Goals update-the crash and burn edition

Really, do I have to say more then the title.

Here are my goals again:

One of my yearly goals is to be crocheting consistently so that when things are needed at the tea room or I need a last minute gift, I have those items on hand.- Crocheting has just not been happening.  Although I did get a pair of fingerless gloves done for my neice the other night.  That’s been it though.

Quarterly goal:  1.  To take and pass the pharmacy technician exam so I can become a certerfied tech.  I’d like to be ready to take that test by the end of March.- Trying to study some each week.  I’m also getting some additional help from a tech. at work.

January Monthly goals.

1.  Get the core subjects for school into better habit.- This really isn’t going bad.  In fact I have hopes that by February we will be able to bring back history with just some tweaking on how long they have to finish the core subjects each day.

2.  Read Shepherding a Child’s Heart.  I’m borrowing this from my sister-in-law in hopes of learning more about raising my children.-  I’m only getting about 2 chapters a week read but still reading it.

3.  Read the Proverbs. Doing well with this and will soon need to pick what I’ll be reading next.

(and now for the crash and burn parts)

4.  Finish Smiley’s dress that was suppose to be for Christmas.   -This has been put aside.  I’m not liking how it looks and I’m just not finishing it.  The question becomes now-Do I rip it out and save the yarn or just cut my losses and move on.

5.  Better meal planning.  Crashing-badly

6.  Attempt to complete Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30. -again crashing badly as I have only done it a total of 3 times.

Now in other related news, I started reading Push by Charlene Johnson I’m understanding the main ideas but struggling with the assignments.  To begin with it was very hard for me to reverse engineer my goals (which I’ll share shortly).  I just couldn’t come up with the long list she wanted me to.  Second, defining success was extremely diffficult.  As in I’m still not sure how to define it and it was yesterday’s assignment.  And todays, well, it’s not going much better.  I thinki I will keep reading it, I’m hoping that maybe once I have read it through, things will make more sense but I’m not sure.

As for the exercising.  Well I’m seeing a connection between school and exercising.  What is that connection you may ask- well I seem to have a problem sticking with something.  I tend to bounce around curriculum and workouts.  Also with exercising for the strangest reason I do better at it in the last 3 months of the year than I do the first 3 months of a year.  I’m not sure why but I do.  So since my weight seems to go up so easily, I know I need to get back on track if I want my clothes to continue to fit.  After all, when I go shopping for clothes next time, I want to be going for smaller clothes, not larger.  So for today, I’m just going to try and get my eating back under control (yesterday, I really let loose).  By Monday, I plan to be back to exercising regularly.  How?  Well that is yet to be determined.  Another thing I have noticed with exercising (and school stuff) I don’t like doing the same thing over and over.  Therefore, to do Ripped in 30 just doesn’t fit well with me.  She wants you to do the same workout for a week in a row.  Sounds a little boring.  Also I know I need to get back on the treadmill 5x a week.  I’m also taking into account a “tweaky” wrist that limits something.  Bottom line, when I figure out what I’m doing, I’ll let you know.  And now I was going to share the goals I came up with during my one Push assignment, but time is slipping away and I have things to do today.

Marriage Monday-Celebrating Womanhood

(I want to say up front I’m not sure what I’m doing with this but somehow I felt compelled to do it)

I am….. seeking God for direction on where to go.

I want….. to get out of debt!

I have….. many blessings.

I wish….. for a “personal day” with spending money.

I hate…..forgetting things.

I miss….. being able to just go.

I fear….. missing moments with my children.

I feel….. motivated to do something.

I hear…..dishes being washed and music.

I smell….. bacon from breakfast.

I crave…..friendships for myself and my family.

I search….. for ways to improve.

I wonder….. what my children will be like when they grow up.

I regret….. so financial decisions we have made.

I love…..to soak in the tub.

I ache….. when I see my children fighting.

I care…..about my family.

I always…..seem to end up playing the devil’s advocate.

I am not….. sure I have a handle on this mothering deal.

I believe….. that God is faithful and just.

I dance…. to my favorite songs, normally with one child on my hip and another holding my hand.

I sing….. along with songs that I know.

I cry…..at the drop of a hat, just ask my dh.

I don’t always….. deal with my children in patience.

I fight….. for the Truth.

I write….. more or less to help sort out what I’m feeling

I never…. sort clothes.  They all go into the wash.

I listen….. to music when ever I can.

I need….. to get more organized.

I am happy….. to be healthy.

Trying to find that Groove again

You know how at the beginning of the school year everything is new and fresh and you have to find a groove.  Then about 1 month into things start falling into place and there is a rhythm or groove to things.  Well we’re struggling to find that since the holiday break.  Course it doesn’t help that we had off 1 day last week and 1 day this week.  It doesn’t help that I don’t feel well and in all honesty could just care less about somethings right now.  See in my mind is this great schedule of how our day would look.  It never happens that way though and that can be discouraging.  I am flexible to a point.  Right now I’m trying to be accomdating to the fact that the weather is really nice for January and let’s face it they need the fresh air.  So they’ll do their school work after lunch, it’s not a big deal.  In fact, it’s really not the kids.  They seem to be doing well with the new system which leads me to wonder about a lot of things.  It really is me.  Me, trying to sort out what is important for the here and now, what can wait, getting over myself pity and moving on with things.  It’s me putting one foot in front of the other.  Only problem with that I don’t know where I”m going.  How can I put one foot in front of the other if I don’t know where I”m going.  Yes, I’ll be moving, but it doesn’t mean I’ll be moving in the right direction.  Wow, this post took a totally different turn from where it started.  However, sometimes it’s in my ramblings that things become clear.  I”m not saying that is currently happening.  I’m really feel I’m just rambling to get things out.  But hopefully with lots of prayer, focus will come.  So back to the original point of this post.  I need to find MY groove.  The kids seem to be doing just fine with getting done what is required of them (well with a nudge here and there).  I need to write out the to-do list (yes I need the physical list) and just start checking things off one by one.  That’s basically what I’m asking the kids to do.  I’m off to find my groove and check something off the to-do list.

1/6 week in review

So I thought I would take a little time and see how I’m doing so far for my January goals.

1. Get the core subjects for school into better habit.- This week has gone well with working just with these subjects.  We have had 1 penalty for not being done with in allowed time frame which resulted in not being allowed outside the following day until all of school work was done.

2.  Read Shepherding a Child’s Heart.  I have read at least 1 chapter each morning.  I’m really learning a lot and I wish I would have had this book BEFORE I had children.  Maybe I should buy 6 now so that I can give them to my children when I find out they are expecting.

3.  Read the Proverbs.  On Proverbs 6 so right on target.

4.  Finish Smiley’s dress that was suppose to be for Christmas.  Haven’t worked on it one stitch.  Hopefully this weekend I can.

5.  Better meal planning.  Didn’t go well this week.  Will try again next week.

6.  Attempt to complete Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30.  Got 2 days done and came down with a head cold.  Probably will restart next week.

 

So, overall not doing bad.  This helps me to see areas I need to improve on and encourages me to keep up with what I’m doing.

Some of my goals

So a lot of blogs I read have posted their goals for the entire year.  Good for them, I wish I could do that.  My mind just can’t right now.  Currently I have maybe 2 year long goals, 1 quarterly, and quite a few for the month of January.

One of my yearly goals is to be crocheting consistently so that when things are needed at the tea room or I need a last minute gift, I have those items on hand.

Quarterly goal:  1.  To take and pass the pharmacy technician exam so I can become a certerfied tech.  I’d like to be ready to take that test by the end of March.

January Monthly goals.

1.  Get the core subjects for school into better habit.

2.  Read Shepherding a Child’s Heart.  I’m borrowing this from my sister-in-law in hopes of learning more about raising my children.

3.  Read the Proverbs.  Yes, an easy task but I needed a starting place for getting back to better bible study.  I considered reading the bible in a year and may still do that (just either playing catch up or starting where I and going until I’m done) but for right now reading the Proverbs is good.

4.  Finish Smiley’s dress that was suppose to be for Christmas.  What can I say, there are only so many hours in my day.

5.  Better meal planning.  This is one of those things that I do well for awhile and then I get in a rut and it all falls apart.  There’s to trying again.

6.  Attempt to complete Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30.  Yes, I said attempt.  So far I’m on day 2.  I’m honestly not sure how I will do with it but I want to make an good attempt on it.

So there they are.  Some of my goals for the month, quarter, and year.  If nothing else, hopefully I can continue to set monthly goals and at the end of 2012 look back and say look what I did.

School plans update

So I really wanted to do a whole goals update seeing as it’s January 4th but time isn’t going to permit for that.  However, I would like to give an update for what I decided to do this month school wise after my last post about my mid-year crisis.  I was very hopefully that I would be able to start ambleside online with my oldest this month but it’s not happening, at least not as it’s suppose to because I just can’t get the books right now and my library has very few of them.  So even though I LOVE Guest Hollow’s American History 2 I found it too easy to push aside the core subjects of Language Arts and Math.  Yes, we covered them (math better than LA) but not like we should.  So I’m going back to the core subjects.  I printed out this planner from Donna Young and instead of using it for 2 children I used it for 2 weeks for the same child.  I filled in what pages I wanted covered on which day for them so they can simply pull out their “assignment sheet” and know what to do.  They come to me when they need help or when I call them and question them.  I’m also giving them a deadline in which it needs done.   If things aren’t done there are penalties that are child specific.  This gives them the choice of when they do what.  We are on day 2 of this plan and so far so good.  It amazes me as to what they choose to do first and when.  For example the oldest highly dislikes math and he chooses to do it first thing in the morning before breakfast even so that he can have it done.  My hope is that if I can get into a good routine with this then we can add back in the American History stuff.  Or, maybe ambleside as that would continue to allow them to work independently.  It’s going to be a hard decision.  However, that decision is further down the road as I have to get this into good practice first.

Changes for January?

Some people have mid life crisis, I seem to be having a midyear crisis.  I’m wanting a change for my exercise program, fear and doubt are creeping in over schooling stuff, and as I reflect on 2011 I realize not a whole lot stands out.  This leads me to question, doubt and want to make changes.  Course then the problem is where do I start?

Exercising was easy.  I picked a new video for myself, told myself I needed a challenge and thus I’m going to do Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30.  That is January’s goal exercise wise.  I want to complete (to the best of my ability) that video.  I’m not saying I’ll be ripped at the end of 30 days but hopefully I will be in better shape and then I can reexamine what I want to continue with.  The current thought is to do Ripped in 30 and then resume NRL4W stage 5.  All of that is of course subject to change.

School on the other hand, is much harder.  I have thoroughly enjoyed Guest Hollows American History 2 studies.  I find them enjoyable, easy to do, and just full of wonderful learning experiences.  However, I find that I neglect? the core subjects.  Oh we still do math and LA but not as well as I would like.  So my current thinking is that for at least a month I should stick to just those core subjects.  That leads me questioning my orginal picks for the year as to if they are enough or not.  To further complicate things if I’m to change things I will be without stuff for a week as we are to start back to school 1/3.  On top of all of this, Dozer wants to do school which I hadn’t planned on for this year.  That means better time managment so that everyone has some of my time which I struggle with already.

As for other goals, I want to set some but as one post I just read said you need to know what your priorities are so you have a “final destination”.  I have a vague idea of where I want to be but somehow that just doesn’t seem to cut it.  That post definately provides excellent tips I just have to remind myself I don’t have to have decided right.this.minute.    That is sometimes my problem too.  I think things need to be done RIGHT NOW.  but the timing is off and I can’t focus and then it all falls apart.  So I think I need to just pray about it.  After all there is no rule that says “Goals have to be set on 1/1″.  I coasted through 2011 if I don’t have goals set until 1/31, I will still have 11 months of 2012 to accomplish them.

It’s funny how typing this out has helped me.  It’s like, hey look, you’re typing good advice, TAKE IT!  So that’s what I’m going to do.  I’m going to take 2 steps back, pray, and then see what God is saying to me.  I don’t have to have my goals planned out for January 1st.

Thursday’s Christmas Tradition/Symbol

So yesterday we discussed Christmas cards.  I find it quite interesting that the post office superdient complained with Christmas cards first became popular because he had to hire more mail carriers for the Christmas season.  I can’t say we’ve gotten a lot of cards this year.  It’s a little sad but I’m hopefully that more will be coming.  We talked about that too about how much we enjoy receiving Christmas cards and I encouraged them to make one to send to someone.  Only one took me up on that offer (and I need to get it mailed today).

I chuckled to myself how on the same day we talked about Christmas cards The Happy Housewife had a post on them which I thought was very good.  In fact I would encourage you to read the post and send a card, just one card to some one that might be lonely this season.  Or if you can’t think of anyone get a card and drop it off at a nursing home and ask them to put the name of someone who doesn’t get visitors on it.

We have ours displayed around a door (well sorta)

Next year though I may make one of these:.

 

As for me I’m waiting on a few pictures so I can send my last few cards but most of them have gone on their happy little way.  They weren’t hand written but I did take time to get a good family photo and pick which card design I liked.

Tuesday the 13th Book and Movie

So this week’s book and movie were: The Polar Express and The Muppet’s Christmas Carol.  This was the first time I ever read the book Polar Express and found it good.  I love the Muppet’s Christmas Carol and look forward to watching it each year.  I got lucky this year as I was able to DVR it since I currently only have it on VHS and don’t have a vcr now.

It’s hard to believe that we are only 1 1/2 weeks away from Christmas.  I’m trying to spend this week cleaning since we are done with school for the time being.  I got most of my Christmas cards mailed today and I just need to get 2 pictures printed to go into 2 cards and then I’ll be done with cards.  I still have 3 gifts to get and one I can’t even decide on.

And since no elves have shown up to clean for me I guess it’s time for me to get up and do it.

Tuesdays, Thursdays and what we made today

Yep,  as is par for course I got behind this week.  So here’s what’s going on:

Tuesdays:  These are book and movie days.  The book doesn’t normally relate to the movie.  So this past Tuesday we read An Orange for Frankie and they watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon verison) and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.  We had also read about how the song and story came about for Rudolph so that was a nice tie in.

Thursday:  Christmas Symbols/traditions.  Yesterday we reviewed the origin of the Candy Cane.  Bam-Bam was able to recap last year’s lesson on it quite well but I still read the article I had on it, and then I let each of them have a candy cane.  I could have done a whole lapbook on these subject but decided against it this year.

For this week’s Making Something Friday we are doing Oreo Truffles.  These are super easy and I have a plan for how all the children (minus the youngest) can participate.  I have divided the oreos into small bags with about 7 in each.  This will allow them to all help with crushing the oreos (I have back oreos in case of spillage or anything else).  Then I will allow them to each roll some of the balls in the chocolate.  This will be harder with Dozer and Tater Tot but I know they will want to be involved and this is the best way I can do it.  So that’s it for this week.  Come back and see what we read, learn, and do next week.