2015….a year for some changes…and some honesty..

. A new year…. New chances to change things up….

a new year to make new memories…and embrace the joys of the previous year.

I have to say that I love my life.

I love being married to my best friend. I enjoy watching him destroy me in monopoly; do his “victory” dance when I make balsamic chuck roast for dinner; and bickering with him over anything and everything. He truly brings such joy to our home!

I love being a SAHM and homeschooling my five kids.

I love the madness that is my everyday life…..

Well….maybe there is some room for improvement in that area…..

Come on…there’s always some room for growth, right??!!

(I mean…check out Miss Missy….she’s ready to jump into whatever January offers!!)

SO…this January I was ready….full of all these great ideas to implement. And….I’m happy to say we are halfway through January, and I’m still plugging away. I’m dragging the kids along with me…kicking and screaming.  haha.

The hubs has his reservations, I’m sure, but he’s always “on board” if it means more order in the house. Somehow they don’t have the same zeal that I do for household domination; food efficiency, and schedule rearrangement.

SO with that….let’s jump right into 7 quick takes……7 changes for our household for 2015:

 

1.) Consistency/Scheduling

One of the things you can probably pick up on, by reading my blog, is that I’m super inconsistent. I can blog three times in one week…and then not blog again for two weeks. It’s not a “virtue” people, just the truth.   I have all the best intentions……but actually sitting down to write a blog…or do anything on a regular basis is not my “thang”. However, with a husband in software sales with travel, and five kids who are gaining more activities, consistency seems synonymous with sanity. So…this year I’m giving it a whirl. I’m having set “responsibilities” for each day of the week. Three or Four “chores” for each day on top of my daily responsibilities. I’m hoping that this will prove beneficial for our family. Here’s to hoping it comes easier than I think.

I even started the kids back up on this chore system. Each day they complete their tasks, such as making their beds, getting dressed, completing homeschooling assignments, and then they have to move their clothespin to the other side upon completion.  The back of the clothespin says, “finished” with a smiley face.  Instead of “nagging” the children about tasks, I simply can look at their chore chart, and see what they have left to finish. I have additional “clothespins” that I add for Saturday chores, as well as clothespins that offer cash upon completion.

2.) Less Spending….Better Stewards of our money

I finally bit the bullet and am taking control of our finances. I think my husband may just have a heart attack from excitement. I am embarrassed to admit that, although I am aware of what we “spend”, I have never made any attempt to “plan” the spending of our money. I am finally making use of the Dave Ramsey budgeting envelopes that I bought a few years ago. I have some big goals for the crushing of our debt and the saving for a large vacation fund. Stay tuned for more blogging on this one!

3.) Menu planning…

150 crockpot meals! Menu planning for a month! I see these phrases all the time in my Pinterest feed. And…they scare me. Why? Because I’m afraid of eating “can of_________” dishes all the time. I’m a “foodie” and I love to eat. I love to search Pinterest for inspiring dinner dishes and gourmet desserts to bring to parties. However….many an afternoon, I can be found scratching my head wondering what to serve for dinner. So…this year, I’ve decided to work somewhere in the middle.  I am going to be planning three meals a day and one snack for two weeks at a time. My kiddos are already gripping the refrigerator handle , fighting for their right to “eat more snack”…haha. They are NOT HAPPY about the lack of “free reign” of the fridge in the afternoon. I keep telling them that it’s going to be a process….for them and me! However, my intention is to be able to spend less time in the kitchen and the grocery store line. Thus far, Sweet Pea, my oldest, has made many of the snacks for our crew by just reading what is listed.

4.) More prayer….more scripture:

One of the greatest things I did was purchase The Magnificat  app on my iPhone this fall. It has been wonderful to start my mornings with prayer before I even get out of bed. However, I have noticed that often my kids wake up in a bad mood and it quickly sets the tone for the day.  With the notion of a “new start” in 2015, I wanted to refocus our day and remind the kids of who “governs” our homeschool.  The children and I eat breakfast and then meet in our school room for prayer. We discuss the feast day, if there is one, and then ask for prayer intentions. One child also asks to lead personal prayer and then we end with singing the St. Michael prayer. The kids love “testing” themselves with our weekly scripture memorization as well.

It’s so important, to my husband and I, that our children turn to the scriptures for advice and counsel. We want our kids to really know scripture and for reading scripture to be apart of their daily prayer life.

5) Expectations clearer

I used to be really good about having rules and expectations posted in my house. As I had more kids, I moved away from the signs and charts that use to adorn my walls. I am realizing that my kids really do seek order. They need to visually see my expectations for them. So….it looks like  signs like these are coming back!!!!!

     

6.) Mom’s Hour

Sometimes…I just can’t hear “MOOOOOOOOM!” one more time. I’m just “done” and I need my kids to be independent. I have felt pretty guilty about this for some time but I began to realize that I, too, need a break. I need a “time out” from the mom hat….the teacher hat….I need to just “be”….and before bedtime routine.

So from 3:30-4:30, I have started sending my kids in the basement for some playtime. It doesn’t matter if they fight me, I’m ok with them not wanting it. I am even ok with them sitting on the stairs, for the entire hour, in rebellion. For that hour, I veg in front of the TV, have a  snack, make business calls, take a nap, check FB….anything that allows me to chill out. It’s just the reprieve I need to get to bedtime having been at their beck and call all day. It’s a great way for me to get some personal space. Try it….I highly recommend it!!!

7.) Less Yelling…more Peace

It’s so simple. I hate yelling….but I’m a yeller. It drives my husband insane.  I know that I have a temper, and I hate to lose control. The only way to stop the yelling, is to gain more control over myself and my situations. I need peace in my home.  My kids need gentle reassurance about the right choices. My kids need a mom who understands, explains, ,and grows with them.

I’m really excited for all these little changes that will ultimately better me as a mom and help my family grow closer to Christ, and stronger together.

Challenge accepted……bring it 2015!!!!

God bless,

Tammi