Getting It Together

I'm trying to get organized.  Again.  This is a never-ending struggle in my life.  Just when I think I have a system that will work, well......it doesn't.  Part of it is a notion that I don't want to be controlled by a schedule, but I am realizing that that is exactly what my family and I need.  Living without a plan actually exhausts me, because I have to constantly make decisions, from what to have for breakfast to what subject to teach next.  I'm not helping my children to learn how to organize themselves by being so unorganized, myself.  So, yesterday I made up a schedule for Rory which includes his school, chores, meals, outings, and free time throughout the week.  I am going back to making a weekly menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I have set wake-up times for myself and Rory.  I have also eliminated Lily's naps for the most part - last time she had a nap during the day, she was up and running until midnight.  AAAAAAHHGH!  So, "no naps for you!"  She's had a few rough spots during the day, but it seems that if she just has a little snuggle time, she revives pretty well.  


Lily is probably the most scheduled of all of us.  If she doesn't have a nap, she goes to sleep right around 8:30 every night.  Lily's big job is unloading the dishwasher, which she usually does in the morning while Rory is working on his schoolwork.  The funny thing is that she gets rather perturbed if there are no dishes in it!  Sometimes I wash them by hand, or run the dishwasher at different times of the day depending on how full it is.  Lily will still go to the dishwasher in the morning and inform me that it is time to do dishes!  I have to show her that it is empty, or dirty, or whatever, before she will get over the idea, and then she looks at me as if to say "You messed up my system!"  It's pretty bad when a toddler is more organized than her mom!


Lucy is trying to earn her keep.  Last night, I woke up to hear squeak, squeak, squeak!  I thought it was a mouse, but when I got up this morning, I saw no sign of one.  One of the bathtub toys was on the floor in the bathroom, so I figured she had been playing with that.  Well, the next thing I know, she is batting around a tailless(?!) mouse.  She seems to think it is a playmate, as the mouse startled Mike tonight while we were watching a movie.  Lucy picked up the mouse and took it in the other room to play with it, until it came back and ran under the piano.  This could be interesting.  


Okay - this is the end of this post.  I think I am going to have to make myself a schedule, including when I am allowed to spend time on the computer!  Maybe tomorrow.