Saturday – Garlic & Olive Oil Pizza (pepperoni pizza for the kids)

Sunday – Turkey Meatloaf and balsamic roasted carrots & potatoes

Monday – Pork stir fry with Jasmine Rice

Tuesday – Hot dogs and Sweet potato fries

Wednesday – Tuna Noodle Casserole

Thursday – Lentil Tacos and Spanish rice

Friday – Chicken & Pesto Pasta

I said that my theme for the year was simplicity.  And do you think I’ve done a single thing to work towards that goal?  Not at all.  Unless you count that I thought about it.  I’m really good at planning things, but not so great at the follow through.  

So today, I decided to just do something.  So, I cleaned out and re-organized the under sink cabinet in my downstairs bathroom.  This cabinet was so out of control, that I couldn’t even bring myself to take a before picture.  It was always overflowing with hand towels, make-up, hair accessories…I knew it was bad when I couldn’t find the curling iron to do Annie’s hair before the play.  It literally took me 30 min. to find it–it was buried under the clutter. {blush}.

So, this afternoon, I sat myself down with a trash bag and plunged in.  Amazingly enough just 15 minutes later and I was done.  Why do I put off these tasks, when they are so quick to finish?  Why do I convince myself that it’s going to take too long??  

So, here is my baby-step to a clutter-free, more simple life.  I present to you, my clean, tidy, uncluttered under-sink cabinet.  

Just look at all that space! Who knew?!

It’s almost that time of year again.  I don’t know what it is, the fact that it’s mid-way through the year, or maybe it’s the fact that it’s the dead of winter, but right around February every year, homeschoolers everywhere start to feel burnt out.  Everyone is a little stir crazy, and suddenly, all that great curricula that was so fun just a month ago is so boring that it brings tears to your eyes.  I wonder if it happens to school teachers as well.  

Over the years, as I’ve realized that this is a recurring trend, I’ve planned for the February doldrums.  If we’re finding that the curriculum is boring, I change things up a bit and we do a fun unit study.   This year I planned it out so that we’re doing something different each month so that we don’t get bored.  

Some other ideas to avoid burnout:

• Spend  a week or two (or the whole month!)  just reading aloud some new (or old favorite) books
• Peruse Homeschool Share  for some fun unit study ideas.
• Take a field trip
• Grow some plants indoors to bring some green back to the cold winter months
• Or try some fun winter nature study ideas. 
• Let the kids take the reins.  Maybe they have an interest they’d like to explore.  Spend a few weeks focusing on just that, maybe doing some fun projects together.
• Have a science experiment week.  (or an art project week)
• You know all those fun little kits/books/projects you bought way back but never got around to them?  Pull them out now and just focus on that for a few weeks.  

Sometimes Mom needs to focus a bit on herself this time of year as well.  Maybe get a new hair cut, or read a good book, even just taking an nice relaxing bath can make a huge difference.  And of course, don’t forget your dark chocolate.   I’m convinced that dark chocolate can solve any problem.

A few months ago, I hung a toddler rosary over Cutie’s bed.  I figured since she wasn’t old enough to use it yet, it would serve to decorate her space.  Then  yesterday, just after I put her down for her nap, I heard a lot of banging and knocking coming from her room.  I peeked in the room and found her pulling down the rosary.  I hung it back on the wall and laid her back down.  

When I went to check on her a few hours later, she was still sleeping, with the rosary clutched in her chubby little hand.  I of course ran for the camera, but when I got back, she was wide awake.  I took a picture anyways of course.

That night when I put her down for bed, she grabbed her rosary and went right to sleep.  Same thing at nap time this morning.  

I’ve always thought she was a special baby–I wonder what plans God has in store for her?

FOR TODAY  Monday, Jan. 18, 2010

Outside my window… it is a dreary, snowy day.  We were woken at 4am when the power suddenly went out.  Thankfully, it returned a few hours later.  I was very worried we’d have a repeat of last years 4 day power outage.  I can’t imagine going through that with an infant.
I am thinking… about how proud I am of my sweet daughter.  We had a big busy weekend with Annie’s big theatre debut in, of course,  Annie.  She did a fantastic job as Cecile/Boylen sister.  She loved every minute of it.  She’s already working on her audition for the next show.  I have a feeling that this is just the beginning.  
I am thankful for… my dad.  He is such a devoted Pappy.  Even though he was just here a few weeks ago, he flew all the way back out again this weekend just to see Annie’s show.  She was thrilled that he was in the audience.  And that she had someone here over the weekend to watch her perform the entire score of Annie with her littlest pet shop toys.  
From the learning rooms… We’re still working through our Human Body unit.  I’ve tweaked a tiny bit here and there but otherwise, my plans are working out really well.  I’m in the middle of working out next month’s study–Russia.  I’m very much looking forward to it.  
From the kitchen… So far my Flat Belly Diet plan is going well.  Rob and I had a bit of a rough weekend with all that was going on, but I still managed to make decent choices.  So far, I’ve lost about 2lbs and 1 inch.  Rob lost 4lbs.  Why do men loose weight faster??  That doesn’t seem fair somehow.
I am wearing… jeans and a purpley sweater.  And my warm penguin socks.  
I am creating… memories with Annie–or at least I will be.  I’m planning on getting her a nice scrapbook to keep her theatre memorabilia in one place.  It’ll be a fun little project.
I am going… to hunker down at home this week and work on bringing back some order.  I need to get started on purging some of our excess stuff.
I am reading… The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordian.  Annie has been asking me to read it for a long time now, and I since the movie is coming out really soon, I figured this was a good time to finally dig it out of my stack.  I’m only a chapter in, but it’s pretty good so far. 
I am hoping… that we can work on making a trip to the Boston Children’s Museum some time soon.   They’ve got some pretty cool exhibit’s right now, and I think it would work as a tie in to our human body study as well. (hint, hint Rob. )
I am hearing…Baby Einstein (while baby digests her food), the twins discussing their ds game, and Annie singing at the top of her lungs upstairs.
One of my favorite things… a warm cup of tea and a good book to read on a cold, blustery day.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Besides our usual school stuff, the twins have a pack meeting, Annie has a drama class, and Rob has a long weekend.  

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

Heading out the door for her first performance.

What I’m reading aloud:

The Life of Our Lord for Children by Marigold Hunt

The Brain by Seymour Simon

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science (just with Annie–it creeped the twins out, lol)

What Annie is reading:

The Journey: An Inside Look at the Human Body by Lawrence E.C. Joers, M.D.

Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary (she just finished it this afternoon)

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau 

What Dinoboy is reading: 

Dinosaur Time by Peggy Parish

What Gamerboy is reading:

Afternoon on the Amazon (Magic Tree House #6)

What I’m reading:

I finished City of Ember this morning before passing it on to Annie, I think she’ll like it.

Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #3) by Charlaine Harris