What do you do when you cannot stand one of your children? Seriously? I have a child that I have had it with. I'm tired of his constant teasing of the others, his "angry eyes", his mischief....right now, I don't like anything about this child. I'm suppose to leave in a week for a 4 week trip and guess which child is coming with me. The one I don't like! We will either come home miraculously bonded by some amazing work of God or I'll be coming home alone! Do other moms not like their kids? Is it just his age? Is it me? Is it a test? If so, I'm failing big time. There's a reason he isn't coming home for school with the others this fall. I need space.....from him! Gma thinks God has something amazing planned for him and the devil is after him big time to stop that plan. He must have 2 devils sitting on his shoulders because he has absolutely no self-control. He doesn't know when to stop. Actually, I think he does know, he just chooses not to! He was bugging Trixie yesterday. She's screaming for him to stop and finally she scratches his arm. I don't like it when they hurt each other but in this case, he deserved it. He comes whining to me about it. I told him it was a consequence for his actions. He just doesn't get it. I told him her screaming is code for "Get away from me!" So then he was mad at me that it appears that I didn't care about his scratch. Truly, I didn't! Personally, a little butt whipping is maybe what he needs. The message just isn't getting through any other way. Although, a spanking will just bring on the angry eyes and then he'll say "I hate this day!" Have yet to find a punishment that really works on him. Currently trying a positive approach. He can earn pieces to a huge K'nex set by being good and obedient. Since Tuesday he's earned 14 pieces. Nothing yesterday! Need to rethink this plan. Actually, just need to get through this week. We'll be gone 4 weeks so I can hopefully think this through. Hoping Doc will have a good talk with him and break through this barrier of his.
Did make some progress on a few rooms and lesson plans. Extra busy this week getting all packed up!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Moving Along....Slowly
Making progress on lesson plans. History and geography sorted out. Bible lessons gathered but still need to figure out how much to do each day. I think I'll do an abbreviated version for Dash to keep him caught up. Very excited about the Against the Tide curriculum from Generation of Virtue. I did this with the kids when they were really little. Should have started the next book when Cards was in 5th grade. Going to do a little bit of catching up....a little out of order because of Doc being gone. Cards is at a critical age that Doc really needs to be doing this. However, I'll just have to do what I can as a mom of a 12 year old boy! I can't find my first book so I can cover stuff with Trixie and Dash. It's around here somewhere! Major subjects are for the most part planned. Just need to figure out the timing. The other things I want to cover but aren't critical need to be plugged in. I know the first couple weeks will be crazy but I think once the kinks are worked out and the kids understand what's expected of them, we'll get a lot done. And hopefully have fun learning, too.
Housework..............wish I had a magic wand. Can I have a do-over? I wish I could take everything out of the house and start over. I work on one area while feeling guilty that I'm not working on another. There are so many things that need attention, where do I start? Do a little bit here and a little bit there. It's so overwhelming! Wish I had August to keep plugging away. I just have the rest of July and then less than a week before school starts. I wish I could get back wasted minutes, hours, days. In this state of overwhelmness, I've been focusing on the power of 20 minute segments. Set a timer and do something I really don't want to do for 20 minutes. After the beep, I have permission to stop doing that job. What I'm finding is in some areas, I can get a lot done in 20 minutes which is encouraging. Secondly, I'm surprised by how many tasks I've been putting off are done in 20 minutes or close to it. Then I can cross them off my list. Items that have been camped out on my list for days or even weeks, 20 minutes.....done! I've read success stories of others with their timers set for 15 or 20 minutes. I've experienced it. I think I just get bogged down by other things being added to the list. So do I keep my list of a dozen things (and that's not everything, just the things that happen to be bugging me the most at the moment) and do 20 minutes of this one and 20 minutes of that one, slowly making progress. Or do I pick 3 and focus the 20 minute spurts until completion and then pick 3 more? How do I pick 3 without feeling guilty about the others? It's a combination of indecision, procrastination and guilt that keeps me from really moving forward. Why do I keep feeling guilty about things that aren't being worked on when they haven't been for some time? What difference does it make time wise if I focus intently on a few and get them done as opposed to taking tiny steps on many projects and having a hard time seeing the progress. I think using Dave Ramsey's gazelle intensity on a debt snowball might work here. Bare minimum on chores like doing the dishes every day and vacuuming once a week and then any extra time and energy to focus on the smallest project. Once that's done, move to the next project. My to-do list covers items that aren't just cleaning and organizing. Wondering if I should separate my list into a "housework" cleaning/organizing list that I could focus on in the mornings when it's still cooler in the house. Then other non-physical or mental items like lesson planning or working on the budget could be the focus in the afternoon when it's too hot to do anything else. Then those miscellaneous things like cleaning out the van or doing yard work could be assigned to a day. What I need to do is assign stuff to the kids! Actually, I did this week. They each have a significant organizing job to finish before the end of the month.
I just need to get passed this thinking, planning, complaining stage and just go do it!
Housework..............wish I had a magic wand. Can I have a do-over? I wish I could take everything out of the house and start over. I work on one area while feeling guilty that I'm not working on another. There are so many things that need attention, where do I start? Do a little bit here and a little bit there. It's so overwhelming! Wish I had August to keep plugging away. I just have the rest of July and then less than a week before school starts. I wish I could get back wasted minutes, hours, days. In this state of overwhelmness, I've been focusing on the power of 20 minute segments. Set a timer and do something I really don't want to do for 20 minutes. After the beep, I have permission to stop doing that job. What I'm finding is in some areas, I can get a lot done in 20 minutes which is encouraging. Secondly, I'm surprised by how many tasks I've been putting off are done in 20 minutes or close to it. Then I can cross them off my list. Items that have been camped out on my list for days or even weeks, 20 minutes.....done! I've read success stories of others with their timers set for 15 or 20 minutes. I've experienced it. I think I just get bogged down by other things being added to the list. So do I keep my list of a dozen things (and that's not everything, just the things that happen to be bugging me the most at the moment) and do 20 minutes of this one and 20 minutes of that one, slowly making progress. Or do I pick 3 and focus the 20 minute spurts until completion and then pick 3 more? How do I pick 3 without feeling guilty about the others? It's a combination of indecision, procrastination and guilt that keeps me from really moving forward. Why do I keep feeling guilty about things that aren't being worked on when they haven't been for some time? What difference does it make time wise if I focus intently on a few and get them done as opposed to taking tiny steps on many projects and having a hard time seeing the progress. I think using Dave Ramsey's gazelle intensity on a debt snowball might work here. Bare minimum on chores like doing the dishes every day and vacuuming once a week and then any extra time and energy to focus on the smallest project. Once that's done, move to the next project. My to-do list covers items that aren't just cleaning and organizing. Wondering if I should separate my list into a "housework" cleaning/organizing list that I could focus on in the mornings when it's still cooler in the house. Then other non-physical or mental items like lesson planning or working on the budget could be the focus in the afternoon when it's too hot to do anything else. Then those miscellaneous things like cleaning out the van or doing yard work could be assigned to a day. What I need to do is assign stuff to the kids! Actually, I did this week. They each have a significant organizing job to finish before the end of the month.
I just need to get passed this thinking, planning, complaining stage and just go do it!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
End of June
It was such a crazy week. So much to do at home. Would be nice if I stayed home so I could do my stuff. Had somewhere to go everyday. Trixie had dance camp 4 days, zumba 3 days, beach and library, shopping, etc. I also mapped out lesson plans for LA for both Cards and Trixie. Very exciting. Still pondering in the back of my mind.....still afraid to put it on paper.....how am I going to school the kids and still be the lunch lady? This week I'll be mapping out Math and Science. Way easier! Will have to do the most prep work for Trixie's science. Have 4 lessons done. Debating between doing a few minutes each day or a little bit longer lesson once or twice a week.
I did find the floor of Trixie's room yesterday. Cleaned out her dresser to find out what still fits. Didn't get to the closet yet. Maybe this afternoon. Would be nice to get it done. I also now need to clean up my room from sorting all her stuff in there. She is such a pack rat and won't part with stuff. I should really work on Dash's room this week before he gets home from Gma's. Although, on the "master plan" schedule I made in May, Cards' room would be next. The plan was for the toy room to be done in May. Trixie and Cards in June. Dash and master in July. Why can't I just stick to the plan? August has been altered beyond my control so that leaves a room that really needs attention and no month to do it in. If I can't stay on schedule with the other rooms......this happens every time. I shouldn't let rooms get out of control in the first place. Just lock me up in a room and don't allow me to leave until its done. Instead of giving myself 2 weeks to thoroughly clean a room, just go in there and get it done. So staying home would be really helpful!!!! I have somewhere to go everyday this week again. Pray for a hard rain with lightning on Tuesday and that will keep me home on Tuesday! Better time management would also help. Cards is old enough to help so maybe I can do both boys' rooms this week. Feeling very overwhelmed..............
I did find the floor of Trixie's room yesterday. Cleaned out her dresser to find out what still fits. Didn't get to the closet yet. Maybe this afternoon. Would be nice to get it done. I also now need to clean up my room from sorting all her stuff in there. She is such a pack rat and won't part with stuff. I should really work on Dash's room this week before he gets home from Gma's. Although, on the "master plan" schedule I made in May, Cards' room would be next. The plan was for the toy room to be done in May. Trixie and Cards in June. Dash and master in July. Why can't I just stick to the plan? August has been altered beyond my control so that leaves a room that really needs attention and no month to do it in. If I can't stay on schedule with the other rooms......this happens every time. I shouldn't let rooms get out of control in the first place. Just lock me up in a room and don't allow me to leave until its done. Instead of giving myself 2 weeks to thoroughly clean a room, just go in there and get it done. So staying home would be really helpful!!!! I have somewhere to go everyday this week again. Pray for a hard rain with lightning on Tuesday and that will keep me home on Tuesday! Better time management would also help. Cards is old enough to help so maybe I can do both boys' rooms this week. Feeling very overwhelmed..............
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