Small Successes

For more small success stories click on the link above.

1.  Accepted my dh's offer to run the Monday afternoon soccer carpool and stay home Tuesday morning when I down with allergies and a sinus infection (not accepting help and pushing it probably got me to the point I was).

2.  Did NOT laugh as I was cleaning up a public bathroom floor when my 2.5 yr old, while sitting on the toilet, couldn't wait any longer for me to get a little toilet paper properly positioned.  For some odd reason I found the whole thing quite comical, but I don't want him to repeat that experience.

3.  Let 8 families into my house on T afternoon for science and art classeseven though it was embarrassingly messy.  (A sick mama has that effect on a house). Or should the success really be that I chose not to scream and bark out orders at my kids for the hour before the class so I wouldn't be as embarrassed. :)

Small Successes

For more small success stories click on the link above. 

This is the back to homeschooling version.  The successes look pretty small

1.  Went to an Opus Dei Recollection for the first time in a long time.
2. Cleaned and dusted 1/2 of the master bedroom.
3. Remained flexible during our first week of school and am making some revisions to our schedule.
1. Allowed my 1st grader to be the art assistant to my 6th grader while she does art projects with the K and pre-schooler.  This was supposed to be the time where I would be teaching my 1st grader and 3rd graders their reading lessons.  I forgot my 1st grader thrives on projects (hmm...I smell an incentive here).
2. Did only 1/2 this weeks planned history lesson to make room for an extra geography lesson after my kids asked for more (isn't this what it's all about?!)  It will all get done in the end.  (another incentive here.......)  BTW:  For Geography we are reading Paddle to the Sea and working on the accompanying lesson plans and map pack.  There are 4 or 5 books written by Holling C. Holling in the set.  I'm hoping the excitement continues, it does seem fun.

Potty Training

After 6 other kids...I've finally learned the secret to potty training.

1.  Buy 2 giant boxes of diapers from www.diapers.com
2.  Wait until your dryer breaks and your washer is having issues. 

Diapers.com has very good diapers prices if you are tired of filling your cart up with those boxes, and there is free shipping after spending $49...hence the TWO boxes.

Logan is the only one here who is proud to see his undies blowing in the wind.  (The rest get sent to Grandma's or along with my dd to her babysitting job).


The diapers are going to my cousin.



Viola!

Little Logan is doing great - I'd say he's 90% daytime trained.  He was just ready.  We only had one other child be this successful at 2 1/2.  The rest were all 3.

Small Successes

"The secret of all progress and of every victory is, in fact, to 'know how to begin again', to learn from a failure and to try once more."  G. Chevrot 

For more inspirational small success stories, click on the link above.

1. Created a new chore list for everyone.....and crunchy mama is already adding to it...which means I will be incorporating those new ideas.  I think every excel spreadsheet we've ever created (and there are many) have gone back and forth and improved upon.  Thanks Crunchy
2. Got most of my school schedules complete.   We are trying something a little different this year.  The kids are 11th, 7th, 6th, 3rd, 1st, K, and a 2 year old.  Logistics get a little more complicated each year and it doesn't work if I wing it.  I need a plan, it's just me, and the fact that 2 people cannot be using the computer at the same time......and I am utilizing my 6th and 7th graders as student teachers for a subject each.
3. Brought my focus back INSIDE the house after spending a lot of time on our outdoor projects.   I've spent a lot of time on #2 above as well as directing some cleaning efforts, and digging through bills and paperwork.

School officially begins next week....back to what will appear to be very very small successes....but they'll be huge to me.  And that's when I need this the most!


BTW:  Someone asked about our outdoor projects...they consisted of removing a backyard pool, regrading the backyard (so the water flows AWAY from the house),  replacing the driveway and garage floor, and making larger patio spaces in the front and the backyards.  We've been saving for this for years (both in time and money).  In the middle of that we still headed up north to visit Crunchy Mamma and her family. 

Cribs aren't for animals

We haven't used a crib at our house for the last 4 kids.  I'm not opposed to using one, they just don't fit our needs.  So, we were out this morning at a different church and my 2 year old spotted a hotel type crib in the corner.  "Is that for a Sir Kate (our rabbit)?"  he asked excitedly?

Small Successes

For more inspirational small successes click on the link above.

1. Hung most of my laundry out to dry this week.  I actually enjoyed it.  But, I am looking forward to the washer and dryer (did you catch that AND) repairman visit today.  I did send a couple loads home with my MIL.  Hanging everyone's personal items out to dry while workmen were working in our backyard just didn't seem right.  Besides, my kids gasped in fear when I hung the underwear for my potty training 2 1/2 year old.  He was proud, they would have been humiliated.
2. Entered all appointments for September and October into my outlook calendar simply for an easy to reference chart showing me all the times I need to be in 2 places at once (manage carpooling).  My lovely little calendar (which I find incredibly awesome) was looking a bit discombobulated.  Next step, plan how to get kids on opposite ends of town at the same time...many times during September.
3. Finally began reading Master Your Metabolism, a book I bought a couple months ago on a whim.  It is very enlightening.  I already knew I had some issues with hormonal imbalance, but other than my sluggish thyroid I had no idea all the rest impacted weight loss too.  I guess that's the place to start.  And my next book will be The Schwarzbein Principal.

And.....I didn't cry when the repairman said it would take 10 days to get the parts for both my washer and dryer :(

Nothing to lose

Someone told me I had nothing to lose by calling the repair company and asking this question.  They were wrong. 

1. Washing machine isn't working quite right.  The electronic dial doesn't always move.  It's been getting worse.  I called the warranty company last week and they said they'd have someone out on Wed.
2. Dyer quit drying.
3. I called the warranty company and they set that up for Thurs.
4. Now, with a quick phone call I thought I might be able to make this a little easier.

1. Explain to the lady that I have 2 appointments and can they either A) look at both on Wed. or B) Switch them so the dryer is looked at on W and the washing machine on TH.
2. She put me on hold to see what she could do.
3. When she came back she informed me that they would both be looked at on TH!  What no!!!!!  I need my dryer to work.  Soon.  We have a giant laundry producing outdoor project going on right now with a bunch of guys here and some of my kids helping.  We are generating more laundry than the 9 of us already create.  We are still being cautious with my son's MRSA infection.  He has his own towels, we're bleaching them often, etc.
4. So, I asked if there really wasn't any way that my dryer could be looked at in that W timeslot.  Her answer?  "That slot is already taken".

So, I realized that although this is a big hassle it really isn't the end of the world.  We have a yard.  We have twine.  We have 9 clothes pins.  It's summer.  People hang things out to dry all the time.  Why am I complaining.  I guess I should just be happy my washing machine is still somewhat functioning.  That would be a real hassle.