I, believe it or not, am not a scheduled person.
I think it is because of a few reasons.
I like to go with the flow,
take things as they come and deal with those things
I think when I have a schedule, then, well,
I am faced with failure and I don't like that.
I'm kind of a perfectionist
(I know, if you saw my floor and house you would not think so)
Hey, I live with non perfectionists who do not care about the floor
or if they left their socks all over the house.
I know also, that we need to practice a summer schedule
before school starts, so we can master it!
I know also, that we need to practice a summer schedule
before school starts, so we can master it!
You'd think a perfectionist would love a schedule, right?
You'd think a perfectionist would be able to follow a schedule perfectly, right?
Well, read this:
Just as the Demons know our weaknesses,
God knows our strengths
Being a Martha, in our busy world can be hard,
But Jesus calls us Martha's to come and sit by Him,
to put Him first.
(Luke 10:38-42)
Oh, we can still take care of what needs taking care of,
but we need to balance it by putting Him first.
Have you prayed today?
(that's rhetorical for me)
Do we stop everything and pray?
No computers, TV, I-pads, radios, whatever is
making it loud for us?
Is there quiet in our lives anymore?
Can there be order?
I interrupt this post for a little cuteness...
"I want a cracker!"
"Oh, you have the camera?"
See? This post has interruptions, just like life, scheduled or not!
See? This post has interruptions, just like life, scheduled or not!
(School work will be added in those playtime areas)
I had been praying about a schedule for quite a while,
and finally decided I needed more help.
So, I asked Tom to help me.
It was fun to write it out with him.
We need to tweak it a little when school starts
like the kids will need to get up earlier, 6:30 or 7am
And
We need to do "bed checks" at 10pm to make sure the big kids
are actually in bed.
And
We need to do "bed checks" at 10pm to make sure the big kids
are actually in bed.
I will have 5 kids in school.
Yes, Sweetie Pie will be in preschool!!!
I need to be orderly in order to run this family.
It's just not working going with the flow!
God has blessed my life with 6 living children and I need
to take this vocation seriously,
to do my best.
Is sleeping in til everyone is up doing my best?
No, although, I love to do that,
I hate how the rest of the day goes,
It's not what God wants or expects of me.
He wants me to be happy and for our kids to be happy.
He wants me to do my best
I believe following a schedule will help me with that
God has blessed my life with 6 living children and I need
to take this vocation seriously,
to do my best.
Is sleeping in til everyone is up doing my best?
No, although, I love to do that,
I hate how the rest of the day goes,
It's not what God wants or expects of me.
He wants me to be happy and for our kids to be happy.
He wants me to do my best
I believe following a schedule will help me with that
(Breakfasts will stay the same each week, each day,
Lunches I plan with the kiddos and they pick each week, except Wednesday is always pizza)
Oh, and
(there is always fruit and veggies with each meal, I just didn't write it down)
Following a schedule requires a few other things to be orderly,
Lunches I plan with the kiddos and they pick each week, except Wednesday is always pizza)
Oh, and
(there is always fruit and veggies with each meal, I just didn't write it down)
Following a schedule requires a few other things to be orderly,
like meals need to be planned
This past week was our first week trying this out
As I said, it needs some tweaking.
Like, I decided the kids might need to do
quicker easier breakfasts, you know,
granola bars. yogurt, or cereal
Baking and preparing each day just takes too long
It's OK in the summer, but when school starts,
well, how do you do it?
What do your kids eat for breakfast?
Do you cook every morning for them?
Of course it is summer and we need to make allowances,
that pool keeps calling us...
I'm trying to not be a slave to the schedule
I'm trying to still be easy going and carefree
but the perfectionist in me, struggles with this,
because maybe it's not on the schedule.
At the end of the day,
I still wish there were about 2-4 more hours left to
do what I did not get to do.
I know God has a plan, and that He gave us 24 hours
in each day for a reason.
No more
no less.
I know, if I put God first, as He told Martha,
that things will all fall into place.
So I keep trying.
What about you?
Do you schedule your day?
Do you have any tips?
Loved this one, Jamie Jo. Really loved it. I love your schedule...Always had a schedule like that when all my kids were younger. I always felt having a schedule made us happier and more content. I believe little ones thrive on schedule. They are comforted knowing what comes next in their vast world.
ReplyDeleteWe still follow a schedule now that the kids are older...just a much more simple one...
I am working on one for the start of the school year. Sooo excited!
I love love love your breakfast and lunch schedule! Totally stealing those ones. We love muffins for breakfast...chocolate, pumpkin, banana, blueberry etc. Peyton will make them up at night for breakfast the next morning. That really helps.
Ok...sorry I took up so much space. I just always learn so much from you, friend! : )
Yes, you'll need one for school, we'll need to change a few things for that...Muffins...my kids are picky and only like "fresh" warm muffins...I told them they are going to have to get used to muffins made the night before and that the girls will have to start baking them! haha--you already that working!
DeleteI love long comments, it's like we are visiting!
Great post! It's fun to see how big families do things.
ReplyDeleteFor breakfast, we tend to alternate- yogurt, oatmeal, cheese and crackers. Always with a fruit and sometimes bread and butter as well. Eliot and Roslyn eat a lot at breakfast, Ivy is never hungry first thing in the morning, so I tend to just leave her breakfast out and she gets to it about an hour after she wakes up.
Yes, some kids like to linger and not eat right away...Oh, making it all work is, um, work.
DeleteOh, I can so relate to the schedule vs. go with the flow and perfectionist afraid of failure issues! My kids and I are all so much happier with more structure, but still I fight it. I love this post!
ReplyDeleteI know!!!! Why is it so hard for us mamas? That's why I posted that part of the demons tempting us...they know a schedule will make us happier!!
DeleteThis is so good- so much wisdom to what you are doing. I am finding I need a schedule for myself now that I'm retired or I'll end up getting distracted from my goals for the day and not accomplish them all. After being on a school schedule, bells every 45 minutes, since I was four years old, it's a whole new place outside of my comfort zone not to be on a structured one.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the cuteness break- cutie little boy!
I'm sure Shelly, it's fun to take a break and have no schedule for a while, but then after a while, it gets old and that schedule and order put life back into perspective!
DeleteWe've had a goofie week, gone off schedule, had company and cousins stay over and been so busy, and had to go off schedule, and I've seen it go back to being crazy. a schedule really is best.
Great post and thank you so much for the inspiration to not only get my own life better organized - but also to put the Lord first, like Mary (I love that story). I love your schedule. I am usually up between 5-5:30 a.m. (4:30 when school starts because I teach A hour which starts at 6:45 a.m.) and I love, love, love the early morning. Each day has so many wonderful possibilities at that time of the day. Good luck with your schedule and remember to be easy on yourself.
ReplyDeleteYou are SO right, even though, I love the evenings, I also love the mornings...when everyone is sleeping, so many possibilities as you said!
DeleteMy kids eat cereal every day for breakfast except Sundays when we have waffles, eggs, toast, bacon. I had daily cereal when I was a kid, and it sure is easy! As far as summer schedules, after praying for God to help me have a regular prayer time, I would get up at 6:30 and pray. Wake kids at 7. Breakfast. Mass (T,F, Sa). Snack. Lunch. Naps for 2 youngest and Mom while older kids read, do Spanish on computer, read 1 chapter of Bible, and have playtime. Kids pick up house and do daily chore (vacuum, clean bathrooms, or dust/sweep/garbages). Make supper. Eat. Pray rosary. Correct Math (husband helps). I forgot to write that the kids do their Math worksheets in the morning...we do Math during the summer. Fill in remaining times with playtime, projects, laundry, or grocery/Walmart shopping. For me, schedules really help get it done.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing when you write it all down, I was dizzy reading all you do, then thought, I do the same things!! We mamas, we are awesome!!!
DeleteWay to go Amy!
Jamie, I want to do it, too. I've been thinking about this since I read "The Mother's Rule of Life" but postponed it till the kids are older. Now I have no more excuse. You have inspired me to get on it! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI know, I read that book when my kids were little, I was like, My kids can't do that stuff....but you know, they are SO capable and much older now...I thought that book was a little TOO scheduled back then, I'll have to re-read it I think, thanks for the reminder!
DeleteGreat post, Jamie, that fed my die-hard perfectionist/OCD ways :) I always like to see how other families do it and what works/doesn't work for them. It gives me new ideas and helps too. You know what else, sometimes when I'm even in the midst of my crazy day I'll think of your schedule and what you are up to at that time. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteFor me, summer is tough because I thrive on 'knowing' and planning the day ahead. While there's the relief of no pressure to get school done and teach, I miss the chunks of scheduled time.
As with you, I've also learned that while I really despise mornings, my day goes much worse when I'm not up early. I need to get up and ready for my day before kids are up. The day just works better that way, even if it's not exactly my preference.
Breakfasts here are lazy. My kids like cold cereal and sometimes toast/english muffins. I just don't do hot breakfasts, no matter how much I've tried to make that work here. It also allows me to do Breakfast for Lunch one day a week then too where I do waffles, pancakes or eggs.
Lunch is always different, but I really want to get a rotating menu maybe every two weeks. I think this would help with always knowing what I need on the grocery list where lunch is concerned.
Sorry this is long. Thanks again for posting! I'll be stopping back to re-read as I start diving into a schedule for school coming up.
Oh, I love long comments! We do breakfasts for suppers (my husband loves breakfast anytime) I like the idea of doing breakfasts for lunch--the daily ones, you know "waffle Wednesdays" that way it's kind of fun...breakfast will have to be easy on school days.
DeleteI want to see your schedule when you are done! It is fun to see how other families do it and what works.
We go by a loose schedule. I wake up first - most days, still readjusting from meds - and I putz a little, exercise/pray. Kids up and play a bit (they are rarely hungry right away and two of my four really need this quiet play time to wake up). Breakfast followed by clean-up, dressing, making beds, putting clothes away. School work (we go year round), break/play, school, lunch and clean-up followed by play (my kids are crazy after lunch), school/reading, final clean-up - play outside after if able, dinner and clean-up, baths if needed, ready for bed, read, and stagger bed times. I don't put times in like you but the schedule is definitely there. We can still go with the flow if we need to, but I hate last minute changes (it's a long road in overcoming this!).
ReplyDeleteBreakfast - yes, usually cereal. I have a love/hate relationship with it. We do oatmeal once it gets colder. It's not too much extra work. On Saturdays and Sundays we only do two meals. If the kids are hungry other times, we have leftovers and snack items to eat.
Yes, meal plans are priceless! While we do eat out occasionally, it's rare and usually a source of anxiety for me (for diet issues and cross-contamination). So I always have to be on top of what to put on the table. I cut out morning snacks because the kids were wasting lunch. I'm thinking of moving the big meal to lunch time since my husband works from home. This will help once fall is here and dinner time activities start up. For now, I plan dinners but lunches are basically the same: leftovers or some version of a summer picnic that includes protein, dairy - for the kids, fruit and vegetable. I use what we have, didn't use, need to use, or growing in the garden.
For me, being able to wake earlier than the kids lately has worked wonders in my day. I love this time!
Yes, Nicole, we had I'd say a loose schedule before, we did things in order, but no specific time...when we do that though, supper is at 7:30pm and then there is no time afterward, just bedtime!! I like the specific times for the bones of the schedule...mealtimes/naptimes/bedtimes....
DeleteGood for you!!! You CAN have a schedule and still be carefree because now you know how much time in your day you actually have to BE carefree and still get everything else done. This is exactly why I wrote my book "A Plan for Joy in the Home". It is a workbook to help you plan out your day and it guides you to consider five important areas in your life - prayer, chores, meals, school and family/personal/hubby time. If anyone else feels like they need help with this, I hope you'll check this out! God bless you on your new endeavor, Jaime :)
ReplyDeletewww.aplanforjoyinthehome.com
laura--I have to get that book!! I will order it when I make my school order in the next couple weeks!
DeleteI found the book Mother's Rule of Life, (or something like that) TOO scheduled.
I really don't have a schedule in the summer. I fly by the seat of my pants. The school year keeps me on a tight schedule so that is probably why I slide big time in the summer. We can easily be in pj's till noon in the summer. I only plan stuff around weather...if it is hot we go to the beach..if not we clean or go to a park.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea though..and I bet kids like it too!
Oh, some do, some don't. Like everything!
DeleteI love creating schedules...but I am not very good at keeping them. I have 6 kids, my oldest is 11 w/ autism. He is crazy rigid about schedules, and helps me stay on track!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to keep yours. I know it can help when I actually do!
PS: yes, I make breakfast daily (cereal not an option because it grosses out the 11 year old!). We also attend daily Mass. That is a must!
I try daily Mass, but I go before they are all up...my goal is to go with all of them when they are older...You are doing awesome Jodi!
DeleteLove your post! I do have a schedule that I worked on just before summer started. Has it worked? Sometimes! I do have some time schedule for reading Bible and praying. I try to do that first, then exercise, then everything else. But once I log on computer is hard to detach from it. I tend to get distracted. I'm forgetful and yes also a procrastinator. Did I mention I was also a perfectionist? Hopefully things would get better when kids start school.
ReplyDeleteYes, we have prayer time at 9am, when I re-do the schedule for school, that will be included (written in)!
DeleteWay to go Rosario!!
Oh Jamie... how much I have to learn from you! I am SO not a schedule person, but do work off of "lists". I am also SO not a morning person, but find many a morning sacrifice for my family (Shaun's up at 3 or 4am and if I didn't get his lunch made the night before because everyone was finally sleeping and I was wiped... I'm up with him usually in the early morning... then Clara's up... then Ava) Today I thought to myself how unusual it is to start our day typically around 8/8:30. Clara wakes earlier and Shaun usually brings her to me to nurse in bed before he leaves for work at 5am (he IS a morning person... big time). I nurse her and she falls back to sleep and so do I, but we both know that you never sleep the same when you have a baby at your side. I always wake convincing myself I'm going to get a nap that day ...it doesn't happen, but makes me feel better to think it will. I'm always tired lately, but push through. We're up at 8/8:30am to "start the day". Ava's always been great. If she wakes up earlier she'll often just play on her bed. If she actually gets "off" the bed, she sits with her big teddy and "reads" books... every once and a while she'll call to me from her room "Hi Mommy!" all proud of being able to sit by herself. We stumble downstairs, I make her bottle and my coffee and we hang out on the couch together doing precious snuggle time and waiting for consciousness to descend on me. She's slow to warm up in the am too. We eat breakfast together (eggs are a biggie, cereal, oatmeal, waffles are the typical morning staples here) and within the hour Clara's ready to nap again. I put her to sleep around 9:30 and by the time she's out, Ava's ready at 10:30 for her 1st nap of the day. Clara's up around that time (only naps for an hour at 1st) and then she plays in the pack and play while I put Ava down (usually she's out by 11). Then I nurse Clara and get myself ready. 12:30/1pm comes quickly and Ava's up, then Clara's ready for another nap and it seems right now that we've got someone napping or nursing or eating all day long with spurts of play time/coloring/building/etc... built in. We run errands after 2pm typically (seems we can't get out the door before then). and Ava naps again around 3:30/4pm Shaun's in traffic till 6/6;30pm and then we have dinner/start winding down for the day (he may take them for a walk/play with them while I clean up and he gets to spend a little time with them before bed) Ava's ready for bed at 7:30/8pm at the latest and usually Shaun puts her in if he's home (if he's with Cheyanne it's all me all day because he's not home till sometimes 9:30 or even 11pm) They brush teeth, get jammies on, read a story (or 2 or 5), say prayers, sing, bottle and bed. It's special for them. I try to get Clara down at 8:30, but she could push it till 10:30 depending on the night. If she's in early we can usually watch one Netflix episode of some show like CSI, have a glass of wine, bowl of ice cream and usually he falls asleep during the show and I'm folding cloth diapers/clothes. He heads up to bed and usually I stay up catching up on what I wasn't able to do with 2 babies around all day... or I crash and end up getting up early with Shaun to make his lunch and spend a few moments together. Such is life with 2 littles! Wish it were more "scheduled" but can't seem to give up those cuddly times! When my mom's here to help, I usually try to run out here and there when they're napping or take Clara to run a few errands. ...well, THAT was a long response! Wish I was able to fit more prayer in. Working on it!
ReplyDeleteOh, Marijanna! Your prayer is your day!!
DeleteAfter "cloth diapers" I couldn't think of anything else. You are amazing. (obviously, no cloth diapers for me)
It is so hard with only littles. Even now with one (really) little, he's the only one who naps and it prevents us from doing a lot in the afternoons, because he needs his nap. When you have 2 napping, 2 times, it's amazing you get anything done.
Your girls are so little yet. Don't be so hard on yourself. You are doing awesome!!
Oh Jamie Jo. It is "inconvenient" at times to make sure their needs are met and still meet the demands of the home, but I also dont' want them to grow too fast. Seems they're going super lightning speed! I do try to pray when I'm rocking them or with them, but it seems so little. Still, I know Our Lord understands and sees my love for my family and hears my ejaculatory prayers throughout the day. Ava seems to give him more than ME, though. She loves Jesus and Mary SO much! Goes everywhere (including to bed and this morning to meet a friend for breakfast at a restaurant) with a little statue of Jesus. She holds him all day long and talks to him and kisses him. I often tear up at the innocence of her love for Jesus and Mary... she reminds me to pray.
DeleteOh, that was beautiful, brought tears to my eyes. Simeon just started carrying a Jesus statue around (little plastic one--very old) just today, it was so cute, he'd make the kissing noise, then he kind of gagged himself, by putting him too far in his mouth. That was the end of that for now. (haha)
DeleteThrough our children...you are so right, my kids do the same many many times....remind me to pray.
I dreamt last night that I was at a reception of some sort. I took the microphone and (over all the talking) told them about my struggles with procrastination, perfectionism, depression and overeating. What could it mean? Besides the fact that, like, I'm an extrovert to the ridiculous extreme?
ReplyDelete