Planning 101

I've started to read a book titled Managers of Their Homes: A Pratical Guide to Daily Scheduling for Christian Homeschool Families. I got this book for free! My cousin in Kansas mailed it up to me because she was through reading it. I've gotten through the 1st 3 chapters. I think it'll be helpful. The authors Steve & Terri Maxiwell (who are going to be speakers at our Minnesota Homeschool Conference in April) had 24 families test their scheduling book before it went to print. Many of these families had more kids than Tom & I do and one had 8 children 9 & under! If all these families found it helpful and that it made their day less stressful, mommy was less grumpy & not so much like a "Drill Sargent" and that even the kids found the scheduling helpful . . . . then surely I can find it helpful too at least some principles to help me out. I'm grateful that I already have somewhat of a routine down as far as meal times & meal cleanups, naps & bed time. At least I don't have to figure EVERYTHING out scheduling wise. I'm thinking I'll find some helpful tips in how to keep the kids better occupied throughout the day and thus getting into trouble less and that chore time will be less whining and go smoother. I'll give myself till the end of February to finish the book and get a schedule going. Somewhere in all this, Ezra needs to get potty trained. Umm.. I think that depends on me getting "trained" again for frequent bathroom sessions and yes even a little more laundry and clean up. Is is alright to not look forward to every task of raising kids!?

Ezra got a high fever this afternoon when he woke up. So he was rather subdued and not as active. Hopefully it's short lived and the others won't get it. There's quite a few others from our church who are under the weather health wise, too.

We had lentil burgers for lunch today. I was trying to use up some leftovers. It turned out decently. I added crushed soda crackers & 2 eggs to the lentils and then fried up the patties and added shredded cheese to the tops when it was cooked. Ella ate hers good. Emmeline & Elise eventually ate their's too. Ezra never did, probably due to 1/2 stubbornness and 1/2 not feeling good (which I wasn't aware of till after nap time).