Start of Autumn Term
I’m still hoping to make a “What did and did not work” with last term post, because that was helpful for me when I did it before. However, it didn’t happen last week. We’ll see about this week.
What I do want to tell myself before this term gets started — and I only have a couple hours left — is to work with what I got and what I know. I have figured out over the years what helps me “put my game face on,” what gives life a little perk for me, what helps and what hinders my state of mind and attitude. However, I also play this little game with myself where I think I shouldn’t need those silly little things to do what I should do, I should just do it. Well, my goal this term is to just go with those silly little things. They’re mostly silly and easy, and so why not?
So, this term I will
- Get dressed & put my hair up & put on shoes before the kids get up.
- Eat eggs (protein) for breakfast
- Drink a full waterbottle of water before making coffee
- Get up before the children, walk at least a mile, and spend at least 10 minutes reading my Bible first thing.
- Set out my clothes the day before (for walking & getting dressed), know what’s for dinner tomorrow, clear the counters and run the dishwasher before bed.
- Savor a cup of coffee while the boys have their before-school recess.
- Do not get on the computer after the boys are excused from breakfast until school is over.
- Keep quiet time quiet — no listening to talking or music during quiet time.
So far, first day, we have the first 5 down, and so it’s on to tackle the next three. If that’s what it takes to keep my sanity and peace of mind, to make myself feel like I can tackle my responsibilities, then why not? None of them are a big deal, really. And when the effect of ignoring them is feeling sloppy, shaky, and overwhelmed by sensory overload, then it’s really just plain dumb to ignore the physical realities that make my mental life easier or harder.
I really like this list. It seems that living this life is refining for us, hm? I especially identified with your last one. I made the mistake of allowing The Boy outside during QT last week. My understanding was that he wanted to be quiet, just outside. I was all in favor of it, until I heard a Kid Parade. He had three neighbor children over, and they were loudly marching all over, and their giant dog was in our yard charging the duck pen! It did not help that I was actually trying to nap, something I rarely do these days, and I woke up to a one-year-old boy tapping on the sliding door of my living room, his nose pressed hard against the glass.
Talk about lack of privacy. :)
Anyhow, I quickly reigned him back in and said that, from now on, QT must be quiet. And also alone.
I do not think, by the way, that you are silly for needing these things. We have to figure out how to make this work for the whole marathon.
Do you walk outside? Is it before your husband leaves for work? I would love to walk in the morning as well, but I have a hard time fitting it in before the kids wake up. Walking outside would be lovely (a bit chilly now). What I really wish is that my husband and I could walk together in the morning. I just need to get some older siblings for my kids…
Yes, I get up and walk before anyone else gets up. In the summer I got up at 5 and walked, but now I’m meeting my neighbor and we walk together at 6 for about 45 minutes. Everyone else gets up at 7. Right now it’s not too bad, although we wear two sweatshirts! I’m sure it will get to be too cold eventually, and then for awhile I’ll have an unpredictable baby and irregular sleep….but walking when the season of the year and of life is right is lovely — and made more lovely by having those contrasting seasons.