Making Your Home a Haven

(This was partially written and supposed to be published yesterday. However, I wanted to insert a table, as you can see. To make a long story short, I've learned, learned to use, and used html all in the last 24 hours! In fact, I hand-typed all of the html code to format the table below. Maybe for some of you, that's second-nature, but it's not for me, and I'm rather proud of myself right now! So....even if you don't read the schedule I've posted, could you please admire the work that I've done, however imperfect it may be? Thank you!)

(Edit:I'm not sure why Jefferson's schedule is only partially showing. I guess that's more for me to learn, but not this go-round (is that even a word?). He's not even 1 1/2 yet, so I'm sure nobody's too disappointed to not be able to see what he's scheduled to do!)

I am excited about this weekly addition to Crystal's blog! I have so much that I would like to do in our home, but I need a little structure and smaller goals to prod me on to accomplish great things. With that said, my first priority this weekend was to tweak our homeschool schedule. Of course, since today was my first day on our schedule, I didn't stick to it much at all. I also had a sick child, needed to take time to teach all of the new aspects of our schedule and had to get my children out of doors. It's 65 degrees on January 7 in Indiana! Who'd have thunk it?

I'm posting our schedule more for my own accountability than for your information. (That's really what this blog was about in the first place.) So, here's our new Winter/Spring 2008 Family Schedule!

		Dovey		James		Evelyn		Jefferson
5:30		Shower/Dress/ Prepare Breakfast/ Quiet Time/ Exercise
7:00		7:15 -- open James' door and turn off fan
7:30		Help James and Evelyn/ Bible time with Evelyn/ Jefferson up		Rise/Morning Routine		Rise/Morning Routine		7:50-up
8:00		Do Bible time w/kids while feeding Jefferson		Breakfast/Bible time		Breakfast/Bible time		Breakfast/Bible time
8:30		Morning Chores		Morning Chores		Morning Chores		free play
9:00		Handwriting & Math w/James		Handwriting & Math		Letter Factory video		Letter Factory video
9:30		Calendar, Journal, Phonics & Reading		Calendar, Journal, Phonics & Reading		play alone		pack 'n' play
10:00		History, Science, Read-Alouds		History, Science, Read-Alouds		Free Play/Join us if desired		free play
10:30		Play w/Jefferson		Play w/Evelyn		Play w/James		Play w/Mommy
11:00		School w/Evelyn		Play w/Jefferson		School w/Mommy		Play w/James
11:30		Daily dusting or vacuuming		Daily dusting or vacuuming		Daily dusting or vacuuming		Free Play
12:00		Lunch prep w/helper		Straighten House/Help Mommy w/lunch		Straighten House/Help Mommy w/lunch		Free Play
12:30		Lunch & Clean-up		Lunch & Clean-up		Lunch & Clean-up		Lunch & Clean-up
1:00		Read-aloud book		Read-aloud book		Read-aloud book		Nap
1:30		Piano lessons/practice w/kids		Piano practice		Piano practice		Nap
2:00- 4:00		Scheduled day’s activities/Teach		Rest Time		Nap/Rest Time		Nap
4:00		Free		German on computer (15 min.)		Free Play		Free Play
4:30- 5:30		Arts & Crafts/Take a walk/Game/Play time together		Arts & Crafts/Take a walk/Game/Play time together		Arts & Crafts/Take a walk/Game/Play time together		Arts & Crafts/Take a walk/Game/Play time together
5:30- 6:30		Dinner Prep w/helper		Help Mommy w/dinner/ play w/Jefferson		Help Mommy w/dinner/ play w/Jefferson		Play w/sibling
6:30		Dinner		Dinner		Dinner		Dinner
7:00		Dinner/Clean-up		Dinner/Clean-up		Dinner/Clean-up		Dinner/Clean-up
7:30		Morning Prep		Playtime w/Daddy/ bath time		Playtime w/Daddy/ bath time		Playtime w/Daddy/ bath time
8:00		Family Devotions		Family Devotions		Family Devotions		Family Devotions
8:30		Kids in bed/ 15 min. w/Ryan		Bedtime		Bedtime		Bedtime		Bedtime
9:00- 10:00		Personal Time
10:00		Upstairs to bed/Read
10:30		Lights out

As an aside, I would not normally spend only 15 minutes with my husband per night, but he's working on his MBA right now. He likes to do as much on the weeknight evenings as he can, so that he can, theoretically, have more time with the kids on the weekends. In 1 1/2 years, we'll start spending some more time together!

30-Day Organizational Challenge

Okay, I asked my husband if he wanted me to participate in this , and he was definitely ALL for it! Needless to say, we have several areas in our home that could benefit from this. So I asked him if he would like me to reorganize the pantry, the hall closet, our closet (thinking small, mind you). No, of course not, he wants me to organize, declutter, clean and get ride of this!









Now this may not seem to be that big of a deal for many of you. But...my biggest area of organizational mindblock is paper. This desk is FULL of paper. I didn't even show inside all of the drawers. Too much information. :-) Anyways, this challenge is to be done by 11:59 p.m. on November 30. My husband would like the desk to be completely gone by then, so I guess that my plan of attack needs to include putting an ad in the classifieds and actually selling the desk. If anyone is reading this and would like a gorgeous, LARGE, banker's desk, with the old pop-up shelf for a typewriter, please comment on this post. (Not that I have a huge readership yet, but, hey, I'm optimistic!) My goal is to spend about 20 minutes a day on this project, with or without kids. I'm also trying to do several other things for about 20 minutes a day, but this needs to be moving up in the priority list. Hopefully, I'll have success, and I'll keep posting about my progress. (I know that you'll all keep refreshing your browsers now!)

On a separate note, if anyone is a political junkie, I will have a post soon (hopefully by the end of the week) on why I am supporting Ron Paul. This has actually been a process for me and, hopefully, will be of interest to others. Stay tuned!