Category: Family Life

 

Starting at noon today our area is under a winter storm warning. Yesssssss!  I for one am excited.  I love snow.  The forecasters are predicting anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of frozen fluffy goodness. It has been quite a while since we’ve seen this much snow. There were a couple of days of snow in November where a couple of inches covered the ground. Just enough for a snowball fight and maybe build a miniature snowman. However, today’s snow brings hope of giant snowmen and snow bomb battles. Whoohoo!

In anticipation of said storm, grocery stores are bombarded. Bread, milk and eggs fly off the shelves.  The amount of French Toast consumed must be exponentially higher during inclement weather.   In our neck of the woods, our road crews are hard at work days before the snow hits. Generally, roads are cleared fairy quickly and we are not “snowed” in.  Until the roads are properly cleared and treated, stay home. Let those road crews do their job, they can get it done quicker and more thorough if we stay out of their way.

What should you do on a snow day? Relax. Enjoy the sense of peace that a good snowfall can bring. Step outside and take a deep breath.  Grab a magnifying glass and get up close and personal with a snowflake. PLAY.  Read a good book. Heck, read a bad book.  Snuggle (my favorite). Later today or tomorrow I am hoping to bundle up, get out and take some pictures. I am looking forward to throwing a few snowballs at Noah, and of course dodging some from him.  Hopefully, we can build a snowman. Our snowman gear is ready for action. I’m looking forward to making some snow cream just like when I was a child.   It is my intention to just enjoy myself and let nature run its course.

Warm wintery wishes on this Friday morning!!!

BE SAFE!!

Take care of you!

Kim

 

Like many, today is our first day back to the “grind” following the holidays. We’ve had just over two weeks off in our home. In those two weeks we have put on our lazy pants and have chilled. Too much snacking, too much TV and not enough movement. This morning I am hopeful that our school time will be “on point” and not hindered by our lack of activity as of late.

I am taking some advice from fellow homeschooling mommas to help us ease back into our daily routine. As this week is quite busy, we are going to take advantage of our few days that we are home bound. Today, fortunately, is one of those days. I’ve decided that today is pajama day. We get to stay in our PJ’s all day. We are not going into the day with full force. We are taking it easy, and having a little fun. We will do Reading and Math, as assigned, but Science, Grammar and Spelling are going meander off the path slightly. I have added in some entertaining videos and captivating experiments that both the kiddos will enjoy. I’ll admit when I filled out my planner this weekend and I went “hog wild”. Every subject was filled in with copious amounts of assignments. Even the specials had an over abundance of work . What was I thinking? Noah would look at me like I grew two heads. After careful consideration, I did a little restructuring.

Reorganizing our space also took priority. I did this on Saturday. We have what we lovingly refer to a “scloset“. We do not have a school room since we never used one when we did have one. Some days we sit on the bed, sometimes the dining table and if the weather is cooperating we will take it outside. Our “scloset” holds all our books and supplies, neatly and out of the way. The last few weeks before the holidays we took to throwing everything but the kitchen sink in our limited space. I threw away old papers, sorted and filed work for Noah’s portfolio and I restocked supplies. I also gathered all the curriculum that just wasn’t working for us and put it out of reach. Our space is now ready for the remainder of the school year.

Our extracurricular activities, Tae Kwon Do and Ninja Warrior Classes, started back last week. That helped with the transition back into reality. Especially since we had to add in a couple of extra appointments this week. Tuesday, we will take our schoolwork on the go. Taking grandpa to physical therapy, followed by a cardiology appointment, means our day is full. I planned around those activities knowing it was already going to be a challenge. Wednesday, our CO-OP group will meet at the Library. Noah and I are both looking forward to getting back to CO-OP time. However, this means creative planning had to be done to ensure we will not fall behind in our regular courses.

The best advice, which was given by several mommas, was to “Give yourself grace.” It’s a transition time for the whole family. Careful and creative planning will help with balance and harmony. However, grace will enhance the outcome.

To our homeschooling family and friends, I wish you the best “Back to School” week ever. Remember, take it easy and give yourself grace.

Take care of you,

Kim

Good morning. We are now a few days into the new year. With each new year comes an abundance of self-improvement visions. We all have them. Some of us more than others. One of my habits is list making.  I am pretty sure I have reached “Queen of the TO-DO List” status. I read once that people actually remember things better when they write them down on paper, rather than when they type them on a cell phone or a tablet. There is always a scrap of paper, a legal pad, a paper towel, the back of a grocery receipt lying around with a list scrawled on it. My most used spot for a list is usually the palm of my left hand.  Shawn always tells me to put it on my phone, but I guess I’m a little old-fashioned. I like the feeling I get by scratching off my accomplishments. It helps me stay organized, somewhat. This is my own “control the madness” method. I’ve learned that by creating lists and following through I am less stressed and I manage to get all my “stuff” done.

You see, I am a stay-at-home mom. A domestic goddess. The CEO of the Clouse House. I am a teacher, mediator, chef and chauffeur. I spend my days guiding an 11-year-old and wrangling a three-year old.  I am busy.  My way of controlling that busyness is by making lists.

As January commences, I find myself faced with a boatload of activities that need to be prioritized. I’m sure you do, too.  Right from the start this new month has brought new challenges to work through.  For instance, my bonus dad, who has Parkinson’s, has driving restrictions.  Generally, I drive him to his monthly doctor appointments. This particular month he has been ordered into a physical therapy program. It will be four days a week for four weeks.  His neurologist gave him PT orders that are outside of his driving range. Priority number one this month, find a PT that offers the specialized therapy within his driving circle.  This jumped to the head of my list since it would affect every other item on my list. Could it be done? The Challenge was accepted. I was determined to find a PT close to home.   I’ll admit the thought of having to load up the kids and doing schoolwork in a waiting room was overwhelming, as well as, a driving force.  That was the first thing on my list yesterday.  High priority, top of the heap, “nothing else gets done until this is settled” kinda thing.  Guess what? Yep, you guessed it. Mission accomplished. Not a whole lot was accomplished yesterday, and that is okay. Priorities, folks. Priorities. Sticking with my list, getting things done.

There are daily, weekly, and monthly lists. These are the most prevalent in my home.  Currently, I have a legal pad with all three types in progress. I also have a menu/grocery list in progress. In all likelihood, I could have a list to organize my lists. That might be a bit much.  Shawn often refers to my “lists” as OCD.  I say it’s good time management. 

All the main “to-do” lists have the same secrets of success and the same basic anatomy.  To understand the anatomy of a “to-do” list, you should start at the top, or the head, and work your way down. So lets start there, at the beginning.

1. Sit down the night before and write down everything you can think off that needs to be done the next day. Now grab that red marker and mark off those things that are not necessary. Choose 3-5 things you need to do the next day. Look at the list and decide if one of those can be done now. If so, do it.  Don’t forget to add phone numbers, addresses, emails, etc. This will save you a few minutes the next day.

2. Prioritize the list. What HAS to get done? What can wait? Understand the difference. You want to take on that list strategically. Do what is most important first. To keep yourself from stressing out and feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to be focused. If there are things you can do the next week, then do them next week. If you don’t need to think about it for a few weeks, put it on another list for future reference.  Do only what has to be done. If you get more things done that are not on your to-do lists, then you are winning your day and you are a rock-star.

3. Be flexible. Everyone knows that crap happens in life that we just cannot control. If you can’t get it done, tack it on to tomorrows list and move on. It is OK.

4. Finally, always, and I mean ALWAYS, include “ME” time to your list. This is extremely important. Take time for you. Read a book, take a bubble bath, do yoga, hide in a closet and drink a delightful cuppa jo while listening to Michael Buble’. Whatever your jam is, do it. Seriously, this is the most important step in this process.

 

Making a list is not for everyone. You might just use a calendar. You might just fly by the seat of your pants. You do what works for you.  Todays list for me includes:

✅BLOG

✅NINJA WARRIOR CLASS

✅GROCERIES

✅LESSON PLANS.

It’s time to get moving.  Have a fantabulous day. 

Take care of you

Kim