Day 21 - Rest time

Rest… Nap time… Siesta… All of those words make me want to take a deep breath and just sigh with pleasure.  Right now, I am experiencing such pleasure.  My girls are all in their rooms, the monitor is quiet, and all is well.  As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, rest time is mandatory in our family if we are home.  There are times when errand running goes late, naps get overlooked, and then I just look forward to early bedtimes.  But for the most part, everyone (including my 8 year old) knows that soon after lunch, everyone will have some down time.  

Rest time is important to us for these reasons:

1. Mama needs it!!  Everyone else may say they don’t need it, but I do!  No matter what I do during this time, it is important to get a break and refresh myself to be the mom & wife I desire to be for the rest of the day.

2. Children of all ages need time to let their bodies rest.  I spent my elementary years at a boarding school and learned so much during that time.  Part of our daily schedule was resting after lunch in which we could sleep or read.  My 8 year old never sleeps now, but is allowed to read, color, or do another quiet activity.  

3. It gives opportunity to read.  Most days, I’ll read to my younger two before they lay down, but then they enjoy looking at books as well until they fall asleep.  My five year old doesn’t fall asleep as much as she used to, but she will often play quietly with her dolls until it’s time to get up.  

Tips for Rest time:

o One idea that has helped my girls when they were at the difficult age of not sleeping as much (but still restless) was to allow them to listen to books on tape, music, or Adventures in Odyssey to help the time go by.

o Be firm.  Nap time is not optional.  There have been seasons in which I have had to lay down with a child till she falls asleep.  Be consistent though.  

o Have busy boxes for children who may need something tangible to do, but can sit still.  Here are some great ideas from another mom.  "What to do when naptime ceases"

Day 21…     10 days to go…

Day 20 - Grocery Budgeting

Believe it or not, I watched for the first time last night, the show, Extreme Couponing.  Several years ago, I considered myself to be quite the couponer, and even taught a couple of classes.  I wasn’t a shelf clearer or cereal hoarder, but we always had a good enough stock pile to provide for our family.  Then, I had baby #3 and started homeschooling.  So for the past year at least, I’ve done very little couponing due to lack of time, stress, and our desire to eat more wholesome foods.  I have many friends who have even more children, homeschool or work full-time, and are still able to coupon.  I would love to start incorporating it more into our budget again because I know the benefits are worth it.

Over this last year, I’ve read of different moms who are able to provide healthy food for their families without breaking the bank.  They budget a certain amount per month, plan a menu that allows them to stay within that budget, and shop accordingly.  This has not been as easy as they make it look.  We budget $335 in our budget for groceries (this includes toiletries and paper goods), but it’s often closer to $375 - $400 when the month is over.  When I couponed, it was easier to keep it closer to $300.  

We are a primarily vegetarian family (my hubbie eats meats when we eat out), which saves us from having to buy meat.  We do purchase fish to eat once a week, but sometimes it is just canned tuna.  We try to eat as much organic as possible.  We’ve bought organic milk for a few years (due to medical reasons for our girls), and have slowly tried to transition to organic yogurt, hormone-free cheese, free-range eggs, etc.  Obviously when we eat away from home, we are not so choosy.  Right now, I primarily shop at Aldi, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Harris Teeter.  My desire is to one day have my shopping list taken directly from my menu to help me shop less during the month.  One thing that has helped us to stay closer to our budgeted amount is to take out cash at the beginning of the month.  By allotting myself only a certain amount when I go the grocery store helps me to not splurge as much as when I just pull out a card to swipe.  

Here are a few examples of healthy grocery budgeting:

• Keeper of the Home – “What I would feed my family on a monthly          budget of $250”

• Poorganic – “Grocery budget for one actual month”

• Passionate Homemaking – “A peak at our real food budget”

Day 19 - Finances

Money… Studies show one of the greatest areas of conflict in marriages concerns a couple's finances.  Usually one person is the saver, while the other is the spender.  Obviously, this can cause some tension in the home, if communication (another area of conflict) is not flowing in friendly fashion.  We have had our share of high wired Monday night budget nights.  I strongly believe though, that one of the keys to staying on the same page concerning your family’s finances is to have a budget.  You either feel goosebumps of excitement over that word “budget” or you are experiencing your lunch returning at the thought.  

We are definitely blessed to have been carefully guided by my parents in this area.  Debt has never been an option for us (except for a house payment).  My dad told Marty soon after we started dating that if he even considered marrying me that he needed to go ahead and pay off his debts.  He did so promptly, for which I am so thankful.  There may be times in the future in which we will need to get a loan of some kind, but only in extreme circumstances.  

I’ll not bore you for much longer, but I just wanted to give a glimpse of the categories we use in our family budget.  We have gleaned these from Crown Financial Ministries, Dave Ramsey, and other friends who have shared from their years of budgeting.

o Tithe (10% of our income given to God through our local church)

o Utilities (water, electricity, gas for our home)

o Phone (cell phones & internet)

o Auto Insurance (we pay yearly, but budget an amount once a                 month so it’s there when it’s time to pay)

o Gas (for our two vehicles)

o Auto Maintenance (oil changes, car repair, etc)

o Groceries (I hope to write about this area tomorrow.)

o Recreation (eating out, Redbox movies, Netflix, etc)

o Clothing (for our whole family)

o Medical/Dental (doctor bills, prescriptions, medicines from Whole         Foods)

o Mortgage (our monthly payment & our neighborhood fees)

o Missionaries (Right now, we support two families minimally and           hope to add another family soon.  This portion is to be given in                   addition to our tithe.)

o Savings 

o Vacation (We feel that getting away even for a night or two is so             important as a family, so we make this a priority in our budget, even         if it’s just a little bit.)

o Christmas (We set aside $50 a month toward Christmas and by               the time Christmas comes, we can enjoy the blessings of giving debt-         free.)

o Gifts (birthdays, graduations, baby showers, etc)

o Blow money (Marty & I have a small amount allotted each month         to spend as we please.  From this money, I enjoy my scones &                   coffee each week, and any craft items I want to buy.)

o Home school (We budget a certain amount for the year and use             this money for books & supplies, extra-curricular activities, our                 home school co-op, and field trips.)

o House Maintenance

o Miscellaneous (stamps, batteries, etc)

o Retirement

o Insurance

Hopefully, this wasn’t too boring.  I wanted to address this subject because I feel so strongly about it, and also to encourage me to be more diligent in keeping up with our own budget.  Our “plan” is to look over our budget on a weekly basis as a couple, adding receipts to the checkbook, deducting from the budget, and staying on tract together in our family’s spending.  Still an area that I need to work on…

Day 18 - Savor each season

Today I was supposed to write about finances and the stress that can bring to a family.  But I really don’t feel like writing about that.  Instead I want to share some pictures of our day, and savor the memories of the season, for sometimes it’s simply enjoying the fun moments of a family that bring the most sanity.  We were probably crazy to attempt the State Fair & the pumpkin patch in one day, but we did it anyway, and it would have been picture perfect if were not for my boots.  Fashion hurts!  It’s pretty sad that by lunch time I’m drooling over every pair of tennis shoes, flip flops, and Tom’s (even though I’ve never even tried them.)  Lessons learned…  

I learned today that maple cotton candy is better than honey cotton candy.  I learned that my middle child is fearless on rides, but will not milk a cow.  I learned that if tired enough my little one will fall asleep strolling through the midway full of rides.  I learned that after a day full of rides, food, and cow milking, my oldest finds her excitement in running in the rain through a pumpkin patch.

Savor each season… Day 18.

Day 17 - Freedom in Freezer Cooking

Even with a menu plan, there are days when I still can’t think of what to fix for supper, and when the girls ask me what is for breakfast, cereal is the only answer I can give.  I have read about freezer meals for years.  I’ve even tried to do freezer meals by myself and with others.  It’s a lot of work that is supposed to save me time in the long run.  I go through phases.  But it’s always worth another shot, especially with the plethora of resources out there.  

My goal is not to spend an entire Saturday cooking up a storm and filling my freezer full.  But instead, I hope to freeze a few breakfast items and snacks that I can pull out in a pinch, and a couple times a week, doubling a pasta dish or soup while cooking supper, so that I’ll have extras for busy days.  Simple… I hope.  

Here are a few of the many resources I’ve found through Pinterest & other favorite blogs (note:  most of them are vegetarian):

o A Frugal Simple Life – lots of recipes!  I’m excited about trying the Popeye Pie & Meatless Tamale Pie

o Once a Month Cooking – one of the most well known freezer blogs with several different options

o Good Cheap Eats – 31 days of freezer cooking & she’s also written a book, Not Your Mother’s Make-Ahead & Freeze Cookbook

o Money Saving Mom – Lunchbox freezer friendly cooking

I'm always looking for more vegetarian freezer meal ideas, so pass them this way if you have a favorite!

Day 16 - Homeschooling

When my oldest was only six months old, I knew without a doubt that our family was going to home school.  Even as I trained for my degree in Elementary Education, my main purpose in achieving that diploma was for the sake of my children.  This does not make me a saint or a martyr.  I do not have the patience of Job, and if I told you that I didn’t doubt myself every single day, I’d be lying.  But I do know that God has called our family to train our children at home for the time being.  

(I will say from the beginning that homeschooling may not be for every family.  Some of the most amazing families I know send their children to other schools.  In our youth ministry, some of the strongest Christian teenagers came from our state’s public education.  So, in everything I say concerning homeschooling, there is no judgment of other families for the choices they make concerning their children’s education.)

There is much stress that can come with homeschooling.  

- Did I choose the right curriculum?  

- Are we covering enough every day to accomplish the year as a                   whole?  

- Can I really teach them to read?  

- Will they look weird? (my husband’s biggest concern when we                   started)

- How do I teach two different grades while entertaining a toddler?

The blessings definitely outweigh the struggles.

- Field trips to go along with what we are studying

- Vacations when it fits my husband’s schedule and when places are             the least crowded

- Learning as family about our nation’s history and how the world               began

- Approaching science from all avenue’s  (curriculum, library,                       internet, museums, etc)

- Shorter school days

- Training our girls in homemaking skills (cooking, sewing, cleaning)

- Time throughout the day to point them to our maker & master in             the little things

- Each child can move at her own pace

The lists could go on, but I hope that when the stress tends to mount and I want to throw in the towel, that I’ll be reminded of the reasons why we chose to take this path.  I am very thankful to my husband for supporting me in this, for without his support, I know I couldn’t continue.  

A glimpse of today:  As I finishing typing this at 3 pm, we are just now starting our school work.  I didn't get to our lesson planning till this morning, pushing our school time till after rest time.  My middle child is digging in her heels with all her might, not wanting to do her school work.  My oldest finds her piano stool to be more comfortable to sit on, causing her to practically lay all over her desk.  The dryer has now been started for the second time and breakfast dishes still await to be washed.  My progressing potty trainer is chilling in her diaper and winter coat while playing with Polly Pockets.  Exhausting, isn't it?  But it will all get done (at least what is important) and when all else fails, there is always tomorrow.

Day 15 - Contentment

There are days when words fail to come, days in which silence is golden and the world is just too loud.  There are days when everyone else’s grass looks so much greener and I want more of what I do not have.  Discontentment… 

In the book, Calm my Anxious Heart, Linda Dillow gives a great prescription for this.

• Never allow yourself to complain about anything, not even the                   weather.

• Never picture yourself in any other circumstance or someplace else.

• Never compare your lot with another’s.

• Never wish this or that had been otherwise.

• Never dwell on tomorrow, remember that it is God’s, not ours.