Home-business

I love organization, planning, & scheduling!

I need a game plan.  I’ve made some darn good schedules in my motherhood/homeschooling journey! 

The thing is, my kids (& husband) don’t always follow my perfect little schedule.  They all have plans of their own.  You know, like “honey, I need your help out here.” (in the middle of a math lesson) or “Mom, the goats are in the watermelon patch.” or “mom, did you know Truman was playing in the potty?”   Then there are the lovely moments where I have to veer off my plans to deal with character issues ALL.DAY.LONG! 

…. Over the years, I have learned that I have to kinda go with the flow of things. But a plan on paper just looks so pretty, so I still make one.  Making a schedule is easy as pie.  Stickin’ to it is a whole other story!  A couple of months ago I listened to a good friend of mine speak to a group of homeschool mom’s about organizing their lives.  She described a Homeschool as a buisness.  Yes, a family buisness!

“Homeschool is a business – all successful businesses need STRUCTURE”

I have learned that keeping things simple is a little easier when trying to establish structure with a house full.

When making my schedule or “structuring” our school days for this year, I realized I needed to PRIORITIZE! 

1. God. 
2. My family (husband & kids)
3. Myself
4. Our homeschool
5. Our family & friends

I had to ask myself where everything I was doing all day fell among this list.  Then I was reminded that if we expect our children to take school seriously, then we must as well. 

What am I at home?  What are you at home?

Each school year brings a different season of life, & each season brings new priorities & schedules.  After experiencing some major struggles with Taylor, last year my goal was to bring the fun back into our school days.  I wanted to do all the things homeschoolers can do because they are homeschoolers.  Mission accomplished!  We went on several field trips & made wonderful memories together.  This year, my goal is to become slightly more consistent & academic focused.  More than anything though, I must make teaching my kids God’s word a huge priority – & I don’t mean just by doing Bible studies & memorizing scripture.

At this same time in LIFE, I believe the Lord is opening a door in photography for me.  I’ve become almost overwhelmingly blessed with lots of photoshoots, but with this opportunity also demands even more of a necessity for prioritizing.  My God, My family, Myself, & My homeschool all come BEFORE this “work”.  So, as I pray about all this God keeps whispering one word in my heart - “BOUNDARIES!”  Okay, yes, He has to scream it at me, but you get the point.

Yes, I need more boundaries for ME – NOT my kids!  I need to make sure I am starting each day with God not my e-mail or blog reader.  So, boundary #1:  God FIRST!  I’m kinda an over achiever, but I’m realizing that this time doesn’t always have to consist of an hour long deep Bible study.  This time can be quick & simple, it can be just a little chat with my Father, or it can be a heartfelt prayer.  I trust the Lord will allow the time for me to take advantage of this priority, if I really make it one.

Boundary #2 – No computer.  My blog will feel this & although it is a great release for me, by kids will also feel this.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m not banning myself from the computer entirely, just during “school hours” or times when I should be “Living today” and not blogging about yesterday or planning for tomorrow.  Basically, I am allotting an hour a day to blog, work on pictures, & make phone calls.  I may sneak more time in while the kids are in bed though.  Which leads me to #3 . . .

Boundary #3 – Bedtime.  For my kids & myself.  I am a night owl.  Not always, but there have been times I stay up late into the wee hours of the next morning.  Which in-turn whether I want to admit it or not, also pours over onto my family the next day.

Boundary #4 – Only “work” part-time.  I truly feel the photography thing is a God thing.  I haven’t taken a photo class in my life, I don’t have any fancy editing program, & honestly I have a nice camera, but I haven’t even read the manual or watched the start-up video.  :)  I tend to be a little OCD & when I have a project going it is hard to walk away from it.  Ex.  editing pictures!  I have to set some boundaries for this.  I will not be “working” on pictures just like I won’t be blogging or surfing the internet during times of the day that I should be LIVING.  I also will not be available for photoshoots every day of the week.  I’ll spare you the details, but for the most part I will work on pix a couple nights a week when everyone is in bed & only do shoots a couple days a week.

All that to say, “Here is my pretty little schedule:”

I am sooo not the morning mama, but I realize I kinda need to be.  So, I’m “planning” on getting up & dressed (yes, Big Daddy, I am going to try to actually get dressed each day!!) by 7:30 in the morning.  I’ll spend my time with God first thing. 

I plan on draggin’ my outlaws outta bed by 8ish & we will eat, dress, & make beds then head over to the schoolbarn hopefully by 9am

Our morning work will be:

Pray, Memory Work, Calendar time together for about 15 min.

Then Tyler will do his Winter Promise (WP) Bible work & I’ll do Bible with the Mustangs (also WP)

Next Tyler will work on his math while I do language arts with the Mustangs.

While I go over Sequential Spelling with Tyler, the Mustangs will be at a center, then I will do a short spelling lesson/activity with them while Tyler gets started on his LA.

The Mustangs will work on their workboxes or centers while I spend some time reading with Tyler.  Once reading is done we will break for LUNCH!

Lunch will be an hour.  At least during the fall it will be.  My boys need plenty of outside time, so I’m sure the food consumption will take about 5 minutes & the play time will be about 55 minutes :)  After lunch I will lay my Lil’ Buckaroo down for a nap (about 12:30ish).

After lunch I will spend about an hour with Tyler working on his WP History & Science while my Mustangs work on math & K/1 skills independently.  Then I’ll switch & Tyler will finish his WP independent work while I work on the Mustangs WP work. 

My goal is to finish school by 3:30.  From 3:30-4ish we’ll pick up & I’ll work on a little planning for the following day.  My kids will be free from 3:30-6:30.  During the fall this means outside time:  4-wheelers, nature walks, frog catchin’, goat chasin’, cowboys & Indians time.  During the winter, this time needs to be scheduled with more detail for them, but I’m not ready to even imagine cold weather yet.

While the kids are outside I will take an hour to myself to unwind & blog or work on pictures or return phone calls – This will be my “desk work” time (while Truman hopefully takes another short nap).

I hate to admit it, but I am horrible about having dinner ready at a reasonable time.  Big Daddy doesn’t get home until 8pm & we have gotten in a terrible habit of waiting for him.  So, I am really going to make dinner by 6:30 a priority. 

The kids will clean their rooms & take baths around 7:30 & then we will all meet in my bedroom at 8 for our Answers for Kids Bible Study.  At 8:30 ALL kids better be in bed!!  I’ll usually let them listen to an audio book or music & lights go out completely at 9. 

Once we get started I’ll share how things really go :)