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how I am preparing for school to begin part 2

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For summer time, I don’t like to have to much of a scheduled day, I enjoy being lapse in what we do as a family.  It allows me the freedom to be able to work on projects.  I took the first part of my summer months and worked on finding all of my children’s education for FREE online.  This has worked out to be a huge blessing in my life.  No need to budget for school curriculum.

It is winding down to the last month of summer for us.  I am going to begin school the first week of September.  I wanted to get all of my schedules and charts printed off and start implementing them with my children.  I have found that the more I can do to “prep” my lifestyle will lead to less stress later on.  If I can get my children to focus on doing their charts and lists, it will help  me not have to deal with that issue as well as learning issues.


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Here is my wall of clipboards.  I made these last year and it has saved me from having too much paper clutter on my kitchen counter.IMG_20140729_220736

One of the first charts that I made was for the little children. Notice I put it lower so that the little ones can see it.  Kind of hard for a 3 year old to see a chart way up high.

Every morning we would get up and do the same routine.  Each morning, I grew tired of telling them to brush their teeth and pick up their clothes.  I need them to have some sufficiency.  It grows character in them to be able to do things on their own.  Now the 5,4, and 3 year old go to the picture chart and do their morning tasks.IMG_20140729_220755

You can make your own very easily, by listing what your morning preparations are and finding a clip art photo online to go with it.   We have implemented this for about a week and they are getting used to it.

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Now for my  “middle” aged ones, I noticed how they constantly would do things only if I told them to.  Something as routine as pick up your room, was forgotten unless I reminded them.  I want my children to grow and be independent.  I want them to do things on their own.  Thus I came up with their morning and evening daily chart. Now each morning, they know exactly what they have to do BEFORE they can play video games or watch tv.  When school starts this will be completed and then they will be beginning school for the day.

[gview file=”https://plainandnotsoplain.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/kids-morning-checklist.pdf”]

Around our home, we have many variables whether we have older helpers or not.  Some days my oldest children are working and sometimes they are home.  It was hard to do chore packs like we used to do, because if an older one wasn’t home, someone else had to do their work.  Instead of trying to schedule my days around children that may or may not be there, I decided to make a check list of chores that needed to be done.  That way whoever could help in the morning, does.  I also listed a check list for myself.  The reason being, is that sometimes I leave early and let my older ones watch the children.  If they know what Mom’s usual chores are they can help do them.  Here is my morning checklist for chores.

[gview file=”https://plainandnotsoplain.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Morning-Chore-List.pdf”]

Now I have some accountability for my children, it frees me from having to micromanage them, and it lets them be in charge of themselves.  My children will awake in the morning and do their checklist then we will begin school.  I haven’t actually started school yet so I don’t know how our days are going to go just yet, look for that in future post.

But I do know that in the afternoon, before dinner time, I am going to do a quick pick up of the home before Dad gets home.  We also will be doing some afternoon chores.  Again, I don’t know which children will be home, so I made a list for each day of the week and different areas I wanted to focus on cleaning.

I put these in plastic sleeves to protect them and hang them on the clipboards.  Each morning as I am serving breakfast I switch the papers to the correct day.

I still keep to a certain day for each task, with a few more thrown in:

Monday==laundry day

Tuesday==office day

Wednesday==baking day

Thursday==cleaning day

Friday==errand day

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[gview file=”https://plainandnotsoplain.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Monday.pdf”]

 

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I have also printed off some of my favorite bible verses and hung those among the clipboards.  I put my children’s names on the clip board as well.  I want to be able to “clip” their papers for the day onto them.  This will allow my counter tops to be free of paperwork.  I have one for everyone doing school this year.

I also have a clipboard for my night time reminder checklist.

[gview file=”https://plainandnotsoplain.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Mom-checklist-for-nighttime.pdf”]

This will help me to be better prepared for the coming day.  When you can wake up to an empty sink, toys picked up, coffee ready, and breakfast planned out—it makes the morning smoother.

By planning to prepare for my mornings, I am preparing for a smoother start to my day.

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How I am preparing for school to begin part 1

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The lazy days of summer………….just go by too quickly.  We have had a GREAT summer so far!!  This has been a very fun year for my family.  It really has been one of the first that I have been able to do so much “socially” and it is rather fun:) I remember the days of being tired and worn and then how life just got easier.IMG_20140724_154115

Since I don’t do Instagram, here is some of the fun we have enjoyed this summer…..going to the fair.

**A testimony, I wasn’t planning on going to the fair and didn’t budget for it.  My husband, being as awesome as he is, said just take some money and go.  Me, being frugal said, “no, let us roll the change jar and see what we come up with.”  Well the children, after finding out we were going that day, hurriedly rolled all the money.  We had $67.  Took it to the bank and we were off.  I had to put some gas in, cost me $10.  We then paid for parking, $15 and we bought $40 worth of tickets. .    That was enough for each child to go on 2 rides each!!!  We then paid $2 to feed some butterflies.  It really was a blessing to say to my children, look how cool God is.  He provided a day for us that we weren’t going to have.

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Most of our afternoons are spent outside on the swings.  IMG_20140724_191942

Or catching chickens…….IMG_20140724_192122

or ducks if you are fast enough:)IMG_20140727_165618

Swimming has been something the children have done a lot of this summer.  We definitely put our pool to use this summer.  We used to go to our local beach but it got to be more of a hassle with so many little ones, so my husband said lets buy a nice big one that they can all swim in.  At first I didn’t want to spend the money, but I am glad that we got the larger sized pool.  We got the Intex Ultra Frame 18×52.

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The pool sets up easy, took maybe an hour to set up.  It is nice and sturdy.  Definitely needed around here.
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More “sturdy” toys.  We bought this heavier duty tricycle and it has lasted over the years much more than the typical tricycle.  Jentzen likes to ride it around the yard, picking up wood for Daddy. IMG_20140523_205146

We did lots of fires outside, enjoyed eating dinner outside as much as we could too. I love it because the mess is much easier to clean up.  We have chickens, they will come eat the scraps!!!IMG_20140601_113202

Bubbles—fun time for outside.IMG_20140614_132802

We went to many local parks this summer as well.  This one was more of a walking, wooded park.  IMG_20140614_134120

Dad took us on this adventure and we all got eaten alive!!!  Bug spray next time.  We enjoyed seeing turtle nests.  Good fun memories for the children.
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We have enjoyed our open mics outdoors.  Here Daddy was rocking it with Tony our old drummer from church.  IMG_20140718_214924This has been one of our favorite activities to do as a family.  Bringing teenagers together and having a good time of fellowship.  We even provide a “spot light.”  Good times.

We have been doing lots more, but that at least is a “glimpse.”  I enjoy taking a break from school routine and schedules.  Let us sleep in a little later, watch a few more movies, let the children stay up until it gets dark, all the good things about summer.  I enjoy getting together with friends, planning my days around what time we are going to make it out to the pool, and what I will cook over the fire for dinner.

Well it all sounds fun and dandy, but reality is……………I have a family of “real” people and life doesn’t always look like it does in my pictures.

Teenagers do more socializing and are away from home more and then come home tired and crabby.  Children get lazy and play more video games and watch more movies.  Little ones, start getting moody because they need something to do and start fighting with each other.  Keeping little ones up past “normal” bedtime hours leads to crabby toddlers the next day.  Cooking dinner over a fire, isn’t always on time.  Little ones don’t usually do well waiting when their tummies need food.   Mom kind of gets a little “bored” (did I say that??!?!?) and would like some structure.

Well all that happens and things start coming apart, I know it is time to start planning my days for school.

So how do we do it?  Watch for tomorrows post on preparing for school to begin part 2.

 

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