Moving the blog

This is a bitter sweet moment. I decided to move my blog to worldpress since they have more options to add to my blog; gives me a tad more freedom. Go to Homeschoolinmomma.worldpress.com, stop in and say hi. I will be closing this one day in two months after I all those links moved over to the new one. Whew!

On a side note......yes Jill =P, I haven't been posting to the blog since Sept. 3rd. Well, my grandma passed away on the 6th and I've been going through some major grieving/depression due to all the drama. Families are good for drama and I have a gem of a tale to tell one day.

Stop by and see the new blog. I promise it will be worth the move.

That isn't GG

My grandma isn't doing well. Her doctor put her into the hospital last Thursday evening for a blood transfusion and to have a surgeon look at her legs (sores caused by poor circulation). The surgeon did what she could for her (cleaned out the wounds), but amputation would be the only way to remove the infection spreading through her body. Monday we got the call that her kidneys are shutting down. They can't do much for her except make her comfortable. Morphine is her best friend at this time. Its hard to see this woman, who was so full of life, diminish day-by-day; hour-by-hour.

We have spent may hours by her bed side these last few days. Or I should say I have. The boys are very close to her and it is so hard for them to see her like this. Zane has said "that isn't GG.".........I totally agree.

Menu Plan - Aug 31-Sept 6

Found a great idea on a blog a while back. Every Monday post your dinner menu for the week. No more guessing what to fix everyday. Grocery shopping is much easier...you have a plan with a list. :)

We have several pounds of hamburger left from the 1/2 cow we bought last year from a processing center. This has to be used up before we get any more meat. Lots of hamburger recipes will be in our menu until its depleted; creativity is the key.

Monday - Chicken & Wild Rice Soup with rolls

Tuesday - Meatball subs, cucumber salad

Wednesday - French toast bake, bacon, and strawberries

Thursday - Chicken Spaghetti, salad

Friday - Slow cooker chili

Saturday - Steak, twice-backed potatoes, roasted asparagus and possible leftover salad

Sunday - Roasted Turkey breast w/gravy, stuffing, stewed apples, and green beans.

Prorities and routines

Ever notice if one thing is left out other items multiply at that spot becoming a huge cluttered mess? Or one thing in our daily routine doesn't get done and makes you feel behind all day? Yesterday nothing went right. All of my routines were out of whack or not done at all. Why? I woke up late because I stayed up to late the night before (there was this tv show I wanted to watch and....). This caused my morning routine not to be done and chaos ensued. Routines are a must with me. I'm easily distracted and without them or my to-do lists my day goes to the wayside. What is our focus for the day? What is the most important part to accomplish? What is our goals/our priorities for home and school? Do they coincide with our routines or focus?

1. Every morning, after I feed the cat or she won't let me be due to starvation (if you see my cat she is far from starved), is sit down and read from the Bible. Fifteen minutes every morning puts me into focus of what is truly important. If I don't do this my day is a wreck waiting to happen. 2. My second routine is read my calendar, the menu for the day, school planner, and my emails for flylady's to-do list as well as my own personal to-do for errands, who to call, etc. Knowing what my day holds for me or my family keeps chaos at bay. No one wants to wake up to find no milk for breakfast because I didn't go to the store on errand day. 3. I'm also finding that walking every day is helping me clear my head. A counselor I was seeing once told me this is the best time to pray. And it is! Not only do you have uninterrupted 'quiet' time but you get to see God's beautiful creations He made (flowers, trees as they change, sun rise, etc) as you walk.

Everything in our home has a place and a place for everything. If it doesn't or we don't need it, it doesn't stay for very long. As easily distracted I am, having to much clutter is bad for me. I'm not a neat freak, but my home must have a sense of order. Its a welcome haven for my family and friends.

Simple order, daily spiritual time, and routines can help our day go much smother.

Presents in the mailbox

Or at least it is for me. Its like opening Christmas presents when we receive a delivery of anything, even if I'm the one who ordered it. The missing teacher books arrived. I'm diving in excitedly looking over what we will accomplish this year. Smile on my face, I asked the kid if liked these new teacher aids. My brilliant second born answers "Oh, more school books". LOL