1) Pre-home school for Silas and Tot School for Oliver: I did this for four or five weeks, and loved it. So did Silas! I can tell he's definitely ready for a few informal but focused preschool sessions like this each week. It's also been great focusing on something specifically for Oliver, as I'm finding he mostly just tags along, which is fine some of the time, but he deserves something just for him too, right? With planning for and actually going on a holiday and trying to squeeze in all the last minute summer plans this month, I decided to give it a break and pick it back up in September. I haven't taken leave completely, however, as I'm getting things better organized to make planning activities and gathering supplies easy and efficient. I've also been on the lookout for good toys and tools to purchase for a good price that I can use in Tot School for both Silas and Oliver as well as organizing helpers such as drawers and shelving to keep everything tidy and easy to access. I plan on putting up a post showing what I've done and how I keep everything together soon.
2) The Garden: Well, let's just say this one was a bit of disappointment. My brother and sister in law (in laws?) are a very busy family and are often not home so I never did connect with her and get those outdoor toys. Such a shame, and my fault entirely. I'm sure if I'd have made a bigger effort, I could have brought them down somehow. However, the garden isn't a complete failure. While a far cry from perfect, it's still growing well, weeds and all, and I look forward to a great potato, tomato, corn and pea crop! Oliver, it turns out, is allergic to me weeding. As soon as I begin, he begins to cry, no matter what neat thing I've set up for him or long-forgotten toy I brought for him to use. Even snacks didn't help! So not a lot of weeding has been done, and I've learned to accept that my garden will not be picture worthy for years to come - my youngest will probably be three or four at least!
3) Dairy Cow: I was SO disappointed to learn that my perfect little Jersey (whom I was going to name Florabelle) broke into the grain storage and ate so much grain, she died. This is not uncommon among cattle but I was devastated. This cow, by all descriptions, seemed absolutely perfect for us. So now we begin to search again. I still plan on obtaining a cow in the near future, as soon as I find the right cow for us.
4) House and blog: This has fallen a little to the wayside over the summer. I've been assisting my mother and father in law (again, in laws?) in designing their own little house after their current home burnt to the ground. That's been accomplished, I think, and hopefully their home will be built early next spring. Over the winter, I would like to continue working on this blog and a house planned with our family in mind - I look forward to it!
5) My computer time: I feel fairly successful here. I've been using my early morning time for things that can be interrupted easily (read: not make me as grumpy!) and late night quiet time - and some nap times - to work on this blog and my newsletter. I SHOULD be more disciplined about writing on the newsletter instead of leaving it to the last minute, however!
So what now? Where do I go from here? As you've noticed, most of the above goals are not done. Actually, none of them are - they are all ongoing. Huh. But once summer's over, the craziness goes away and I find I get a lot more done. So here's what else I want to do:
-Move Scott's office stuff (mostly storage) into an empty room on the ranch somewhere and let Silas have an entire bedroom - not half! - for his room. Then move Oliver's crib into his room and out of ours. I'd also move the piano into their room (unplugged!) so there would be room for dressers and a clothing rack and shelves in the laundry room and I'm going to make a real live family closet. Then there would be room in our bedroom for a cozy reading corner and the desk in the laundry room so I could have a quiet place to go in the evenings and I could enjoy all my books I keep shelved in our bedroom. I've already asked permission from my dad's cousin to use an unused room upstairs in the shop right near our house, so now I just need a chunk of time, preferably childless, to get this done!
-Besides just a home school routine, I want to get my old-fashioned weekly housecleaning and menu routine going again, along with fun stuff for me and the boys to do (like Muffin Tin Mondays - see this blog, errand day, mopping day, park day, whatever). I used to this before Oliver was born, but after, especially while I was babysitting so caring for three under three, I was satisfied if the dishes were done, the kids fed and changed. September is a month I always look forward to because things go back to normal. I plan months ahead of time for 'what I'm going to do when September comes'. This September is no exception.
-Lastly, I want to start once a month cooking. First I need to empty out my freezer! I'm sure I could eat out of the freezer for at least a few weeks, so for the rest of the month I'm hoping to only buy milk and cheese and a bit of fresh food (that my garden or business doesn't provide). I've read on Life as a Mom that a great way to keep up with things in your freezer is by keeping a list of contents inside and crossing things off as you use them up, adding things as you put them in. This would be an answer to my problems! So, that means I need clean out my freezer, only put back what I know I'll use, and write it all down. Not only will packages of hot dogs and peas get lost in the back or bottom, I'll save up the money I'd normally use on groceries so I can do a big shopping trip in September or October and get started!
Anyone else? Do you have Big Plans? Do you get an uncontrollable urge to plan your life when August comes around?
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