this post I want to address a topic that is worth thinking about. Taking care of the caregiver. For those of you who are wondering what I am talking about, the caregiver that I am referring to is any woman out there with the loving title of "Mom."

As Moms, we all too often tend to work sacrificially and selflessly to take care of our family, without considering our own needs. I'm not talking about selfishness here. I'm just talking about learning how important it is to set boundaries and take care of your own basic needs.

A while back I got into a conversation with a friend of mine, who also happens to be blessed with the joy of being a mom. She recently started a detailed program that involves exercise, eating right, and taking care of her body. She expressed how she felt a little bit guilty because it took up so much of her time to go to the gym on a regular basis, plus work, plus managing her household, etc. After talking for a while, she finally came to the conclusion that what she was doing was important SO THAT she could take care of her family.

Since that conversation, I have done a lot of thinking about how important it is to take care of myself, so I can take care of my family. I'm still processing, but here's what I've come up with so far.

1. Fill up on Jesus each day. Gas prices may be soaring these days, but filling your love tank is free. God is the ultimate filling station. All you have to do is go to Him and ask Him to fill you with His love.
2. Take care of your body. It's the only one you have in this lifetime. That means doing a number of things. a) Get plenty of rest. Only you can gage how many hours of sleep you need. Figure it out, and then get that amount of sleep every night. b) Exercise. Even 10-15 minutes of exercise a day or every other day will help. c) Eat right. That means planning out balanced, healthy meals. This will spill over and help your family also. d) Take your vitamins. Everyone needs a certain amount of vitamins in addition to eating right. e) Drink your water. 8-10 glasses of water a day is what most grown bodies need to function properly. f) Be sure to have an annual pap smear, breast exam, and physical.
3. Not only is it important to take care of our bodies on the inside, but it's also important to take care of them on the outside. There is no need to look like a beauty queen, but it is important to take care of hygiene. Cleanliness, neat hair, and at least small amount of makeup should be a priority when taking care of one's self. Also consider clothing that is comfortable, but presentable. A lot of moms that stay at home (myself included) don't consider the benefit of taking time to fix themselves up a bit each day. You'll feel much better about yourself when you do.

This may seem like a lot. It is, really. The list could go on and on. Most days I don't do all of the above. I might remember to eat my vegetables and drink my water, but forget to change out of my sweats and into jeans. On sick days I might just barely survive by taking my vitamins and getting as much sleep as possible. The important thing is that I am trying to take care of myself. I realize that when I do that, I will have more energy, a better attitude, and be more productive throughout the day.

What do you do to take care of you? I'd love to hear from you.

More on Routines

Well, it's the second week of school and we are working out our routines as we go. Last week we worked on our morning routine. That seems to be running pretty smoothly now. What I noticed though, about our day, was that when my older two kids came home from the bus stop in the afternoon, things would break out into chaos. I would literally have 4 little mouths talking to me all at once! I felt like I was entering a football stadium!

This week, on Monday, I came up with a plan. I typed up our "afternoon routine", printed it off, and posted it right in the entryway for all to see. Our afternoon routine consists of:

• Take shoes off and put neatly in closet
• Take important papers out of backpack and give to mom or place in drawer
• Hang backpack neatly in closet
• Snack
• Homework
• Reading time
• Free time

It seems to be working so far. The kids can take one look at the list and know what they need to do next. There's no shouting, no questions, and mom can make it through the afternoon without losing her mind! : )

Structure and order. It's a work in progress around here. I'm learning just how important, and necessary it is when you have children.

First Day of School and Routines

Ahhh, the first day of school! It was actually yesterday, September 2nd. This year I have three out of five kids in school.

BC is entering into kindergarten, and very excited about it! JS is in first grade this year. RL, my oldest, is in second.
They only do half day kindergarten here, so I have BC home in the afternoons. JS was a little nervous about transitioning from half days to whole days, but he seemed to like it well enough yesterday. He was pretty pumped about riding the bus home with his sister. Since we only have one car, their dad can take them to school, but not pick them up. I think the idea of bus riding was more of a concern to me than my kids. It has turned out ok though.

School time means switching to school routines. We've been working on that one for a couple of weeks now. The kids no longer get to sleep in late and be lazy all morning. (That means mom doesn't get to be lazy either!) Here's what a typical school morning looks like for us:

• Wake up


• Get dressed


• Eat some breakfast, brush teeth


• Make sure everything is in backpacks and ready to go out the door

Pretty simple, right? You would think so! We try to get backpacks and shoes ready as a part of our bedtime routine so that we don't have to worry about it in the mornings. Actually, the first day of school ran rather smoothly. Everyone was very excited and we were ready to go out the door early. I was so proud of everyone for taking care of themselves and keeping on task. I even got some cute "first day of school" pictures. : )

This morning, though, was totally the opposite of yesterday. Anything that could go wrong did. I guess I need to work on being ok with that. Routine is good, but when life throws you curve balls, you gotta adjust your swing to hit them out of the park. (IDK, it sounded good as I was typing it!) Anyway, I just need to remind myself that having a routine in place is important, but it can't be so rigid that I freak out if something happens to throw it off.

For example, my toddler decided today was the day to pick up two hand fulls of cheerios and throw them across the dining room while I was trying to help JS get his folder back into his backpack. Crunch! Crunch! is all I heard as another child decided to walk all over them. Ugh. Where's the dog when you need him?

Actually, today has been the "day of spills". Cheerios, water, juice, milk, coffee...you name it and it's been spilled. Do you know what though? I've managed to maintain my composure, in spite of all those accidents. It's a good thing too, because one of them happened while I had a young friend of mine over that I am currently mentoring. It wouldn't set a very good example for her if I lost it when my coffee was spilled on the couch cushion now, would it? I simply told her that accidents happen, and messes can be cleaned. Maybe the next time her toddler spills milk, (or anything for that matter) she'll think of me and smile. I hope so. I pray so.

I guess what I'm trying to say as I ramble on about all this is that no matter what kind of perfect routine I try to put in place, there's always bound to be glitches. What matters is how I react to those glitches. At any given moment, I can have anywhere from two to ten little eyes watching me to see how I am going to react. That's very sobering to think about. Glitches are temporary. The impression that I make on their little hearts is often permanent. Need I say more?

Matthew 18:6 "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."

The Early Years

A couple of days ago I struck up a conversation with one of my blogger friends about how to cope in the early years. I have to confess that every once in a while I feel a bit overwhelmed when I think about the responsibilities that come with this blessing called motherhood. Day in and day out, I am responsible for the well fare of these five small children. There is a long list of things that I must do to care for them, not to mention the lessons in life that I must teach them. That's why I enlisted the help of my friend over at http://raisingfive.blogspot.com/ . I must say that the response has been incredible! I have been very encouraged!

Katherine said: (Her comments in bold, followed by my own thoughts.)
1. Get up on time.
I am so bad at this. I get up when I hear the first footsteps hit the floor in the morning. I have to admit that I am NOT a morning person! I am only up early because I am forced to be. One thing that I will be working on (and will ask friends to hold me accountable to) is to get up earlier than my children so that I can have a few quiet minutes to myself to prepare for the day. That means time to pray, read a devotion, and of course, have a cup of coffee!
2. Shower, dress, and put on makeup before the kids wake up.
This might have to be done while the kids are distracted with breakfast. I have a hard time showering before they get up because when I do, it wakes them up. But if I can get in a routine where their breakfast is waiting for them at the table, then it might work out.
3. Have a plan.
I am the queen of lists. The problem is, when my list gets too long, I get overwhelmed. But I'm working on that! I do a load of laundry a day, and I tend to the "basics" (dishes, meals, cleaning) done out of routine. One thing I really need to work on is how I react to interruptions. I don't do well with interruptions in my routine. When I get in the "zone", it's hard for me to put down everything and turn my attention to kids.
4. Structure for little ones.
Yep. I believe in it. It's just hard to stick to it. My kids go along with it for a while, but then one day they just wake up and it isn't what they want/need anymore. They just grow! And when they grow, sometimes you have to change things up a bit. The problem is, where one has outgrown a particular routine, I have one smaller that hasn't. It's hard to have 3 or 4 different routines going.

I am so thankful for all of the advise and feedback that I've been getting from this conversation. It has really given me my motivation back. It has also helped me to remember who I am doing this for. As someone over at Raising Five said, I am going to "make the commitment to give the area of motherhood over to God as a sacrifice of worship to Him." I know that He will honor that and when I feel overwhelmed, He brings me women like all of you who have been through it or are in it now to encourage me to keep pressing on in faith!

Isaiah 40:11 "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."

Presription for Rest

"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." Proverbs 31:27

It's 4:30am here. For some reason I can't sleep. I don't know. Maybe, just maybe it was that iced latte I had with a friend before bedtime? Or it could be a combination of that, and the 100 degree heat wave that we are having this weekend. Whatever the reason, I have been tossing and turning all night.

When I can't sleep at night I am in the habit of praying. It always brings me comfort to talk to God about what's happening in my life and the middle of the night just happens to be pretty quiet around here. On this early Sunday morning though, I felt led to get up and write. The above verse kept running through my thoughts. So I got up and revisited Proverbs 31, and here I am.

I don't consider myself to be one that "eats the bread of idleness." After all, I do have 5 small children! Their day to day routine alone keeps me busy! I would say that at least half of my waking hours are spent giving my attention to them in one way or another, from breakfast in the morning, to jammie time at night. I consider myself blessed to be able to be an at home mom. I can't imagine a better occupation at this point in my life.

It's the other 50% of my waking hours that I am considering this morning. I have to confess that lately, I have felt like I deserve to partake of the for mentioned bread. That "I need a vacation" attitude has been creeping up on me for quite some time now. It's when that feeling comes over me that all I want to do in my spare time is sit and veg in front of the tv, or computer.

So, what do I do about this feeling? Well, usually I start with a list. It involves asking myself a few questions. How much time am I spending doing the things that I really love? (i.e. devotional time, reading books, writing in my journal, blogging) What are a few things around the house that I have been meaning to get done but just haven't "had the time?" (Maybe finishing that project in the master bathroom I've been working on?) What kind of creative new games and projects can I come up with to spend time just hanging out with my kids? Finally, I absolutely can't forget my husband. (Although I must admit that sadly, he often comes last when he should rank at the top of my list.) How much time have I spent focusing on my marriage, and love of my life?

All of these questions come down to one thing. What are the priorities in my life? How do I balance each of these areas in the 16 hours or so of my day that I am usually awake? The only thing I can do is work at it. When I feel off balance in one area or another it's usually time for a change in routine. Maybe it's a date night with my spouse. Perhaps I need to have coffee with a friend. (Though not late at night!) Or maybe I just need to get up, read my Bible and pray.

We all need a little down time. Jesus often withdrew to the lonely places for it in Luke 5:16. Mary sat at the Lord's feet for it in Luke 10:38-42. Even God rested after creating the world in Genesis 2:2.

There is a distinct difference between rest and "eating the bread of idleness." The Hebrew translation for "idleness" is "atsluwth" (pronounced ats-looth), meaning sluggishness, or laziness. Matthew 28:11 says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." The Greek translation of "rest" in this verse is "anapauo" (pronounced an-ap-ow-o), meaning to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labour in order to recover and collect his strength.

Today I am taking Matthew 28:11 to heart. I am choosing to rest in Him and lay my burdens down. After I take time to recover and collect my strength, everything else will fall into place. And on that thought, I am going to rest my tired eyes before my little ones wake up to begin a new day!

Peace and Quiet

Ahhhh....the banana bread is in the oven, and the kids are playing. That gives me a moment of peace and quiet, at least for now.

Peace and quiet doesn't happen very often around here. Unless of course, it's in the early hours of the morning when no one else is up yet! From the moment the kids wake up, to the moment the kids go to bed, the day is packed full of loud, crazy, fun times. So how do I cultivate moments of peace in our family? I schedule them!

I think it's important for everyone to have a little down time in their day. Even children. Since only two of my five kids take naps these days, I try to make nap time "quiet time" for my other three blessings. They can color, read, or even play quietly with toys if they want. Of course, it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes you have to allow for life's interruptions. But I'll save that for another post!

And now for that banana bread!

Company Matters

As much as I believe that routine matters, I am also working on being flexible when the situation calls for a detour from routine. This past weekend was a four day weekend for us. We decided to have family out, which is always fun. I am a hostess at heart, so the more company, the better as far as I'm concerned. It's just the day after that kills me!

As hard as I try to keep up with my normal routine when we have company, things always end up getting out of hand. Usually it's laundry. Today I will be doing a laundry marathon session! : ) What I find myself having to work really hard at, though, is patience with my kids as they come down off of their "company high". I don't know what else to call it. They get so excited about having so much attention and then it goes back to just plain old mom. That sounds terrible, I know. It's just the way it feels. It's amazing how many times I hear the words "I'm bored" after company leaves.

Today, in order to curb that boredom, I am going to plan a project. Nothing elaborate, just something fun that we can do together that will take the edge off of the company's gone blues. A distraction of sorts. It will be a nice break in routine to brighten our day here.

That's all for now,
Melissa

Morning Matters

This morning my 3 yr old dd woke up and practically the first thing out of her mouth was "do we have bananas this morning ma ma?" I had to smile as I thought about how much a morning routine matters to my children. I have gotten in the habit of having bananas around because they are an easy fruit for my kids to just grab, peel, and eat in the morning to tie them over until I get breakfast going. This is great, but when I run out of bananas on occasion, my kids let me hear it!

Kids are so in need of structure, and routine. An examle of our morning routine is get up, have a banana and some milk, get dressed, have whatever breakfast is on the menu for the morning (yes, I have a morning menu too), wash hands and face, brush teeth, make bed, and those who are getting ready for school get their backpacks, coats and shoes on. At first I had to remind them of what to do next. They are, after all, still young. After a while, though, they began to go through their routine all on their own. You'd be suprised what even the youngest, toddler age child can do.

It helps that they see me practice a morning routine also. I used to just take care of them and then shower and get dressed when I got a chance, IF I got a chance. It's hard to find a minute for yourself during the day when you have 5 kids, let alone 15 minutes to shower and dress. So I just taught them "Mommy has a morning routine too. You do your routine, and I will do mine." Of course, some parts of our routines meet together, like breakfast. I think it's important to live by example for my children. It works out great for me because I used to get frustrated that I didn't have any time to take care of myself. This way, I am ready for my day and I don't have to feel neglected.

Well, I've gone on enough for now. It is Saturday and I let my kids have what we call a "lazy day" on Saturdays. (It's a part of our "weekly" routine.) We laze around in the morning and have family time together and then I cook a big "special" breakfast. (Most weeks, anyway.) Today we're having waffles!

That's my take on morning matters,

Melissa

Titus 2:7a "In everything set them an example by doing good."