Site Title

I hadn’t planned on participating in this particular fair, but I thought if I did, maybe I would have some accountability.  Not that y’all would check on me, but at least it’s out there in written form instead of in my mind where I could change pretend I didn’t make not own up to having made these resolutions.  So, here goes:

• Exercise.  I plan to get some.  I have this grand plan, but know that I won’t be able to really do that every week.  So, a reasonable one for me is to take in at least 3 days a week of exercise.  The days may be different, but I will follow the schedule I have set.
• Organize my financial life.  I take care of the finances, but for the past year I’ve been very unorganized.  I’m still unpacking so my office is a mess, but I need to get my act together.  I’ve lost 2 bills that I’ve missed the deadline on.  It’s not a good way to start the new year.  So, my goal is to keep on top of my bills and not be late.  Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t know where the water bill is either.  Yikes!!
• Be more diligent about read alouds.  I need to set chunks of time aside to read all the wonderful books I’ve accumulated over the past year from the recommendations of the 4 Real Learning messageboards, Real Learning book list, Mater Amabilis curriculum and many other places.  Our days tend to just flow not based on time but on what is next on the list.  I need to schedule read alouds in to our day.  This flows then right into the next one.
• Have a more structured day.  We do not do well with having our day scheduled too rigidly because if we happen to miss the time for, say, school to start, my autistic son would not be able to recover easily.  So, I like to have our day structured by task.  For instance, when we return from therapy, we have lunch, then naptime for baby, then school once she’s asleep.  This helps all the children know how the day will run and they usually don’t have a meltdown when we transition.  Having said that, I will admit to not always following a schedule after school is done.  That makes for a free form day which does not work too well (meaning nothing ever gets done because we’re all just playing).  Also, I need to make a schedule for everyone with pictures so that everyone will know what’s coming next. 
• Have more fun with the kids.  I want our days to include more fun things.  It could even be just a fun thing we do each week.  I don’t know I just know I need to be more fun.  I’m too much of a work, work, work person and let the kids just go play on their own.  So, I need to set aside some time to have fun with them.
• Nature.  I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m just not an outdoorsy type of person.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love nature–from afar.  However, my children love the outdoors as most children do.  So, this is one of my biggest ones and the one I am most apt to fail at.  Nature study.  Nature walks.  Learning more about our surroundings. 
• Spiritual growth.  I have so many books to read that I’ve purchased this past year.  It’s a compulsion I’m trying to overcome.  I’ll see a book recommended, fall in love with it, purchase it, and it sits on my shelves because I don’t have the time to read it.  It takes me a long time to read books that require a lot of thinking because I have to concentrate so hard.  So, I want to get through all the books, and try not to purchase any more.
• Prayer growth.  Pray the rosary more often.  Try to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet every day.  We already pray the chaplet often so I want to get it in every day.

Well, that’s quite a hefty list now that I’ve put it on paper (so to speak).