I did manage to pick up the living room and vacuum it today. Not much else. Except pick a fight with DH, took the boys in for checkups, DS4 had 3 shots. Dr. told me I HAVE to get Drew to eat. Tell me something I don't know. Have I ever mentioned that I HATE dr. sears? LOL! Well, I do. AP sucks. Enough said about that. Well, except that if I HADN'T been feeding on demand all these months, that my 9 month old might actually eat something other than breastmilk, and may actually sleep at night. Ok, I'll stop.
Been a really rough day, and I'm ready to call it one.
Very little flying here. I have been trying to unload the camper. It's going slowly. Drew doesn't like for me to do it. Did 4 loads of laundry yesterday. Today I had to make cupcakes, then ran to town to Walmart for groceries and B-Day presents. Then home to frost the cupcakes, run them to school to have a birthday party for my big 4 year old (can you believe Chance is already 4!!). Back home.
Tomorrow Chance and Drew have a doctor's appt. for shots. Chance has to have his 4 year shots within two days of becoming 4 or else he won't be able to go to school. The girls want to play soccer, so need to see if I can sign them both up, or if I will have to come back later and do it (depends on the hours of the rec center).
That's where I am. I can't focus this week -- I am a very bad flybaby and am not getting nearly enough sleep.
I have been gone most of the last few days. Last night I came home at 11pm. DH says, "I'm grumpy, the house is messy." So what has he been doing since the kids were in bed? Oh, playing computer games. Hmmm . . .
Note to self: " I didn't marry him for his housekeeping skills." Repeat daily, hourly if necessary!
Off to Lubbock today for my son's and my nephew's 4th birthday party! Gotta stop by walmart and pick up potato salad. Also some swiss cheese to make a dip, some chips to dip with. And I can't forget to bring my SIL the Harry and Davids dip I bought her in Georgia!
What kind of dip did you get her from H and D? Does Harry and Davids sell different dip in the stores than in their catalogue? I don't think I've ever seen their stuff in stores, but maybe I just wasn't paying attention.
Yesterday I did finish my whole PODA, thank goodness. Then early this morning one of the cats puked on the bed. So, PODA:
-change sheets!
-wash the comforter
-wash last night's dishes-- it is SO hard to keep up without a dishwasher!
-make cookies for a potluck we're going to tonight for DH's new teaching job
This summer was the first time I had been in a Harry and David's store! It's an actual store all its self with lots of goodies! It was when we went out to Georgia. There are none near here, and I didn't even KNOW they had a catalog! But my mom had it one year when we were out there so I usually make her bring me some when she visits. It's the Onion and Pepper I think. I mix 1/3 a jar with a stick of cream cheese and put it on wheat thins. VERY yummy!
Playing catch up here today. I SHOULD have gone to church, it was Sunday School Kickoff. But we were in Lubbock yesterday and have another busy week ahead with at least one IEP meeting, school board meeting (for DH, which means dinner at friends house for us), soccer starting for both girls, football game Friday (DH will be on the ambulance standing by), and a community cookout/dance on Saturday. I had to have a day home without going anywhere.
I think their main business is still from catalogues and online. The stores are a more recent development. But when I was growing up my aunt used to buy their catalogue stuff all the time.
TADA:
-ran a couple of errands
We have a jazz group rehearsal this afternoon. I'm not looking forward to it.
Yes I have been AWOL but am poking in to say "hi". Busy with school stuff,house stuff and life in general so will pick up where I left off...
PODA
morning routine
kids off to school
read paper
pay and mail bills
bank deposit
put away laundry
Aldi for groceries
call insurance guy
make cookies
sort mail
make dinner
supervise homework
read with DD
Jenny-busy week ahead for you,don't blame you for staying home one day!!
I am home today with a sick DS9 - sore throat, stomachache, etc. I had to cancel a lot at work but I have to admit it is nice to be home.
So, TADA so far:
exercised
dw emptied
showered
took DD7 to school and handed in DD9's homework - got guidance for today
cancelled all my stuff at work
laundry going
dropped off DVD
PODA:
vacuum kitchen
meet with church lady
maybe a quick trip to Wegmans
finish laundry
something relaxing - reading, scrapping?
Andrea, meeting with Church Lady, huh? Well, isn't that special. LOL! (sorry, I couldn't resist!! Don'tcha just love Dana Carvey?). Hope you get some scrapping done (yeah, I need to do that, too).
I haven't been on the computer much, and I get more done that way when I just turn the whole darn thing OFF.
PODA:
some laundry (just one load!)
plan the week
balance checkbook/figure out bills
figure out how to do town this week (soccer starts tomorrow for us. Somewhere in there I need to plan a trip to Clovis to the sporting goods store and get cleats/shin guards. The catch is I have to do this with all kids. LOL!)
Do a few zone chores
Yes, isn't that special Jenny! If you could see this church lady you would think it was even funnier! Good for you for getting of the 'puter, it does help a lot I think.
Giving this thread a bump up. We are all too busy to post or too lazy. LOL!
I'm a bit of both. I've been making a point to just turn the computer off and leave it off. That keeps me off of it the best. Unfortunately, I'm not always being real productive with it off, but I can tell its a little better around here.
Today my day was totally shot by a trip to Ft. Sumner to pick up 434 pounds of beef. We split our beef with my inlaws, and that was our share of it. It took 8 boxes and completely filled up my chest freezer. Ft. Sumner is an hour away, which is what shot the day, between the driving and cleaning out the freezers.
The afternoon was spent taking DD9 to soccer practice, and am now fixing dinner for the kiddos (DH has gone to a meeting and won't be back for dinner).
Tomorrow night is DD7 soccer practice. I'm going to have to start doing something about dinner ahead of time, me thinks. Now that I have all that beef, lots of pot roasts, I guess. LOL!
Hello newbies! This is usually a pretty active group, I'm not sure what is up lately. No one seems to be posting these days.
Song: sounds like you have your hands full with DH gone!
New Jen (boy, we have had a lot of jens over the years! LOL!): Your problem is the boys. When I had two girls, I could stick to routines. Then the boys came along. LOL! At least, that is my excuse.
I conquered Mt. Laundry yesterday! Whoohoo!! It was/will be my only day home this week. I also got the kitchen counters cleaned pretty good. Still battling colds and flies here, and they both suck AND are kicking my ass. LOL! A huge windstorm hit in the middle of the night, causing us to frantically close all the windows, and wind is steady at 30MPH this morning.
I'm going to read the "paper" and eat now, and hopefully I'll get some things done today.
It is nice to "meet" each of you! Becky, hope the wedding trip is lots of fun. Do you live near Virginia? I'm in North Carolina.
Andrea, hope you are feeling better soon. WTG on plugging away with the routines despite it all.
Jennye, awesome about the laundry -- I've got several loads to fold right now, so I will take inspiration from your example.
Jen, it's so nice to meet another newbie here. Wow, 4 and 2 years old, you by definition have your hands full! I always struggle with the balance between being a fun mom and being an organized/together mom. I think this aspect of motherhood gets SO much easier as they get older. My 4yo has just recently started to play happily by himself sometimes, so we are falling into some nice routines where he plays nearby while I clean up the kitchen after dinner, that kind of thing. So be forgiving towards yourself while you plug away at the routines thing.
I'm going to post my discombobulated to-do list/routine checklist, and I'll come back to this through the day to update as time allows. I've got Michael at home with me today -- he goes to daycare so I can write, but today his school is closed for a special workday. So we have some special plans, but I also have a LOT of housework to get through. I did a very SHE thing and planned a party to force me to clean up a little! A few neighbor families are going to come over on Saturday morning for a build-your-own waffle brunch thing, very casual, but I have to get the living room more toddler-proofed, clear some surfaces, and generally tidy up as well as prepare the food.
If this is too long or annoying or not the usual way things are done here, someone please gently let me know, okay? I want to help this forum be more active again, but I don't want to blow in here like Jennye's windstorm the other night, either.
I'll reply to this post with my to-do list, to keep it simpler to read.
Song, wow!! That's some list! I notice you said "NO COMPUTER". I have been finding it very helpful to just turn the darn thing off totally and close the door. Much less temptation to get online and get sidetracked.
And I don't know how long you have been hanging around, but I'll re-introduce myself. Jenny, been here for almost 7 years (wow!), and I have 4 kiddos: daughters 9 and 7, sons 4 and 10 months. My DH and I farm and ranch a total of 2,400 acres in E. New Mexico. Keeps us very busy!
It will be another busy day! Parent/Teacher conferences today. The kids of course have no school anyway since it is Friday (newbies: We are a rural school and just implemented 4-day week. Longer days in the week, but three day weekends). Talked to my Mother-in-law and I'm going to bring all the kids there to play for a while, going to ATTEMPT to leave the baby there for about an hour while I go to the P/T conferences, then will hang out at her house a while longer til we go to town for soccer practice for DD7. Need to remember to call in my perscription AND pick it up while in town.
Flying--0
Didn't get anything done around here yesterday except the basic routines. We went to the inlaws, P/T conferences, back to inlaws, Walmart, soccer practice, car wash, and picked up pizza to take home for dinner.
Going to try to do some laundry this morning and some general picking up. Then both the girls have soccer games this afternoon, and then all four kids were invited to a birthday party at McDs (need to wrap present).
Tomorrow it's church, then possibly another birthday party for one of dd7's friends. I'm undecided if we will go because it's not til 2, we are done with church and SS at noon. So that's hanging around town for 2 hours, not sure if I want to do that.
TADA
morning routine
read paper
read with DD
put away some laundry
PODA
lunch
take Dd to fall fest
bake cookies
watch movies/read/relax
dinner
DD bath
DS spent the night at a friend's last night and probably won't return til close to dinner time.
DD got her ears pierced last weekend. She loves them and I hafta admit they look cute. I held out as long as possible on this issue but she kept reminding me I said she can have them after she starts Kindergarten. Of course I said that over a year ago and she started K a month ago! I'm in trouble at that rate....
Hope you all have a pleasant weekend. Those who still do trick or treat,what are your kids dressing as this year?
TADA so far:
dw emptied
church
met friend for coffee at SB
grocery shopping
groceries put away
laundry folded
PODA left do do:
walk
put laundry up
Zone ???
scrap 1 page!!
read and relax
Hi Heidi! Oh - DS9 wants to be something scary like the Grim Reaper or a werewolf. DD7 doesn't know - she is not feminine anymore, so I know it will not be a princess or fairy or anything like that! HOw 'bout yours? -
Andrea
My whirlwind of activity lasted only through Saturday midday, when the last guests left after my little waffle brunch. That event turned out just as nicely as I had hoped -- it is hard to get neighbor families with young children together for evening occasions, but a 10 a.m. simple brunch was something most on my guest list could drop into for a while. It gave me an excuse to try out a new waffle recipe (yeasted whole-wheat, from the _More-With-Less Cookbook_ that I recently received). And the main living areas of the house look much nicer after my crisis cleaning and decluttering, so my goal now is to keep them that way by doing a little maintenance work every day this week.
Today I was mostly busy with Quaker stuff (Meeting for Worship in the morning, and a committee meeting in the afternoon), but I have also cleaned up the kitchen fairly completely and done a bit of laundry.
I guess my flying plan for what remains of today includes:
DONE--Throw together a simple dinner
DONE (he did GREAT)--Have Michael help me put away all the puzzles that a brunch guest assembled and left in our living room
NOPE -- no toast tomorrow!--Try to screw the left handle/footrest back onto our toaster oven -- it fell apart yesterday when I moved it for the brunch
--Do my entire evening routine (I'll paste it in here if I actually make any progress on it!)
P.M. Routine:
DONE Clean up kitchen -- shiny sink!
DONE Run dishwasher
NOT NEEDED Prep bread machine?
DONE Check calendar, doors locked, lights out downstairs
DONE Upstairs w/ clean laundry
DONE -- 2 loads! Fold & put away laundry
NOT NEEDED Sort one load of dirty laundry
Lay out workout clothes and regular clothes
(AT LEAST I TOOK THEM OUT, LOL) Clean & soak contacts
(AT LEAST I BRUSHED, LOL) Teeth & mouthguard
BETTER REMEMBER THIS OR WE'RE ALL DOOMED Alarm set?
Tomorrow morning will be one of my best opportunities to work on my dissertation all week, so I really need to get everything set up tonight for a smooth beginning tomorrow.
About Hallowe'en costumes ... 4yo Michael keeps changing his mind. His latest comment was that he wants to be a ghost, so maybe I should go ahead and make that costume and hold him to it, before he changes his mind again and wants to be something expensive or complicated like a Power Ranger.
OK, I'm going upstairs to lay out my clothes and set my alarm! Shall we start a new thread tomorrow?
OOOh! Ooh! I've got one! About 15 minutes from here! They don't keep the fresh fruit there...just other tasty treats(and killer coffee)! There are also always cutie-pie seasonal themed containers, accessories (spreaders etc.) It may be misc. overstock "stuff" that they pack in seasonal baskets (?) I don't get a catalogue, so I can't say....still...we love to just stick our heads in the door and sniff!
Blessings,
Lenora
" The teacher is just a boat to take the student over the river."
Gautama Buddha
Hi all -- I'm a floundering flybaby looking for some encouragement and inspiration. I came upon TNH site over a year ago when I was doing a lot of blogging, but did not participate at all, just took note. Now I'm facing some new challenges with keeping the home running, and it's time to get more serious.
I'm 37 years old, married for 10 years, stepmom to 17yo Patrick and momma to 4yo Michael. My husband is a college professor and is currently on sabbatical and doing research in China for the fall semester. So I am single-parenting, single-cooking-and-cleaning-and-laundering-and-lawnmowing, and also trying pretty desperately to finish a dissertation. I am active in my local LLL group and Quaker Meeting, too. Oh, and we are new homeowners of an 80-year-old house (which I just adore ), so I am also trying to learn about basic home maintenance stuff. I feel very fortunate not to be working for pay at this point, because to be honest I've got my hands full just being my usual SHE self, over-committed and under-organized.
I've got some routines set out for morning, midday, and evening, as well as some weekly routines that tell me when to sort out finances, shop for groceries, and back up my hard drive. The routines, however, exist more in the breach than in the doing of them most days. I'm working on that with new vigor these days.
I am interested to make everyone's acquaintance and hear more about your lives and your strategies for keeping most of those balls in the air.
DONE Up at 5:15
DONE Downstairs w/ laundry and clothes
DONE Patrick's breakfast
DONE My breakfast
DONE Take vitamins
DONE (but not by 6 a.m.!) Start laundry (by 6 a.m.)
DONE Unload dishwasher
DONE Clean up breakfast
15 minutes worship
DONE E-mail and msg. boards
DONE Check calendar
DONE List today's errands, appts, tasks
DONE What's for dinner? (Broiled tofu w/ brown rice and a veggie)
Laundry in dryer
NOT GONNA HAPPEN -- no time to exercise Upstairs: Dress to shoes (workout)
DONE Eyes, teeth
DONE Get Michael up (by 7 a.m.)
DONE Michael: breakfast
DONE teeth
DONE dressed
DONE vitamins
N/A Michael to school (walk or bike?) -- leave by 8 a.m.
DONE Walk dog
STRETCH
Quick shower -- ran out of time for this when I had to unclog a toilet instead. Ugh.
DONE Dress to shoes
DONE Hair & face
Daily office routine
DONE (for a change, LOL) Tidy desk
Do one weekly 15-minute office task
N/A TODAY, SADLY: WRITE WRITE WRITE
Midday routine
DONE Lunch w/ protein and a brown
DONE Clean up lunch
2 Home Blessing tasks -- fast!
15 minutes in current zone
My Evening Routine
OOPS. FAILED THIS ONE MISERABLY, LOL! Start right after dinner! NO COMPUTER!!!
Clean up kitchen -- shiny sink!
Run dishwasher
Prep coffee maker
Prep bread machine?
Check calendar, doors locked, lights out downstairs
Upstairs w/ clean laundry
Start Michael's shower
Fold & put away laundry
Sort one load of dirty laundry
Lay out workout clothes and regular clothes
Michael jammies, teeth, story
Clean & soak contacts
Teeth & mouthguard
Alarm set?
In bed, lights out by 9 p.m.
Friday tasks:
Friday:
Back up hard drive -- SOMETHING ALWAYS KEEPS ME FROM DOING THIS, AND I NEED TO FIGURE THAT OUT!
Boogie purse
Boogie car
Call Dad -- doing OK?
House prep for party:
Declutter white shelves in bathroom
Declutter launch pads
DONE Move handweights to hall closet
IN PROGRESS Sort M's living room toys, move older-age toys to TV room or bedroom
DONE Declutter/babyproof big bookcase
DONE Declutter small bookcase -- Goodwill stuff to car
DONE Toolbox into hall closet
DONE Toddlerproof lower shelf -- meds & 1st aid upstairs
Paint thinner etc. into crawl space
Errands today:
DONE 10 a.m. playdate w/ Katherine
NOT GONNA HAPPEN -- dump is closed for today. Old paint cans to dump
I'm new here and also a floundering flybaby. I have crashed and burned many times, set up routines about a dozen times in the last two years and just do not follow through. I think my problem is that I need some motivation and someone to answer to.
I am a 26 y.o. sahm to 2 little boys aged 4 and 2. I want to be neat and tidy and most of all organized and I am just not.
I'm going to work on some new routines tonight and maybe this time I can stick to them.
OK, I actually got a lot done today. I'm going to charge through the evening routine now and then tackle some of the quick-and-easy crisis cleaning to get our downstairs more presentable before the party tomorrow morning.
I also need to mix up one of the waffle batters (it's a yeasted recipe) tonight. But one neighbor family of six can't come to the party, so it's going to be barely half the size I had originally planned for, which should make the food prep a bit easier b/c of the smaller scale.
I'm going to follow Jenny's advice and just turn the darn computer off now. When I'm done for the night including my own bath and teeth and all, then I might get back on to report.
At least now you know which one you prefer! You never know until you try both ways, I guess.
You know, for #'s 5 and 6.
p.s. Is Drew actually underweight? Because I know someone whose ped let her go to a year without solids, but the baby was gaining well-- just didn't like solids.
He's not underweight. He's just not gaining as much as his height is. He is still in the above average group on weight, just not as much as before.
I actually haven't been doing a different style of parenting on purpose. This was just what HE preferred. And as much as we are gone off doing ball games, road trips, and everything else the past year, it was easier.
I know some folks really like Dr. Sears and his style of parenting. But everytime I got out the book, I got a bad taste in my mouth. I just hated the way he tried to word everything, I guess. Just rubs me the wrong way.
But maybe Drew takes after you and your other kids take after your DH. I remember your DH is on weight watchers and he really likes to eat, but when you talk about special treats for yourself it's always drinks-- Cokes, margaritas, etc. So you can say Drew is like you, he likes drinking better than eating.
Mamma's milk probably tastes like coke or Sonic Cherry Limeade. Who'd want to give that up?
There, I made you smile, didn't I?
I seem to recall that DS9 wasn't such a fan of solid foods in the 8 - 10 month age range. He did enjoy Cheerios, so I got through that stage by putting Cheerios on his high chair tray, and letting him go to town on them. Then, in between fingerfulls of Cheerios, I was able to get a few spoonfuls of fruits and veggies into his mouth. I think he was distracted by his beloved Cheerios so he didn't protest the baby food. Whatever works, right?
As you know, a baby's height versus weight in any given week isn't necessarily cause for concern - the proportions will probably change in a few days, anyway.
Comments
Hey everyone - Just popping
Hey everyone -
Just popping in to say hi! I have been busy too Shaun and the house is messy, esp. my kitchen floor. I am off to vacuum it now!
Andrea
OK, a quick hi
Just sos you can see the thread.
I am trying to schedule my work for the month. Surprise -- not enough days in the month!
Better get something done. Plus, I want to start digging out some of the mess from my summer vacation from cleaning.
Shaun
www.homeschoolblogger.com/shaunms
Good evening! I did manage
Good evening!
I did manage to pick up the living room and vacuum it today. Not much else. Except pick a fight with DH, took the boys in for checkups, DS4 had 3 shots. Dr. told me I HAVE to get Drew to eat. Tell me something I don't know. Have I ever mentioned that I HATE dr. sears? LOL! Well, I do. AP sucks. Enough said about that. Well, except that if I HADN'T been feeding on demand all these months, that my 9 month old might actually eat something other than breastmilk, and may actually sleep at night. Ok, I'll stop.
Been a really rough day, and I'm ready to call it one.
Where is everyone!
Where is everyone! LOL!
Very little flying here. I have been trying to unload the camper. It's going slowly. Drew doesn't like for me to do it. Did 4 loads of laundry yesterday. Today I had to make cupcakes, then ran to town to Walmart for groceries and B-Day presents. Then home to frost the cupcakes, run them to school to have a birthday party for my big 4 year old (can you believe Chance is already 4!!). Back home.
Tomorrow Chance and Drew have a doctor's appt. for shots. Chance has to have his 4 year shots within two days of becoming 4 or else he won't be able to go to school. The girls want to play soccer, so need to see if I can sign them both up, or if I will have to come back later and do it (depends on the hours of the rec center).
Have a great evening!
Head in the clouds
That's where I am. I can't focus this week -- I am a very bad flybaby and am not getting nearly enough sleep.
I have been gone most of the last few days. Last night I came home at 11pm. DH says, "I'm grumpy, the house is messy." So what has he been doing since the kids were in bed? Oh, playing computer games. Hmmm . . .
Note to self: " I didn't marry him for his housekeeping skills."
Repeat daily, hourly if necessary! 
Shaun
www.homeschoolblogger.com/shaunms
unproductive day
My goals for today are:
Do one load of laundry.
Wash one sinkfull of dishes.
Take out the trash.
Make dinner.
Am I up and showered yet? Um, no! And it's 1:30. I've managed to feed myself and take my meds. And that's it.
so....
I've gotten showered and dressed, dinner in the crockpot on high, and took out the trash. Just laundry and dishes left, I guess!
Off to Lubbock today for my
Off to Lubbock today for my son's and my nephew's 4th birthday party! Gotta stop by walmart and pick up potato salad. Also some swiss cheese to make a dip, some chips to dip with. And I can't forget to bring my SIL the Harry and Davids dip I bought her in Georgia!
have fun Jenny!
What kind of dip did you get her from H and D? Does Harry and Davids sell different dip in the stores than in their catalogue? I don't think I've ever seen their stuff in stores, but maybe I just wasn't paying attention.
Yesterday I did finish my whole PODA, thank goodness. Then early this morning one of the cats puked on the bed. So, PODA:
-change sheets!
-wash the comforter
-wash last night's dishes-- it is SO hard to keep up without a dishwasher!
-make cookies for a potluck we're going to tonight for DH's new teaching job
This summer was the first
This summer was the first time I had been in a Harry and David's store! It's an actual store all its self with lots of goodies! It was when we went out to Georgia. There are none near here, and I didn't even KNOW they had a catalog! But my mom had it one year when we were out there so I usually make her bring me some when she visits. It's the Onion and Pepper I think. I mix 1/3 a jar with a stick of cream cheese and put it on wheat thins. VERY yummy!
Playing catch up here today. I SHOULD have gone to church, it was Sunday School Kickoff. But we were in Lubbock yesterday and have another busy week ahead with at least one IEP meeting, school board meeting (for DH, which means dinner at friends house for us), soccer starting for both girls, football game Friday (DH will be on the ambulance standing by), and a community cookout/dance on Saturday. I had to have a day home without going anywhere.
they used to be catalogue-only
I think their main business is still from catalogues and online. The stores are a more recent development. But when I was growing up my aunt used to buy their catalogue stuff all the time.
TADA:
-ran a couple of errands
We have a jazz group rehearsal this afternoon. I'm not looking forward to it.
Good Morning! Yes I have
Good Morning!
Yes I have been AWOL but am poking in to say "hi". Busy with school stuff,house stuff and life in general so will pick up where I left off...
PODA
morning routine
kids off to school
read paper
pay and mail bills
bank deposit
put away laundry
Aldi for groceries
call insurance guy
make cookies
sort mail
make dinner
supervise homework
read with DD
Jenny-busy week ahead for you,don't blame you for staying home one day!!
Becky-why don't you like your jazz group?
Hi everyone!
Better get movin'
Heidi
Hey Everyone - Guess we'll
Hey Everyone -
Guess we'll stick with this thread for awhile:
I am home today with a sick DS9 - sore throat, stomachache, etc. I had to cancel a lot at work but I have to admit it is nice to be home.
So, TADA so far:
exercised
dw emptied
showered
took DD7 to school and handed in DD9's homework - got guidance for today
cancelled all my stuff at work
laundry going
dropped off DVD
PODA:
vacuum kitchen
meet with church lady
maybe a quick trip to Wegmans
finish laundry
something relaxing - reading, scrapping?
Have a great day everyone!
Andrea, meeting with Church
Andrea, meeting with Church Lady, huh? Well, isn't that special. LOL! (sorry, I couldn't resist!! Don'tcha just love Dana Carvey?). Hope you get some scrapping done (yeah, I need to do that, too).
I haven't been on the computer much, and I get more done that way when I just turn the whole darn thing OFF.
PODA:
some laundry (just one load!)
plan the week
balance checkbook/figure out bills
figure out how to do town this week (soccer starts tomorrow for us. Somewhere in there I need to plan a trip to Clovis to the sporting goods store and get cleats/shin guards. The catch is I have to do this with all kids. LOL!)
Do a few zone chores
Yes, isn't that special
Yes, isn't that special Jenny! If you could see this church lady you would think it was even funnier! Good for you for getting of the 'puter, it does help a lot I think.
Off to fold laundry -
maybe next week
I'll try and make a point of starting a new thread next Monday.
I hope to get some laundry done tonight but I'm not sure. I'm pretty sleepy!
Bump
Giving this thread a bump up. We are all too busy to post or too lazy. LOL!
I'm a bit of both. I've been making a point to just turn the computer off and leave it off. That keeps me off of it the best. Unfortunately, I'm not always being real productive with it off, but I can tell its a little better around here.
Today my day was totally shot by a trip to Ft. Sumner to pick up 434 pounds of beef. We split our beef with my inlaws, and that was our share of it. It took 8 boxes and completely filled up my chest freezer. Ft. Sumner is an hour away, which is what shot the day, between the driving and cleaning out the freezers.
The afternoon was spent taking DD9 to soccer practice, and am now fixing dinner for the kiddos (DH has gone to a meeting and won't be back for dinner).
Tomorrow night is DD7 soccer practice. I'm going to have to start doing something about dinner ahead of time, me thinks. Now that I have all that beef, lots of pot roasts, I guess. LOL!
Becky, when is your due date?
Hello newbies! This is
Hello newbies! This is usually a pretty active group, I'm not sure what is up lately. No one seems to be posting these days.
Song: sounds like you have your hands full with DH gone!
New Jen (boy, we have had a lot of jens over the years! LOL!): Your problem is the boys. When I had two girls, I could stick to routines. Then the boys came along. LOL! At least, that is my excuse.
I conquered Mt. Laundry yesterday! Whoohoo!! It was/will be my only day home this week. I also got the kitchen counters cleaned pretty good. Still battling colds and flies here, and they both suck AND are kicking my ass. LOL! A huge windstorm hit in the middle of the night, causing us to frantically close all the windows, and wind is steady at 30MPH this morning.
I'm going to read the "paper" and eat now, and hopefully I'll get some things done today.
HI All - Yes, welcome
HI All -
Yes, welcome ladies! Glad to have you here!
I am sick too Jenny and it bites. Hope to get over it quickly.
Still plugging away on routines during the week.
Andrea
what's up with ME lately
Not much, and very little FLYing!
I am leaving for a wedding in Virginia tomorrow and won't be back until Monday. I may or may not have internet access.
Thanks for the warm welcome!
It is nice to "meet" each of you! Becky, hope the wedding trip is lots of fun. Do you live near Virginia? I'm in North Carolina.
Andrea, hope you are feeling better soon. WTG on plugging away with the routines despite it all.
Jennye, awesome about the laundry -- I've got several loads to fold right now, so I will take inspiration from your example.
Jen, it's so nice to meet another newbie here. Wow, 4 and 2 years old, you by definition have your hands full! I always struggle with the balance between being a fun mom and being an organized/together mom. I think this aspect of motherhood gets SO much easier as they get older. My 4yo has just recently started to play happily by himself sometimes, so we are falling into some nice routines where he plays nearby while I clean up the kitchen after dinner, that kind of thing. So be forgiving towards yourself while you plug away at the routines thing.
For accountability.
I'm going to post my discombobulated to-do list/routine checklist, and I'll come back to this through the day to update as time allows. I've got Michael at home with me today -- he goes to daycare so I can write, but today his school is closed for a special workday. So we have some special plans, but I also have a LOT of housework to get through. I did a very SHE thing and planned a party to force me to clean up a little! A few neighbor families are going to come over on Saturday morning for a build-your-own waffle brunch thing, very casual, but I have to get the living room more toddler-proofed, clear some surfaces, and generally tidy up as well as prepare the food.
If this is too long or annoying or not the usual way things are done here, someone please gently let me know, okay? I want to help this forum be more active again, but I don't want to blow in here like Jennye's windstorm the other night, either.
I'll reply to this post with my to-do list, to keep it simpler to read.
TGIF?
Not that Friday means anything anymore! LOL!
Becky, have a safe trip.
Song, wow!! That's some list! I notice you said "NO COMPUTER". I have been finding it very helpful to just turn the darn thing off totally and close the door. Much less temptation to get online and get sidetracked.
And I don't know how long you have been hanging around, but I'll re-introduce myself. Jenny, been here for almost 7 years (wow!), and I have 4 kiddos: daughters 9 and 7, sons 4 and 10 months. My DH and I farm and ranch a total of 2,400 acres in E. New Mexico. Keeps us very busy!
It will be another busy day! Parent/Teacher conferences today. The kids of course have no school anyway since it is Friday (newbies: We are a rural school and just implemented 4-day week. Longer days in the week, but three day weekends). Talked to my Mother-in-law and I'm going to bring all the kids there to play for a while, going to ATTEMPT to leave the baby there for about an hour while I go to the P/T conferences, then will hang out at her house a while longer til we go to town for soccer practice for DD7. Need to remember to call in my perscription AND pick it up while in town.
Time to feed the kids!
Hey everyone - Song, you are
Hey everyone -
Song, you are not only blowing in like a hurricane, you are blowing us all out of the water! No, your list is great! So far I've emptied the dw!
PODA today:
laundry
exercise
DD to soccer
a little shopping
clean something?
change 1 bed
See ya!
Andrea
Flying--0 Didn't get
Flying--0
Didn't get anything done around here yesterday except the basic routines. We went to the inlaws, P/T conferences, back to inlaws, Walmart, soccer practice, car wash, and picked up pizza to take home for dinner.
Going to try to do some laundry this morning and some general picking up. Then both the girls have soccer games this afternoon, and then all four kids were invited to a birthday party at McDs (need to wrap present).
Tomorrow it's church, then possibly another birthday party for one of dd7's friends. I'm undecided if we will go because it's not til 2, we are done with church and SS at noon. So that's hanging around town for 2 hours, not sure if I want to do that.
Good Morning! TADA morning
Good Morning!
TADA
morning routine
read paper
read with DD
put away some laundry
PODA
lunch
take Dd to fall fest
bake cookies
watch movies/read/relax
dinner
DD bath
DS spent the night at a friend's last night and probably won't return til close to dinner time.
DD got her ears pierced last weekend. She loves them and I hafta admit they look cute. I held out as long as possible on this issue but she kept reminding me I said she can have them after she starts Kindergarten. Of course I said that over a year ago and she started K a month ago! I'm in trouble at that rate....
Hope you all have a pleasant weekend. Those who still do trick or treat,what are your kids dressing as this year?
Heidi
Morning Everyone! TADA so
Morning Everyone!
TADA so far:
dw emptied
church
met friend for coffee at SB
grocery shopping
groceries put away
laundry folded
PODA left do do:
walk
put laundry up
Zone ???
scrap 1 page!!
read and relax
Hi Heidi! Oh - DS9 wants to be something scary like the Grim Reaper or a werewolf. DD7 doesn't know - she is not feminine anymore, so I know it will not be a princess or fairy or anything like that! HOw 'bout yours? -
Andrea
What do TADA and PODA stand for?
Gotta study up on the lingo a bit!
My whirlwind of activity lasted only through Saturday midday, when the last guests left after my little waffle brunch. That event turned out just as nicely as I had hoped -- it is hard to get neighbor families with young children together for evening occasions, but a 10 a.m. simple brunch was something most on my guest list could drop into for a while. It gave me an excuse to try out a new waffle recipe (yeasted whole-wheat, from the _More-With-Less Cookbook_ that I recently received). And the main living areas of the house look much nicer after my crisis cleaning and decluttering, so my goal now is to keep them that way by doing a little maintenance work every day this week.
Today I was mostly busy with Quaker stuff (Meeting for Worship in the morning, and a committee meeting in the afternoon), but I have also cleaned up the kitchen fairly completely and done a bit of laundry.
I guess my flying plan for what remains of today includes:
DONE--Throw together a simple dinner
DONE (he did GREAT)--Have Michael help me put away all the puzzles that a brunch guest assembled and left in our living room
NOPE -- no toast tomorrow!--Try to screw the left handle/footrest back onto our toaster oven -- it fell apart yesterday when I moved it for the brunch
--Do my entire evening routine (I'll paste it in here if I actually make any progress on it!)
P.M. Routine:
DONE Clean up kitchen -- shiny sink!
DONE Run dishwasher
NOT NEEDED Prep bread machine?
DONE Check calendar, doors locked, lights out downstairs
DONE Upstairs w/ clean laundry
DONE -- 2 loads! Fold & put away laundry
NOT NEEDED Sort one load of dirty laundry
Lay out workout clothes and regular clothes
(AT LEAST I TOOK THEM OUT, LOL) Clean & soak contacts
(AT LEAST I BRUSHED, LOL) Teeth & mouthguard
BETTER REMEMBER THIS OR WE'RE ALL DOOMED Alarm set?
Tomorrow morning will be one of my best opportunities to work on my dissertation all week, so I really need to get everything set up tonight for a smooth beginning tomorrow.
About Hallowe'en costumes ... 4yo Michael keeps changing his mind. His latest comment was that he wants to be a ghost, so maybe I should go ahead and make that costume and hold him to it, before he changes his mind again and wants to be something expensive or complicated like a Power Ranger.
OK, I'm going upstairs to lay out my clothes and set my alarm! Shall we start a new thread tomorrow?
Hey Everyone! Song, PODA is
Hey Everyone!
Song, PODA is Parade of Daily Activites - Flylady uses it and TADA is like Tada!! See what I've done - did we make that one up, can't remember!
Back from my church mtg - too long. Kids are in bed and I'm gearing up for another week.
See ya -
Andrea
was it the same problem with your other kids?
Didn't you feed them on demand too?
Harry and David store
OOOh! Ooh! I've got one! About 15 minutes from here! They don't keep the fresh fruit there...just other tasty treats(and killer coffee)! There are also always cutie-pie seasonal themed containers, accessories (spreaders etc.) It may be misc. overstock "stuff" that they pack in seasonal baskets (?) I don't get a catalogue, so I can't say....still...we love to just stick our heads in the door and sniff!
Blessings,
Lenora
" The teacher is just a boat to take the student over the river."
Gautama Buddha
May I join in here?
Hi all -- I'm a floundering flybaby looking for some encouragement and inspiration. I came upon TNH site over a year ago when I was doing a lot of blogging, but did not participate at all, just took note. Now I'm facing some new challenges with keeping the home running, and it's time to get more serious.
I'm 37 years old, married for 10 years, stepmom to 17yo Patrick and momma to 4yo Michael. My husband is a college professor and is currently on sabbatical and doing research in China for the fall semester. So I am single-parenting, single-cooking-and-cleaning-and-laundering-and-lawnmowing, and also trying pretty desperately to finish a dissertation. I am active in my local LLL group and Quaker Meeting, too. Oh, and we are new homeowners of an 80-year-old house (which I just adore ), so I am also trying to learn about basic home maintenance stuff. I feel very fortunate not to be working for pay at this point, because to be honest I've got my hands full just being my usual SHE self, over-committed and under-organized.
I've got some routines set out for morning, midday, and evening, as well as some weekly routines that tell me when to sort out finances, shop for groceries, and back up my hard drive. The routines, however, exist more in the breach than in the doing of them most days. I'm working on that with new vigor these days.
I am interested to make everyone's acquaintance and hear more about your lives and your strategies for keeping most of those balls in the air.
--Song
Song's list, Fri 9/22
Weekday routines:
A.M. (weekdays) Routine
DONE Up at 5:15
DONE Downstairs w/ laundry and clothes
DONE Patrick's breakfast
DONE My breakfast
DONE Take vitamins
DONE (but not by 6 a.m.!) Start laundry (by 6 a.m.)
DONE Unload dishwasher
DONE Clean up breakfast
15 minutes worship
DONE E-mail and msg. boards
DONE Check calendar
DONE List today's errands, appts, tasks
DONE What's for dinner? (Broiled tofu w/ brown rice and a veggie)
Laundry in dryer
Upstairs: Dress to shoes (workout)
NOT GONNA HAPPEN -- no time to exercise
DONE Eyes, teeth
DONE Get Michael up (by 7 a.m.)
DONE Michael: breakfast
DONE teeth
DONE dressed
DONE vitamins
N/A Michael to school (walk or bike?) -- leave by 8 a.m.
DONE Walk dog
STRETCH
Quick shower -- ran out of time for this when I had to unclog a toilet instead. Ugh.
DONE Dress to shoes
DONE Hair & face
Daily office routine
DONE (for a change, LOL) Tidy desk
Do one weekly 15-minute office task
N/A TODAY, SADLY: WRITE WRITE WRITE
Midday routine
DONE Lunch w/ protein and a brown
DONE Clean up lunch
2 Home Blessing tasks -- fast!
15 minutes in current zone
My Evening Routine
OOPS. FAILED THIS ONE MISERABLY, LOL! Start right after dinner! NO COMPUTER!!!
Clean up kitchen -- shiny sink!
Run dishwasher
Prep coffee maker
Prep bread machine?
Check calendar, doors locked, lights out downstairs
Upstairs w/ clean laundry
Start Michael's shower
Fold & put away laundry
Sort one load of dirty laundry
Lay out workout clothes and regular clothes
Michael jammies, teeth, story
Clean & soak contacts
Teeth & mouthguard
Alarm set?
In bed, lights out by 9 p.m.
Friday tasks:
Friday:
Back up hard drive -- SOMETHING ALWAYS KEEPS ME FROM DOING THIS, AND I NEED TO FIGURE THAT OUT!
Boogie purse
Boogie car
Call Dad -- doing OK?
House prep for party:
Declutter white shelves in bathroom
Declutter launch pads
DONE Move handweights to hall closet
IN PROGRESS Sort M's living room toys, move older-age toys to TV room or bedroom
DONE Declutter/babyproof big bookcase
DONE Declutter small bookcase -- Goodwill stuff to car
DONE Toolbox into hall closet
DONE Toddlerproof lower shelf -- meds & 1st aid upstairs
Paint thinner etc. into crawl space
Errands today:
DONE 10 a.m. playdate w/ Katherine
NOT GONNA HAPPEN -- dump is closed for today. Old paint cans to dump
DONE Goodwill run
DONE BJ's (discount club) with list
DONE Food Lion w/ list for waffle party
Thanks, Andrea
I never would have guessed the Parade part. That works!
Hope you get your week off to a great start!
No, I fed on a
No, I fed on a routine/schedule with them. They were all champs at eating solids 3 times a day by 5 months.
I'm new here and also a
I'm new here and also a floundering flybaby. I have crashed and burned many times, set up routines about a dozen times in the last two years and just do not follow through. I think my problem is that I need some motivation and someone to answer to.
I am a 26 y.o. sahm to 2 little boys aged 4 and 2. I want to be neat and tidy and most of all organized and I am just not.
I'm going to work on some new routines tonight and maybe this time I can stick to them.
9 p.m. check-in
OK, I actually got a lot done today. I'm going to charge through the evening routine now and then tackle some of the quick-and-easy crisis cleaning to get our downstairs more presentable before the party tomorrow morning.
I also need to mix up one of the waffle batters (it's a yeasted recipe) tonight. But one neighbor family of six can't come to the party, so it's going to be barely half the size I had originally planned for, which should make the food prep a bit easier b/c of the smaller scale.
I'm going to follow Jenny's advice and just turn the darn computer off now. When I'm done for the night including my own bath and teeth and all, then I might get back on to report.
so this was trying something new, then?
At least now you know which one you prefer! You never know until you try both ways, I guess.
You know, for #'s 5 and 6.
p.s. Is Drew actually underweight? Because I know someone whose ped let her go to a year without solids, but the baby was gaining well-- just didn't like solids.
No
He's not underweight. He's just not gaining as much as his height is. He is still in the above average group on weight, just not as much as before.
I actually haven't been doing a different style of parenting on purpose. This was just what HE preferred. And as much as we are gone off doing ball games, road trips, and everything else the past year, it was easier.
I know some folks really like Dr. Sears and his style of parenting. But everytime I got out the book, I got a bad taste in my mouth. I just hated the way he tried to word everything, I guess. Just rubs me the wrong way.
this might sound kind of silly...
But maybe Drew takes after you and your other kids take after your DH. I remember your DH is on weight watchers and he really likes to eat, but when you talk about special treats for yourself it's always drinks-- Cokes, margaritas, etc. So you can say Drew is like you, he likes drinking better than eating.
And taking the silliness a step further ...
Mamma's milk probably tastes like coke or Sonic Cherry Limeade. Who'd want to give that up?
There, I made you smile, didn't I?
I seem to recall that DS9 wasn't such a fan of solid foods in the 8 - 10 month age range. He did enjoy Cheerios, so I got through that stage by putting Cheerios on his high chair tray, and letting him go to town on them. Then, in between fingerfulls of Cheerios, I was able to get a few spoonfuls of fruits and veggies into his mouth. I think he was distracted by his beloved Cheerios so he didn't protest the baby food. Whatever works, right?
As you know, a baby's height versus weight in any given week isn't necessarily cause for concern - the proportions will probably change in a few days, anyway.
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