May 10th - Preserving Your Sanity

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We long to make sense of the work we do in our home.

To master the sacred art and craft of doing it 

and to create a microcosm of serenity, security, and sanity 

for ourselves and those we love...

Getting our houses in order and endowing our children 

with a respect for, and appreciation of, order 

is one of the most precious gifts we can give them and ourselves.

After searching a century's worth of housekeeping advice...

one thing is clear:

sanity is preserved with planning...

But before planning, you're going to have to think your way through housework, just as you'd approach an overwhelming project at work.

Now none of us would dream of plunging in without thinking 
when working at a job for which we're paid a salary. 

Why should we do any less for a job that compensates us 
with room, board, love, and contentment? 

By thinking first, 

instead of just reacting 

to the chores, interruptions, and demands that are made on us, 

we can reclaim control over our daily lives. 

We need to learn to run our homes 
instead of letting the housework run roughshod over us.

[1]

First, 

figure out what your standard of ideal housekeeping is. 

Remember, it doesn't have to be the same as your mother's...

Your personal standard of ideal home caring 
is the minimum you can live with and still feel content...

[2]

Next,

you need to figure out what needs to be done, who can do it, and when. 

The simplest way is to break your housekeeping demands into categories: 
daily duties, weekly chores, monthly jobs, and seasonal tasks...

Now, who lives with you and can share the load?

...

What you're creating is a Simple Abundance strategy 
that brings order and harmony to your home, 
while providing you with enough time and space to savor the journey.

End Quote

Sarah also shares four rules that will immensely help you keep your home in order.

                                           1) If you take it out, put it back.

                                           2) If you open it, close it.  

                                           3) If you throw it down, pick it up.

                                           4) If you take it off, hang it up. 

My mom has always had a schedule. 

It's not like schedules are new to me, 

it's just that they are hard. 

But honestly? 

Living in chaos is even harder.

I remember my Nana telling me how she had to clean the dishes every night, and that when she got married, the first thing she did was leave the dishes in the sink over night and did them in the morning. 

Your schedule has to work for you.

Just because one schedule is right for one person, 
doesn't mean it's right for everyone. 

I've thought a lot about schedules, 
and how to make them no matter who you are or what you do. 
I wrote a post about them, 
it still needs a little work but I hope you'll read it here. 

Well, here is my plan!

Daily

> 1-2 loads of laundry: wash, dry, fold and put away

> Water the plants

> Cook dinner

> Pick up after the kids and dog *Kids help

> A weekly chore if there's time

> Mop either the kitchen or living room, switch every other day

> Dishes *Robbie

Weekly

> Dust (one week upstairs, next downstairs)

> Bathroom (three bathrooms, one every week rotate)

> Vacuum Carpet (at least once a week)

> Kitchen (at least once a week)

> Organize garage

Monthly

> Do whatever didn't get done last month first

> Brush/bathe the dog

Seasonal

> Spring cleaning

> August - shampoo the carpets *Robbie

Every Sunday night Robbie and I look at our schedules, and amongst play dates and piano lessons and every other thing going on, I try and plan when I'm going to do my weekly chores. 

When I don't do them I go crazy.

I don't do them when I don't plan. 

But when I do "fail", I just shake it off and try again.

Another way to preserve my sanity, 

I don't expect my self to be perfect.

I just expect myself to try.

***

Gratitude Journal

***

1) Cuddling my babies before nap time. Sometimes it's really hard to rock them and sing them lullabies when they have been pains in the butt all day. But after doing it for a couple months now, they cry if they don't get their few minutes of mommy time. I love it. Jacob usually doesn't take a nap, but when he does I rock him too. The twins can still fit nicely on my chest, but Jacob is so big he fills my entire lap. How do they grow up so fast? I love the little hands on my chest, holding their little feet and rubbing their backs. Chase refuses to let me kiss him, he is very particular that he gets to kiss me only, and one kiss on each cheek...no more no less. Riley and I played a game, I blew her hair out of her face and she laughed and covered her face back up and then said "again."

2) Good friends that I can talk to, no judgments, and actually feeling the same way I do. I was talking to my friend the other day, telling her about how I can't seem to get out of a funk that I've been in for over a week now. Is it wrong to wake up and not want to take care of my kids all day? Is it wrong to not want to change 20 diapers because the twins have diarrhea? Is it wrong to not want to make breakfast, then clean it up, then a snack, then clean it up, then lunch, then clean it up, then another snack, then clean it up, then dinner, have no one eat it, then clean it up? 

Is it wrong to feel this way?

No. It isn't. Sometimes being a mom is hard. Sometimes it sucks. Sometimes I don't want to do it. And after feeling this way for over a week, it feels like maybe this is all I will ever feel...

But then today it broke. The funk just lifted off, and I was happy again taking care of all the things I had to clean, all the diapers I had to change, all the fights I had to referee. I was able to be patient and loving and kind and fun. 

I'm grateful for the hard days, because when the good days come they are so much brighter and more appreciated.

3) Second to last swim lesson. Chase went willingly to his teacher, giving her lots of kisses. He wanted me to watch him every time he jumped or did something great. Riley is like a fish, so happy and smiley. Jacob, well, he's just a boy. He wants to fill his mouth with water and then spit it out at his teacher, and he wants to swim wherever he wants to instead of to his teacher...But ya know, it's all good.

4) Frozen dinners. I can't wait to make a meal plan, I'm going to make double of everything I make and freeze it! Hooray for quick and healthy (mostly healthy, more healthy than store bought frozen food) meals!

5) Seeing my piano students make progress. It takes a lot of time and hard work to master a piano piece, some of my students will work on a piece this whole year just to perform it at Christmas. It's amazing to see just in one week the progress they make...