So today we rested. As much as a family of 6 rests. The morning started off with a trip to worship at St. Mary's. Happy St. Mary's Day!!! Then home to continue work on the boy's room. The new beds are half-way built and we started sorting through everything we took out of the room. And that's where our story begins.
As we were spending this family time together, it dawned on me that this is what the day of rest was all about. Resting from the world. Spending time together as a family. We worked on organizing the oldest boys room, watch the oldest play soccer, and the little guys and I went to a baptism. Everyone did exactly what they wanted to do. Each of us relaxed and enjoyed each other's company and rested.
Jason and Noah starting going through the piles of books, the Lego projects, and the trophies. Little by little the shelves filled up and the pictures were hung back on the wall. Everything they brought into the room had a place. It was so cool.
And then the epiphany happened.
Jason said, "Mom the room is perfect just how it is now." I surveyed the room and thought "You know, he's right. It's just perfect. No mess, no clutter. Everything had a place and nothing was overflowing." Then I turned around to walk out and surveyed the mountain of "STUFF" that never made it back in.
Now we are digging in and simplifying. Jason says to throw it all away. "Mom, it's just going to complicate my system." Hmmmm.
Maybe he's on to something. What if we were all that brave? What if we chucked all the extraneous things in our life? What if we got rid of everything that didn't have a place? What if we made our life what we actually wanted it to be? What if we didn't think about what we were getting rid of, we just did it!
Chuck it and move on. Don't look back. Just be brave enough to get rid of it.
That's what I'll be doing tomorrow as I wash the laundry and fold it and put it away. Getting rid of the extraneous. I plan on being less overwhelmed on Tuesday because my upstairs will be simpler- at least in one room.
Happy Chucking Readers.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Once Upon a Time
At the turn of the 20th century there was a wonderful little rhyme. It outlined your entire week. If you read Little House on the Prairie, this may begin to sound familiar. How wonderful to know what you were doing each day and taking the guessing out!
Wash on Monday
Iron on Tuesday
Mend on Wednesday
Churn on Thursday
Clean on Friday
Bake on Saturday
Rest on Sunday
What if we went back to this simple way of life? Maybe not churning on Thursday....but what if you put your household first and the world second? What if your faith was the center of your life? Religious activities get on the calendar in sharpie, everything else is in pencil.
It's a radical change in what the world wants and expects from you. But you can do it. We can do it! One household at a time. Living a simpler life.
If you only had 5 minutes to do something to your house, what would it be? I am going back to my rhyme each time. So on Mondays I am throwing a load in the wash on my way out the door. Then flipping it after the first round of carpool and start another load. In house with 4 children, a wonderful husband and 4 activities, the laundry battle is not waged lightly. So I hope to win a little on Mondays now.
Lest you get the wrong impression, that I have the whole mommy thing down, come to my house on Tuesdays. The ironing is never done. This is my commitment to September. Ironing on Tuesdays. Any tips you have on how to do this efficiently and effectively would be greatly appreciated.
I think I'll start with my ironing though and then branch out to the little people......
Wednesdays instead of mending clothes which was the original intention- I am mending the house. This may be in the form of picture hanging, organizing a room, knitting or scrapbooking. Wednesdays are going to be my homebody days. Wednesdays are also religious days. We worship and eat together and catch up on the first half of the week. It's amazing how the tone of Thursday has changed since the focus of Wednesday has changed. Wednesday was the first day we changed. It is the one I have so far been the most successful in achieving.
Well, that gets us through half the week. Each day, I'll update how successful I am in maintaining this simpler life. There will recipes and crafts and schedules and organizing tips and general information that would have been shared in the town square with all the other mothers and women of the town.
I am looking forward to walking this journey with you.
Wash on Monday
Iron on Tuesday
Mend on Wednesday
Churn on Thursday
Clean on Friday
Bake on Saturday
Rest on Sunday
What if we went back to this simple way of life? Maybe not churning on Thursday....but what if you put your household first and the world second? What if your faith was the center of your life? Religious activities get on the calendar in sharpie, everything else is in pencil.
It's a radical change in what the world wants and expects from you. But you can do it. We can do it! One household at a time. Living a simpler life.
If you only had 5 minutes to do something to your house, what would it be? I am going back to my rhyme each time. So on Mondays I am throwing a load in the wash on my way out the door. Then flipping it after the first round of carpool and start another load. In house with 4 children, a wonderful husband and 4 activities, the laundry battle is not waged lightly. So I hope to win a little on Mondays now.
Lest you get the wrong impression, that I have the whole mommy thing down, come to my house on Tuesdays. The ironing is never done. This is my commitment to September. Ironing on Tuesdays. Any tips you have on how to do this efficiently and effectively would be greatly appreciated.
I think I'll start with my ironing though and then branch out to the little people......
Wednesdays instead of mending clothes which was the original intention- I am mending the house. This may be in the form of picture hanging, organizing a room, knitting or scrapbooking. Wednesdays are going to be my homebody days. Wednesdays are also religious days. We worship and eat together and catch up on the first half of the week. It's amazing how the tone of Thursday has changed since the focus of Wednesday has changed. Wednesday was the first day we changed. It is the one I have so far been the most successful in achieving.
Well, that gets us through half the week. Each day, I'll update how successful I am in maintaining this simpler life. There will recipes and crafts and schedules and organizing tips and general information that would have been shared in the town square with all the other mothers and women of the town.
I am looking forward to walking this journey with you.
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