Thoughts to Ponder and a Giveaway Reminder

Just wanted to remind you all that the giveaway for Victoria Botkin's Curriculum Advice vol. 1 and 2 ends tonight at midnight!  Click here to sign up in the comments.

Things are a little chaotic around here with some croupy sounding coughs and little boys who need help with shoes and snacks and jackets and, well, pretty much everything!  The following quotes were posted on FB this morning and I thought I would share them very quickly for you to ponder today. 

Now I am off to take care of some kitchen duties that have been piling up all week.   I also noticed that there are a few piles of laundry that have accumulated in the hallway and lots of muffin crumbs in the dining room and, well, you can imagine what all there is to do today after having a quick dinner last night before heading out for piano recital and then home to quickly get the dishes done and then piled the little ones in the beds.  Twelve people make a little more mess than eight people...especially when three of them are three and under!  I know that the work I do in my home is not only for my benefit, but for the benefit of my family and, if done well and with a thankful attitude, brings glory to God.

"Feminism is mixed up with a muddled idea that women are free when they serve their employers but slaves when they help their husbands." ~G.K. Chesterton

You are as much serving God in looking after your own children, and training them up in God's fear, and minding the house, and making your household a church for God, as you would be if you had been called to lead an army to battle for the Lord of hosts." -Charles Spurgeon.

Wise and Witty Sayings of My Two Little Men

My two little guys can come up with some doozies!!  I have noticed that every time I wear a skirt Caedmon says, "Mom, you're beauful!"  Beautiful in two year old language and then immediately asks me to dance!! Hmmm, what is about about men and women in skirts?

I walked into the kitchen the other day to find Caedmon digging in the sugar bucket.  Yes, bucket!!  I buy in bulk for my big family, remember?  Anyway, he saw me and with his sugar-coated face and hands said, "Look, Mommy!!  It's nummy!!"

It's a plane!

And then on Sunday as we were traveling to church I was talking with Jeff about how my hands were stained from the onions I had been chopping onions all weekend for the dehydrator.  Little ears in the back seat were listening in and a little later Jackson gave me some advice.  "Mom," he said, " I think you need to let Kaelan do more cooking in the kitchen.  You are getting too old for all that chopping and cooking!"  Bless his heart!  He'll be looking out for his old momma for sure one day!

Learning to chop firewood.

Now that's a face that will melt your heart for sure!

I am so very thankful for these future men that God gave me in my 40's!  What a blessing we would have missed out on if we followed the wisdom of the world.  God's ways are always better....even if on some days I feel like Sarah!






Linked up at Titus 2sday!

Why We Do What We Do

Deuteronomy 6:  4-9  


Hear, O Israel:  The LORD our God, the LORD is one!  You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.


And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.


Many, many years ago Jeff and I were traveling I-20 from Mississippi to Texas on our way to visit Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to determine whether or not Jeff would continue his music and ministerial training there.  As we were traveling we listened to Christian radio and heard Marlin Maddox interview Raymond and Dorothy Moore.  They were discussing homeschooling that day.  Jeff and I already had one child at this point and we were intrigued with the idea of homeschooling.  Jeff asked me to write down the Moore's name and we decided then that if it were ever possible for us that we would like to homeschool.  At that time, however, it didn't seem probable as Jeff would soon be enrolling as a full- time seminary student.  In the next couple of years, I completed my master's degree in music education and we added a second child to our family.  When baby number two was just 6 weeks old we packed up and moved to Ft. Worth, TX.

Prior to moving to Texas I made various phone calls and sent letters and applications to the school systems in and surrounding the Ft. Worth, TX area.  Apparently, no one needed  a newly graduated master's level music teacher who was certified K-12.  After arriving in Ft. Worth, we began searching more thoroughly.  We also remembered that interview with the Moore's that we had heard two years earlier.  The desire had never really left our hearts, so we prayed that IF the Lord wanted us to begin homeschooling our four year old that He would close all the doors of employment for me.  And He did!  I had two opportunities open up for me.  One was teaching music in a K-2 day school.  The other was teaching in a day care.  Having heard and read the financial teachings of Larry Burkett, we knew to carefully consider the costs of mom being away from home.  After crunching the numbers we quickly realized that child care, a teaching wardrobe, travel, and convenience foods would demand all of the income and more.  What a blessing to see God's hand revealed!  Thus, we began our homeschooling journey.  Jeff did continue his full-time seminary training and, at times, worked 3-4 jobs as well.  He did well in his studies and even  received a few honors along the way.

God provided all we needed and so much more in those early years and I can say the same for today.  There have been days that have been extremely frustrating as I have tried to teach my children and there have been days that have been extremely rewarding as well.   There has only been one period in our homeschooling life that I have felt so discouraged that I could have sent the children off to school, but thankfully, I can see now that it was during a season of post-partum depression and God somehow sustained us all through that.  Homeschooling is never easy.  I really am convinced that you MUST take the command in Deuteronomy 6 to heart if you are to succeed.  Diligently teaching God's Word as you sit in your house, as  you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up seems to be a 24 hour a day job.  Yes, it can be exhausting but God has a precious promise for us in Galatians 6: 9.  "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."


Being with your children 24 hours a day, 7 days a week has to be one of the most humbling and sanctifying positions to be in.  My children see me for what I am....and I have to admit on some days what I am is not pretty.  The faults that I try to correct in my children are faults that they have learned from me.  How can I correct them when I continue to fail in the same areas?  Yes, God uses homeschooling to sanctify parents and especially moms who spend so much of their days working with and teaching their children.

Our homeschooling days are not always those days that bring tears of joy to my eyes as a child finally grasps a new concept or we have an extra special moment sharing the wonder of God's Creation.  There are many days that tears of frustration come as personalities clash, attitudes must be dealt with or a concept just seems too hard to learn.  There are times that LIFE gets so busy that the books need to be put aside for a time so that the life lessons can be learned.  Educating our children is definitely not limited to what we study from a book.  Some of the most important lessons come from what God is teaching us as we learn to live together.

Why do we home educate our children?  Because we truly feel that God called us to do so 23 years ago and unless He tells us otherwise we will continue on this course for another 17 years.  Why am I sharing this today?  I think it is because I needed to be reminded!  It is so very easy for me to get frustrated when LIFE prevents me from spending time working on MY lesson plans.  I need to remember that God's plans are always more important than anything I can plan.  Learning to graciously handle interruptions and little twists in our day will, in the long run, be much more helpful to my children than learning the details of the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Courthouse, the greenhouse effect or unit multipliers.  And, I share because I hope to encourage someone else out there who might be struggling today as well.

 1 Thessalonians 5: 11  Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.










  

Not Me!!

Okay, I realize my last post was a little stressed out and whiney!!  I'm just a homebody who really doesn't like for my routine to be interrupted too much and for the last three weeks it has been very difficult to get anything remotely resembling school work done.  So, I had my prayer time, read three chapters from Hebrews (which our visiting speaker is teaching on this week), had a few moments of reflection....and headed out for a quick run to pick up fresh fruits and veggies to get us through the week.  I got a flat of strawberries cheap and they are already bagged and in the freezer.  I also got three papayas which Jeff loves dried.  Two of them are soaking in some lemon water and will go in the dehydrator soon.   Seasoned angus beef is in the crockpot and will be used to make a huge pot of pasta sauce.  Stuffed shells are on the menu for tonight....  We will not be going to church tonight as my sister is in town and called to see if she could come visit.  We only see her a few times each year, so she will be coming for dinner.

Next week we will be able to focus more on our academics.  This week we will continue with some independent studies, but we still have some garden work to do and a house that desperately needs a pressure washer used on it.   So, I will not stress!  No, not me!  I will used the time that God has given to do the next thing and make the best use of the time that we do have.

To move on to a much lighter topic:  Saturday as we were getting ready to head out for the violin recital our electricity went off.  I needed a quick shower and had planned on washing and drying my hair, but just took a quick bath instead.  I got dressed, did my hair and makeup and grabbed a pair of earrings, my wedding band and watch to complete my ensemble. : )   We came home from the recital to find the electricity was still off and our dinner in the crock pot was not ready.  Jeff decided since we all looked so nice for a change that we should go out to eat.  I decided to through my long, thick, heavy, it's- been- way- too -long- since- I've- had- a- haircut hair into a ponytail before we left.  As I climbed into the truck Aaron was staring at me strangely.  I asked what the problem was and he told me I had on two different ear rings....and we had already been out in public talking to people.  I think my hair probably covered them up any way.  So what did I do about the mis-matched earrings?  Wore them any way!!  Wore them to the restaurant where we ran into friends and to Wal Mart as well.   So, that's my first and probably last NOT ME!  post.

Name Change?

Somedays I wonder if I changed the name of our blog if we would slow down any.  Busy Hands Busy Minds definitely describes our home, though.  I wonder if Quiet Hands Quiet Minds or Peaceful Hands Peaceful Minds could ever be used to describe the home in which I live.  It seems that it is not to be for this season of our lives.  And as we had our children over an almost 25 year time span our season for busyness will be longer than most, I assume.    And really, I am thankful!!  I know many my age and younger whose 1.6 children have left the nest and they are free to do whatever it is that empty nesters do.  I am grateful that I have many more years before that happens and I am learning new skills as I go that will be useful to me and to my children in the days ahead.

Today I already hear Aaron practicing piano.   Jeff is cranking up the lawn mower or weed eater or pressure washer.  Pressure washers are necessities when you have a home  covered in white vinyl siding.  UGH!!   Breathing treatments are already started as colds have set in with all six of the "at-home" children.  I'll be headed to the kitchen in just a moment to start up a double batch of buttermilk biscuits while some of the children cook up the sausage, eggs and grits for our normal Saturday breakfast.  The dehydrator has been running all night with granola and I hope to keep it running today dehydrating onions. Grandma and Grandpa are due to arrive in a couple of hours. The house is NOT in order.  A roast is ready to go into the crockpot for our dinner AFTER we return home from a violin recital with Devin's students.  Kaelan is one of those students so I am sure in just a moment we will also be hearing violin music coming from the girls' room.  Then there's the laundry, the dusting, the mopping, the straightening up of desks and school tables and bookshelves, butter and ricotta cheese to be made,  bathrooms to be cleaned, balls to be tossed, tomatoes and peppers to be planted, weeds to be pulled, books to be read, games to be played, little guys to be snuggled and bikes to be ridden.

Yes, it is a busy life.  But what a blessing it is to be busy.  Busy at home working with and for our family.  It is indeed a busy and blessed life!

And, just so you don't think we don't have a quiet moment or two EVER, I thought I would share a picture of Caedmon from last week.  I recently put several reference books in reach of the younger children.  Jackson's favorite thus far is David Macauley's The Way Things Work.  Caedmon loves to study the animals in an animal encyclopedia.  Maybe he'll be a zoologist or go on safari one day.

Happy, Busy Saturday!!

Around Here This Week

Please continue to share your favorite children's books here.


Around here this week there has been lots of cooking.

Around here this week there has been lots of eating.

Around here this week there have lots of diaper changes.

Around here this week there have NOT been lots of naps.

Around here this week there has not been lots of school time.

Around here this week there has been lots of laundry.

Around here this week there have been lots of little boys.

Around here this week there has been lots of toys.

Around here this week there have been lots of olive shoots around our table.

Around here this week there has been three generations worshipping together each evening.

Around here this week there has been lots of "Mom-Mom, look at me!"

Around here this week there has been lots of lap time.

Around here this week the noise level has gone up just a tad.

Around here this week we realize how blessed we are....once again!!

Cowboys and Indians...Elisha, Jackson, Chase and Caedmon

My sons are the Indians.  My grandsons are the cowboys.

Caedmon makes a ferocious Indian!

Cowboy Chase

Sheriff Elisha

Me with all the cowboys and Indians

Ashtyn Claire--at six months she is crawling and starting to pull up

tearing up

Quick! Prayer Requested!

Just checking in with a quick post while we still have electricity.  The weather forecast for today is stormy, indeed.   A very high probability of tornados were predicted in our area last night, but I am thankful to say that we didn't even lose power.    As always, when these storms hit, I become more and more aware of how unprepared we are to live without power.  Jeff has ordered a weather radio for us as we don't have cable or satellite TV and when the rains come our internet satellite generally goes out.

I just had a phone call as I was writing this from Lauren, our oldest daughter.  She and James, along with their six month old baby, went to Memphis yesterday for an overnight trip.  Apparently, a tornado hit in their small town.  She just called again to let me know that they have been notified by neighbors that the roof of their home is gone and so is the garage.  We are so very grateful that they were not at home!  If they had been at home, Lauren would have been at home alone with the children as James is a highway patrolman and is always called out during bad weather.  The little boys were staying overnight with James' parents and are fine.  Please pray for them as they travel back home to check on the damage and to gather what they can.  James does have some other homes that he rents out and two of them are empty so they can move in immediately.  Lauren, so like me, is mainly worried about her Christmas ornaments that we started collecting when she was just a few months old.

Please pray for their continued safety and peace.....Grateful for the Mercies God has shown and praying that they will be able to salvage some things from their home.

Anatomy from a Creationist Point of View

Some of my husband's co-workers have let him know that I have been remiss in sharing with my readers the wonderful work that is going on with The American Family Association and The Homeschool Channel. The men and women in the production department have been working extremely hard creating some wonderful resources that will be a tremendous asset to your family and to your homeschool.

One of these great resources that has recently been released is The Body of Evidence, an 8 DVD series on human anatomy taught by Dr. David Minton of Answers in Genesis.  Dr. Minton taught for years at one of the chief medical schools in the mid-west and gives lectures across the country relating to anatomy from a creationist point of view.   This series was filmed locally in conjunction with Answers in Genesis.  My husband put in long hours getting this work out and my son worked on the set during filming.  One of our sweet young friends "stars" as one of Dr. Menton's students.

This series comes with a hefty study guide.  Paired up with Master Books' Body by Design by Alan L. Gillen and Princeton Review's Anatomy Coloring Workbook  by I. Edward Alcamo, Ph. D., this would be a great anatomy course for your high school student.  It also would be great for you to watch as you teach your younger children about God's most amazing creation....the human body.

You can view a trailer of this series at the above link and if you order The Body of Evidence
or any of the other fabulous resources available from the AFA Store   use this code ANITA64 in the coupon code at the checkout  to receive 10% off of your order.  Really!!  You get 10% of your order!  Great for you and great for The Homeschool Channel.  I will be putting a permanent link up in my sidebar so you can easily get the code if you need it.  And please, share this information with your friends!  I will be doing some reviews of items at the AFA store in the future and can't wait to share some great resources with you.  I know you will love them!

Wrapping Up the Week

This has been a good week on many levels.  I was able to sit down with Kaelan on Sunday afternoon to go over her school work from last week and make out lesson plans for the next two weeks.  Yesterday we were able to go over everything from this week and with the exception of our science lesson we are on target.    Aaron is also on target for this week with the exception of those dreaded science lessons.  Hopefully today he can finish up his study guide and be ready to take his test on Monday instead of today. Jackson's new math curriculum came in yesterday and he is eager to get started.  We may go ahead and do several pages this morning as it will mainly be review.  Jordan is studying independently with the exception of history that we do together as a family.  Aside from history and literature, most of his studies are interest led.  Thankful that his interests are sound...economics, photography, writing and homesteading.

We have been able to keep up with our Bible and history studies this week which have included beginning several new books.  We read one chapter of Proverbs each morning and one or two chapters of the Psalms.  It is a joy for me to have my children gather in the den and enjoy reading and learning together.  Kaelan's and Aaron's copywork this week has come from our reading in Call of Duty:  The Sterling Nobility of Robert E. Lee by J. Steven Wilkins.

           -Lee's favorite hymn was How Firm a Foundation (today they will copy all stanzas and last night    we sang it in family worship

           -I would rather see you unlettered and unnoticed, of virtuous in practice as well as theory, than see you the equal in glory to the great Washington.   Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee to his sons

          -You cannot be a true man until you learn to obey.  R. E. Lee

          -Obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character.  R. E. Lee

          -Never marry unless you can do so into a family that will enable your children to feel proud of both sides of the house.  R. E. Lee's advice to J. B. Hood

          -"Charity should begin at home."  So says _.  No, charity should have no beginning or ending.   R.E. Lee

          -Fame which does not result from good actions and achievements for the good of the whole people is not to be desired.  Nero had fame.....Who envies him?   R.E. Lee

          -Hold to your purity and virtue.  They will sustain you in every calamity.  R.E. Lee

This week in the kitchen I was able to put several main dishes in the freezer, made and froze several pounds of butter, learned to make cultured sour cream and mozzarella cheese.  My new canner came in  yesterday and I am eager to learn how to can milk and other foods using the pressure canner.  It's a little intimidating to me!

The weather has warmed up considerably (high's in the upper 80's this weekend) so more plants can go outside.  Hopefully the extra table full of plants in my dining room can be put away this weekend. ; )

Kaelan, Aaron and Jackson worked extra hard on school work yesterday so they wouldn't have as much to do today.  They are planning a tent camping trip with their Dad tonight.  They have made lists, hooked the boat up to the truck, got out tents, sleeping bags, fishing poles and flash lights.  I think all they need now is to load up on food and cooking utensils.  All that to only go 1 1/2 miles from home!  We have a wonderful state park with a lake just around the next bend!  Jordan has decided he prefers his own bed now and will be the "man of the house" while the others enjoy sleeping on the hard ground and cooking over an open fire.

Devin has been painting up a storm and is considering selling some of her canvases.  She made a door hanging for our front door with a "C" on it and has painted many canvases with crosses.  Perhaps I can post pictures of her work later.

Caedmon's potty training has been put on hold as he seems to have a stomach bug this week.  Disposable diapers handle THAT much better than the training pants.  ; )

That pretty much sums up our week around here.  What's been going on in your home?

Preparedness Challenge

Check out what others are doing at
homesteadrevival.blogspot.com

This week for the preparedness challenge, my family:

-made enough granola to last about 3 weeks

This canister holds two gallons.

-bought extra boxes of borax and washing soda to keep on hand to make laundry detergent
-bought extra bleach, toilet paper, epsom salts, vinegar and baking soda
-filled used water bottles with tap water and a few drops of bleach to replace what we used last weekend when we didn't have water
-made and froze about 5 pounds of cultured butter
-made about 5 quarts of  cultured butter milk
-learned how to make yogurt cheese and ricotta
-dried 2 pounds of mushrooms

One quart jar of mushrooms

-made 8 pints of applesauce

-organized and inventoried our food storage that is not in the kitchen
-ordered math curriculum for my 6 year old for the next 3 years ; )
-bought a dozen pint size canning jars
-bought lots of freezer bags, plastic wrap and aluminum foil
-got three more icing buckets from Kroger---I would love to have about 40....I need 34 more!!
-made another 4 x 12 raised bed
-researched pigs......and chickens.....some more. Just need to bite the bullet and do it!
-replaced a blueberry bush

Simply Saturday

-tons of laundry
-normal housework duties
-clean out refrigerator--BBQ sauce exploded in there!
-make a few pans of cinnamon rolls
-filling raised beds with peat moss, compost, manure and soil
-making more raised beds to fill with transplanted strawberry babies
-planting cabbage, broccoli, spinach, lettuce 1 and lettuce 2
-scrubbing all the red dirt off the porch
-grilling burgers and veggies
-ironing clothes for tomorrow
-lesson plans


What does a typical Saturday look like at your house?  It's not so simple, is it?

What Last Night Taught Me

Last night our electricity went out because of a storm.  Losing our electricity is not unusual.  Like our water system, our electric system has not kept up with the supply needed by all the new construction in our area.  Even on the sunniest of days we can lose power.

So, what did I learn last night?

1.  We need more flashlights.
2.  Said flashlights need to be put up where two little guys can't get them.
3.  We need lots of batteries for those flashlights.
4.  We need more oil lamps.  Yes, we have two.  One doesn't have a globe, so it needs a new globe.
5.  We need to store oil lamp.
6.  We need to store oil lamp wicks.
7.  When we lose electricity our phones don't work.
8.  Yes, our cell phones will work, but will eventually need to be recharged--using electricity.
9.  Our nebulizers for our asthma medications don't work without electricity.
10.  Yes, we have a nebulizer that will work in the car, but do I really want to go out in the car to take a breathing treatment in a storm with lots of rain, thunder and lightening?
11.  Our refrigerator that provides us with filtered water will not provide us with filtered water without electricity.
12.  Yes, we need filtered water.  Remember, our water system is bad....as in sometimes the water looks like mud.
13.  Yes, dear daughter.  We have water stored for just this purpose.  Check in the boys bedroom closet.
14.  I have plenty of candles.
15.  I  don't have plenty of lighters or matches.
16.  Candle light is kind of romantic, but not when several children are afraid of the storm.

Thankfully we lost electricity at bedtime and it came back on during the night.  I was actually just starting a breathing treatment for myself when the power went out.  I was able to make do with an inhaler.  However, they just don't work as well for me.  The others who needed treatments had already had them.

What if our power was out for several days?  It has happened in this area.  Thankfully, we have not experienced it, but ice and snow tend to cause lots of damage down here in the deep south and there have been areas without power for many weeks.  Have you experienced extended times without electricity?Are you prepared for times with no electricity?  How DO you prepare?

Of Chores, Routines and Clutter

Every few years I get inspired to create new master lists of detailed chores and routines.   This year my inspiration came from Kim Brenneman's  Large Family Logistics.  If you have children, this is a book that you should purchase!   Even though the title says "Large Family" there is so much to glean from it, even if you have two children.

I sat down with the children and we came up with Before Breakfast, After Breakfast and Before Bed routines.  I typed them up and they hang in the kids' rooms.  I made detailed lists broken down into daily increments for the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.  I combined the den, school room, porch and deck into one set of chores.  The dining room, hallway and laundry duty are included on another set.  The kitchen chores are all by themselves.

I divided the living area chores among three children:  Aaron-14, Kaelan-11 and Jackson-6.  The chores lists are labeled A, B and C.  Each week we rotate so no one has to be on kitchen duty more than a week at a time.  As Jackson is only 6, he is in training and I will be working with him on his responsibilities.   All the children are responsible for bathroom and bedroom routines.

Devin and Jordan were not included in the ABC chore division as they are away from home a good bit.  However, when they are at home they are to pitch in wherever needed....which is mainly in the kitchen!

If we can keep up with our routines and scheduled chores then our home should be relatively in order each day.  One huge detriment to this whole endeavor, though, is the fact that there are several areas in my home that have too. much. clutter!!  Our house only has three closets:  one closet per bedroom.  The laundry room is really a closet and I have a lot of things stored in there on two shelves above the washer and dryer and all my soap making supplies are stored on the dryer itself. (I have a door laid over the top of the washer and dryer that gives me more storage space.)

My biggest clutter is found in the master bedroom.  The attic access is there and anything that needs to go into the attic gets put in a stack.  The stack now has taken over the room!  We have just moved Caedmon out of our room and into the boys' room, but we still have some baby things that need to be sorted through, stored, sold or given away.  Jeff's studio for his home business is also in there and so are many stacks of boxes with equipment, books he rarely or NEVER uses and just stuff.  The school room is another area that can quickly get cluttered.  It is really a part of the den just slightly divided by partial walls and quite open to the living areas.  I put a table in there a few years ago so that we could do our table work in there instead of cluttering up the dining room each day.  The table, however, is generally covered with items that need to be put away and is seldom used for school work.

This week I spent one afternoon decluttering in the school room.  I had three bags of trash which included magazines, papers and toys.  I also had three large boxes of toys and books to put up in the attic until I decide what to do with them and I finally decided to get rid of the small easel/desk combo that we have had for years.  We continually had to move it to get to other items that were needed and I decided it wasn't used enough to warrant all the handling it received. I still have a huge cabinet to go through, a set of shelves above my desk, my desk drawers and the file cabinet to go through.  One day I hope to have another school room that is much bigger and has a door that can be closed!

We hope to tackle the laundry room this weekend.  We will pull everything out including the shelves on the wall, scrub it completely, paint and install cabinets and one shelf on the wall above the appliances.  I plan to work in small increments in the school room and my room over the month of February and hope to have those two rooms in good order by the time warmer weather and gardening prep gets here.  Having less clutter will really help us get the routines and chores done in a more orderly way.  I can't wait to get to that point.

Here are our daily lists for each area of the home with the exception of our morning and evening routines and our bedroom chores.  Apparently I did not save those on my word processor.

Kitchen Chores

Monday

-Cook meals

-Put away clean dishes

-Load dishwasher

-Wash dishes

-Scrub countertops and freezer tops

-Wipe stovetop

-Wipe down cabinet fronts

-Wipe down front of dishwasher, stove, fridge and freezers

-Wipe off table

-Take out garbage

-Scrub kitchen sink

-Vacuum and mop

Tuesday

-Cook meals

-Put away clean dishes

-Load dishwasher

-Wash dishes

-Scrub countertops and freezer tops

-Wipe stovetop

-Scrub kitchen sink

-Wipe off table

-Take out garbage

-Clean microwave

-Vacuum 

Wednesday

-Cook meals

-Put away clean dishes

-Load dishwasher

-Wash dishes

-Scrub countertops and freezer tops

-Wipe stove top

-Scrub kitchen sink

-Wipe off table

-Take out garbage

-Vacuum and clean window

-Vacuum and mop

Thursday

-Cook meals

-Put away clean dishes

-Load dishwasher

-Wash dishes

-Scrub countertops and freezer tops

-Wipe down front of dishwasher, stove, fridge and freezers

-Wipe stove top

-Scrub kitchen sink

-Wipe off table

-Take out garbage

-Clean under and behind microwave

-Vacuum

Friday

-Cook meals

-Put away clean dishes

-Load dishwasher

-Wash dishes

-Scrub countertops and freezer tops

-Wipe stovetop

-Organize cabinets--deep clean one

-Clean out one drawer

-Wipe off table

-Take out garbage

-Scrub kitchen sink

-Vacuum and mop

Saturday

-Cook meals

-Put away clean dishes

-Load dishwasher

-Wash dishes

-Scrub countertops and freezer tops

-Wipe stovetop

-Wipe off table and clean off buckets

-Take out garbage 

-Clean out refrigerator

-Scrub kitchen sink

-Vacuum

Dining Room and Hallway

Monday

-clean up clutter

-set table

-clear table

-wipe off table and chairs

-clean high chair

-clean off all surface areas

 (bench, shelves, bar, cabinet)

-vacuum

-mop

Tuesday

-clean up clutter

-set table

-clear table

-wipe off table and chairs

-clean high chair

-clean off all surface areas

-vacuum window sill

-vacuum floor

Wednesday

-clean up clutter

-set table

-clear table

-wipe off table and chairs

-clean high chair

-clean off all surface areas

-dust bottom of table and chairs

-dust other furniture

-vacuum

Thursday

-clean up clutter

-set table

-clear table

-wipe off table and chairs

-clean high chair

-dust chandelier

-clean windows and doors

Friday

-clean up clutter

-set table

-clear table

-wipe off table and chairs

-clean high chair

-clean off all surface areas

-dust all furniture

-vacuum--especially baseboards and molding

-mop

Saturday

-clean up clutter

-set table

-clear table

-wipe off table and chairs

-clean high chair

-clean off all surface areas

  Den, School Room and Porch

Monday

-clean out from under furniture

-clean up clutter

-dust

-straighten books

-vacuum window sills

-vacuum couch and chairs

-vacuum floor

-spot mop with rag and spray bottle

Tuesday

-pick up clutter

-vacuum

Wednesday

-dust TV shelf

-clean up clutter

-clean glass and windows with vinegar 

-vacuum

-clean off and sweep porch and deck

Thursday

-clean and dust toy shelves and bookshelves in schoolroom

-clean out from under furniture

-clean up clutter

-dust ceiling fans

-vacuum

-pick up trash in yard

Friday

-clean up clutter

-dust bookshelves, piano and cabinets

-clean off desk and school table

-clean out individual school space

-vacuum 

-mop

-clean up yard toys

Bathroom Routines

Monday

-put your things away

-clean out your drawer

-scrub sink, faucet and knobs

-wipe off countertop

-clean mirrors and light fixtures

-scrub toilet

-scrub shower and door or scrub tub

-put towels in the laundry

-put out a fresh hand towel

-vacuum

-mop

Tuesday

-put your things away

-wipe down sink and countertop

Wednesday

-put your things away

-wipe down sink and countertop

-put out a fresh hand towel

-wipe down base boards

-vacuum

Thursday

-put your things away

-wipe down sink and countertop

-put towels in laundry

Friday

-put your things away

-clean out your drawer

-scrub sink, faucet and knobs

-wipe off countertop

-clean mirrors and light fixtures

-scrub toilet

-scrub shower and door or scrub tub

--put out a fresh hand towel

-vacuum

-mop

Saturday

-put your things away

-straighten cabinets

-clear out empty bottles

-wipe off countertop and sink

Laundry Detail

4 x 4= Do 4 loads of laundry by 4 in the afternoon!

Sorting and Washing Directions

-bath towels--wash in hot water with 1 heaping spoonful of detergent, one scoop of Oxyclean and a compartment full of vinegar--WASH ON MONDAY AND THURSDAY

-sheets- wash in hot water with 1 heaping spoonful of detergent, one scoop of Oxyclean and a compartment full of vinegar--WASH ON FRIDAY

-reds/oranges/purples-wash in warm water with 1 heaping spoonful of detergent, one scoop of Oxyclean and a compartment full of vinegar

-whites-wash in warm water with 1 heaping spoonful of detergent, one scoop of Oxyclean and a compartment full of vinegar

-wash clothes/white socks/light undies/dish towels--wash in hot water with 1 heaping spoonful of detergent, one scoop of Oxyclean and a compartment full of vinegar

-jeans and dark blue towels-wash in warm water with 1 heaping spoonful of detergent, one scoop of oxyclean and a compartment full of vinegar

-darks-wash in warm water with 1 heaping spoonful of detergent, one scoop of Oxyclean and a compartment full of vinegar

-greens-wash in warm water with 1 heaping spoonful of detergent, one scoop of Oxyclean and a compartment full of vinegar

-lights-wash in warm water with 1 heaping spoonful of detergent, one scoop of Oxyclean and a compartment full of vinegar

Monday and Thursday

-wipe off front of machines

-clean off top of machines,

-blow out dryer vent

-vacuum 

-spot mop with rag and spray bottle