Conclusion: I expect too much.

Anyone else like me?    I'm sure you are....of course you are!

You plan it out, you make your list, you have your items of the day.

Your list is maybe....10 item tasks long.

I'm talking 9 or 10 things that are not on your "do everyday" list.   This doesn't include the dishes, or the laundry (or maybe if you're as behind on folding as I am...it does), ....it doesn't include:  feed the dog, feed the fish, empty the dishwasher, wash the sink dishes, put away the counter stuff, start a load of laundry, dress the children, hair brushing, teeth brushing, cooking breakfast/lunch/dinner....annnnnnd...lets not forget HOMESCHOOLING!    

Honestly, just the regular daily stuff is enough to fill up the day.   Really, it is...it's more than enough, if it wasn't, then I wouldn't be behind on laundry folding, and I would vacuum the stairs far more often.   I also want a little time to...you know... talk, snuggle, hang out with... these wonderful children that we chose for me to stay home with.   What's the point of even being home if I'm not going to **STOP** sometimes...and just BE with them.    Honestly, I should just put this on the list, because it seems like the day is over and we haven't just held still to be together. 

This is all running through my mind today, as I renew an effort to "get it all done before the baby arrives"    but, is that really possible.  I mean without hiring a nanny, and perhaps losing my mind?

I'm starting to realize, that I really need to lower my standard of productivity on those extra things. 

I make a list... I've been using Susan Sly's production notebook lately....and it's really great for figuring out what my priorities are and what I really want to get done....but you know, it never occurred to me that it was too much for me to do until today.

Today I realized just where I am.   I have about an hour that I could spend on those extra things a day, if I'm lucky, and if I don't waste time.   That's an hour.  ONE HOUR.   Perhaps somedays it is more, and other days it's even less, but roughly ONE HOUR.  

So now that I realize, I really only have ONE HOUR, I need to make some choices.  Either, I don't use 3 categories, or, I use less items per category.   

Ok, see, now I'm not done typing, but... a little boy just brought me a book and asked me to read it...so, I'm going to STOP!!!  and just be with him for the next 15 minutes. 

Go BE with someone you love...right now! 

Welcome back....a bajillion updates!

Well, to say things have been busy on Mount Robson would be a bit of an understatement!  I can't believe my last post was in March!    So many thoughts, so much prayer, and searching and wondering about the future of our family, of my potential home business, of our home, our finances, our children's schooling.   Just...everything!  No trauma... nothing drastic has happened to make all these things come up to the surface and need to be worked out, just.....life.    Just....wanting to be intentional about what we're doing in our family, in our home, in our lifestyles.

What have we figured out?

Well.   SURPRISE!!!  We're having another baby!  Now...how that all came about is a story for another day.    Wow.. let's just say, I thought God was closing that door, when in fact, he was clearly saying "here you go, the answer is yes!"  Praise God, He is good...all the time...He is good. 

If you read my last post, you will know that I was struggling with what God's will is towards a potential home business for me.  I was struggling with putting a whole bunch of effort into something that wasn't directly related to spreading the gospel.  I wasn't really sure what I was thinking, but I was overwhelmed when sitting in a seminar, and when learning about business, and how to share good news, thinking that if this was successful in sharing good news about health...how much better would it be to share that good news about faith?! 

I wasn't sure at the time, what that meant.  Did it mean that I should walk away from that business?  Did it mean that I should go forward, but be careful to not let it overwhelm my time (I was leaning heavily towards this thought at the time, since we're homeschooling, and have 3 small children), did it mean that I should be a missionary!  ha!  Pretty sure it wasn't that last once...I feel strongly that my mission is right here in our home.   Or was it just pointing out to me, that if I can do this, I should be more bold in sharing my faith with others, in the same way that I'm happy to share the changes in my health, and my body, and my lifestyle?

So, months went by, and I casually remained in the same place.   I prayed, and pondered, and prayed and pondered, and I came to thinking, that I was in no way being told that I shouldn't do this.   I DO feel that I need to guard my family's time.  Guard that time that is meant for my children, and guard that time that is meant for Harold, and guard that time that is meant for me to be taking care of here.    What that means, is that....sigh... I need to be FAR more organized than I am!

So...  Here I am.   24 weeks pregnant tomorrow, with a precious little boy!  He's already awesome.   He's already named, and he's already so loved, and so much a part of our family that the kids talk to him every day,...which, by the way, is the cutest thing EVER!

So... here I am....blogging about getting organized again.    I have about 13 weeks.

My top 3 current focus points:  wait... to clarify, this is in addition to daily living stuff of course... like homeschooling, loving on my babies, cooking, cleaning (ok..I'm not good at that), exercise and bible study and all those regular daily things.....

#1    I'm FULLY jumping in to building some additional income for our family.  Now I see the freedom that can come from this opportunity I have.  This isn't something that should take away from the time I have to spend with our family, this is something that can FREE UP the time I have to spend with our family!  This can be the answer to the tight finances, to budgetting for that homeschool curriculum that looks great, to paying for the activities that the kids love, and that we love to provide for them.    There is no reason for me to stop now, since my products are free...that would just be silly!  On to the next goal... significant additional income.   There.  I said it out loud.  I have a goal, and it's honestly a really, really big one.   :D  And I'm excited.  

#2   A clean house.  Yep. Really.  Clean, decluttered,  tidy...  Ok, clean decluttered and tidy ENOUGH...for me to stand it and stop looking around in dread.  ha!    This includes a load of fun house projects and Cozy Minimalist/Cozy Minimalist Mom homework and super fun stuff.
A hook wall for the front hall, so the kids can hang all their winter stuff, walls in the basement!!! Walls in the basement!!!!    A room... a real room.  Yes.

#3   Healthy baby, healthy body, easier birth and recovery.   I'm going to do another Tummy Team course.   Oh, how I love the Tummy Team.  I've said it before, but it's true, that's really where my whole journey back to health started.    I took the Core Foundations course, which was amazing and nearly closed my diastasis, and now I want to take the prenatal core course.  I'll blog about it!  Can't wait!
I'm also continuing with Isagenix throughout this pregnancy.  It's amazing!  I don't think I'd have made it through the first trimester without it,...really...I had such a meat aversion.  I'd have had no protein at all!  It's also kept my weight gain from going out of control (ummm...like my previous pregnancies), I'm right in the normal range!  YAY!!!

Ok, that's a big update.   Enough for now.    I'm sure I'll be expanding on those three big goals in separate posts over the next while. I'm feeling the blog urge again!