The simple goals I set for August definitely saved my sanity this past month! We had a really lovely month, with lots of great things happening, but it was not a month for to-do lists. We enjoyed a wonderful family reunion (that’s where Anna is in the photo above), followed by a fun but quick visit with my parents on their way home and a lovely visit with my youngest sister, K. We have been very grateful to see so many family members this summer!
I managed to find a cello to rent for Emma, and she is very excited to be able to play in the beginner orchestra at her school! My mom is teaching her over the internet, just like she teaches Lily violin and Emma and Johnny piano. We are using Mike’s airline miles from business trips to invest in an iPad, because it turns out that Facetime is much better than Skype (which is better than Google Hangout) for this type of interaction. The kids have been in school a couple of weeks now, and so far they are happy with their teachers. Anna really misses having the other kids at home, though, and she and I wind up leaving the house (mostly to go to the playground) a lot more than we do when the kids are home. Anna will start a two mornings-a-week preschool next month, which will give me the experience of having time to myself in nearly a decade. I will probably use a lot of that time to help out at the other kids’ school, where I frequently cannot volunteer due to having a three-year-old along.
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Monthly Goals: September 2015
Hosted by Mama Smiles, 3 Dinosaurs, Kitchen Floor Crafts, and Something 2 Offer.
Here are my goals for September:
- Create a solid household schedule. We are getting there, and every day gets easier as the kids learn what to expect now that we are transitioning from our summer schedule to the school-year schedule. The kids are now all in once-a-week gymnastics classes on top of school and practicing instruments. It is really important to me that they still have a lot of time to play while also contributing at home with chores. This means I need to make a careful accounting of the hours that are left over each day, and how they are used. Character trait: helpful
- Finish cutting out Lily’s quilt. I bought the fabric for this project in July. Lily is my lightest sleeper, and she was waking up too much in the room she was sharing with the three other kids, so we moved her into the walk-in closet for the master bedroom turned playroom. She is much happier – in spite of downgrading from a twin mattress to a narrow toddler bed so that we could fit a bed in the closet (IKEA toddler beds are, thankfully, about five feet long, so her feet fit on the bed). Lily is perfectly happy with her tiny room, but it is pretty austere and a pretty quilt will go a long ways towards brightening it up. The quilt is partially cut out; I want to at least finish that part of the project in free moments this month. It is fiddly to cut out, but I think it will be fairly easy to sew together. Character trait: curious and thankful
- Finish at least one of the two crochet projects I am working on (both gifts, so no more details here for the moment). Character trait: curious and kind
- Make a formal list of things I can put in the kids’ lunches to make the process easier than it already is since I made the life-changing decision to invest in Yumbox Bento lunch boxes for my kids for this school year. Character trait: helpful
- Continue the unending task that is decluttering – especially now that I will have a few hours each week without kids in the house. Character trait: helpful and thankful
What is happening in your part of the world this September?
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
My kids LOVE facetiming with family. I think that will be an excellent investment. I find #1 so tricky. I, too, want my kids to help with chores but it gets increasingly harder the older they get. Between school, after school activities (sport is required at their school), and homework, there is little time for them to play. I do make them help with dinner clean-up and chores on the weekend, but man, life is starting to get so busy for them!
As a former music teacher, a big YAY! for including music in your days! Thanks for hosting a linky, too.
I was a music major in college :)
Decluttering is a never-ending task, but my kids are inspired to be more willing to give things up because I’ve said most of the stuff we declutter (toys) is going to the Navajo.
Do you have a rotary cutter?
It is definitely easier to get rid of toys when you see them going somewhere where they will get used.
A lot of great projects for Sept! You will feel so satisfied when you complete those!
Ever since my son was born, we’ve been throwing the clothes he’s grown out of onto the bed of our guest room. He is now one and a half, and is scared to go into our guest room because it basically looks like a monster living in a swamp. My goal for this month is to clear that room and organize my son’s smaller clothes.
There… it’s in print… and it’s out there for the world to read… now I have no choice but to get it done!
If it’s the one productive thing I do, I will consider September a productive month!
It looks like you are easing back into after school life nicely. With all 4 kids mastering an instrument, you must have a mini-orchestra at home. A wanted to sign up for a band too, but I said, “no”, because she is already overbooked this fall term.
So glad you had such an enjoyable August! Looking forward to seeing Lily’s quilt. I slept in a walk-in closet when I was small, too! :) I’m thinking I need to arrange some kid-free decluttering time… that endless task is so much slower with “helpers!” I would love to clear more things out of the house this month, and also hopefully replace our asbestos fence that was damaged in a recent storm.
I love your goals. I nee to declutter TONS! I’m doing this every day now and I feel so much better for it!
Great Goals for the month! Creating a household schedule is a great idea. We have an unofficial one for weekdays as we get ready for come home from work. I’d love to have you link these goals up to my #GratitudeGoals linky.
Decluttering does seem to be an unending task.