May 2011: Homemaker's Challenge - Work In Progress

Felicity's Nursery

Well Day 1 of an Orderly Home went great!  Day 2 still on track.  Day 3 will definitely not be given any awards from the National Orderly Home Society.  Even after Day 3, I am already being reminded of some forgotten truths:

My day goes ever so much better when I wake up before the children, {well before most of our children as I would have to wake up at 5:00 am to beat Tate some mornings}.  I can accomplish a few of those things that belong at the top of my priority list, but sometimes don't even make the daily cut, if I don't do them first thing. -such as exercise and dedicated gospel study.  If I don't wake up before the kids, I feel like I am playing "catch up" the rest of the day.

Mistakes are going to happen, especially in the beginning.  So it is ever so important that our house is a "place of grace" {Sarah Mae}.  My words and actions need to be forgiving and come from a place of love.  One of the quotes that resides on my fridge for needed daily reminder is:

"When we act with the child's needs in mind, we act very differently.  When we understand that our children are doing the best they know how in a big, confusing world in which they often feel awkward and powerless, we like Jesus, can act redemptively.  When a child falls short because of lack of wisdom or experience, we can teach rather than punish."  

H. Wallace Goddard, author of 1 of my favorite books which I strongly recommend, "The Soft Spoken Parent"

I must eat lunch. Most days I am hurrying between one thing to the next that I rarely stop and "waste time" making myself an actual lunch.  The result= I'm starving, very grumpy, and don't have the patience to actually make something for dinner.  I've got to make myself stop and eat something for lunch.  And then eat snacks during the day.  This is going to take some additional planning.

As I am trying ever so hard to transition from chaos to order,  I have really been thinking more about my mission statement.  I decided that it is a work in progress, a compilation of little pieces of advice and necessities.  Here's what it looks like so far.

To make my home a haven I will abide the following:

Early to bed, early to rise.
Do your Duty with a Heart Full of Song
Have our home be a Place of Grace
Live with the desire, faith, and as a willing worker to qualify for the privileges Heavenly Father has ready for me as the mother of this family

I am sure that it will continue to take shape as I press forward in my efforts to transform my heart and home.  I have already witnessed miracles, and I'm loving that!