Getting it all done....

Being a momma of many, I am often asked the question, "How do you do it all?" Well, after many years, I think I can finally share with you my secret. Would you like to hear it? Are you sure? It's pretty profound. Okay, here it is..............I DONT do it all! Not much of a secret, right? Buy it is the truth. Hopefully it doesn't come as a shock to any of you, but I am no supermom. I had to hang up that cape long ago. But even though my days are busy and my house is never quiet (except when everyone's in bed!), there are a few things that have helped us accomplish what we need to and keep the chaos under control.

1. Put the Lord first! I can't emphasize this enough! Find time to spend with the Lord each day,whether that means getting up earlier or staying up late-even if you have only a few minutes...spend that time digging into the Word and building your relationship with Him! Remember, prayer can be done anywhere! Changing poopy diapers, washing dishes, or making dinner-the Lord is always listening!

2. Prioritize! Spend time in prayer, seeking what God would have you do with your days. Just because your friend's kids are all involved in certain activities doesn't mean that yours have to be. Likewise, just because someone else grows all their vegetables in their garden doesn't mean you have to either! What we do doesn't make us a better mom or a better homeschooler. The Lord has a different plan for each of us-and one way is not necessarily better than another. Remember that when you add something to your schedule, you have to take your time away from something else. Spending time on doing crafts may mean the laundry won't get done. Running to an activity may mean that dinner is drive-thru that night. What priorities does the Lord want you to have? Seek those and plan around that.

3. Keep a schedule. We have a daily schedule Monday thru Friday (weekends off-schedules drive Dad nuts!) We use MOTH as the basis for scheduling and it has proved quite helpful. Our schedule is not quite as structured, especally in the afternoons, but it gives us some direction and structure to our day and helps keeps littles occupied. No matter how loose, a schedule can help provide guidance and helps kids know what to expect from each day.

4. Organize your house! Let me tell you, all your scheduling efforts will be in vain if you can't find anything you need! If you're scheduled to work on math for an hour each day, but spend 20 minutes trying to find the book, that's just wasted time! Spend some time going thru your house, decluttering and throwing stuff out you don't need-then spend some time organizing what's left I love Rubbermaid boxes of all sizes to store things. I use different sizes to organize kids toys in our gameroom and keep track of school items on our bookshelves. If it were up to me, nothing would ever be out of place, but oh yeah, that's not reality...which brings me to the next item......

5. Have realistic expectations. This one is hard for me sometimes. I would love for everything to stay clean, my kids to always 's obedient, and to always get everything crossed off my "to-do" list. Well, let me tell you, it will ever happen-and if you think it is possible, you will make you and everyone else miserable trying to achieve it. If you find yourself always irritable and frustrated, you probably have very high expectations. Nothing wrong with goals, but is it worth it to always be angry that everyone is not living up to what you expect? If you think I'm up on my soapbox here, I'm really just speaking from experience. I know how this is-and it's not pretty!

For now, there's my list-a few things that help us keep life running a little smoother. yes, we have more specific things, but I don't have the time or space for that now! It's time for bed (that glorious quiet time!) Goodnite!