My Grand Plan

I have spent as many free moments this summer as possible simplifying my life. I'm so tired of taking care of stuff. I want to free my life of stuff so I can enjoy people. I want to play games with my kids in the evening, not pick up clothes and toys on the floor. I know cooking, dishes and laundry are chores I probably can't avoid, but I can make my other chores easier by not having so much stuff to take care of. The last few days have been my last ditch effort to get myself prepared for the routine I'll need to have in place once school starts. I have finally dug out the "family room". This room has been a daycare, a case-building warehouse, a storage unit and a newlywed apartment. I've been preparing it to be a playroom, a school room, an art room, and a library. I have mostly taken all unnecessary objects out of the inside of my house and tried to find them a home in the family room (or in the yard sale pile) so that when I come home at the end of a long day, I can walk into a clean house. I can always shut the door on the playroom. I am also employing Zach to be my housekeeper for the winter. He's a great helper when I give him a list (and a little cash) so I'm going to take advantage of his work ethic and even give him a high school credit in home-ec to boot.

I've also been working on my latest "Grand Plan". I have always been a planner and a list maker but the last few years of starting this business have almost caused me to throw in the towel on ever being organized. But, having a plan gives me hope. I have outlined my church responsibilities and made a to do list of thing that need to be accomplished in each area; I made a September calendar for work detailing events, the hours I can work (too many), the things I need to do each day so I can be at peak proficiency, and days that I will be unavailable due to prior commitments (like Ladies Craft Night at church!!); I opened a box of school books that came in the mail and lined out the kid's schedule for the next 12 weeks as well as all of Zach's assignments for the first two weeks of school; AND I made a to do list of things that must be accomplished this week in order for everything else to fall into place!!!!! Whew! I feel like I've definitely accomplished something even though I still have lots of loose ends to tie up in the next couple of days. I used to be very white-knuckled about my "Grand Plan" but I've learned to hold it very loosely. I have to be flexible or I'll go insane.

I'm excited for school to start even though this will be our hardest year yet. I know some people think I'm slightly deranged for homeschooling my kids but it has been one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. It was very exciting to open a big box and to smell the fragrance of new books. I love new books. And I love my plan even if it is more like guidelines.