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Lisbet
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| Posted: Feb 17 2009 at 5:19am | IP Logged
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In reading and mulling over the 'reactions' thread, and all of the beautiful morning offerings, and Elizabeth's blog - I am becoming increasingly aware that a big part of my restlessness and aggrevation stems from how terribly inconsistent my days and weeks are.
My morning routine is rarely the same. My prayer time is hit or miss. (ejaculatory prayers are a regular part of my day, and when I say I will pray for someone, I offer an Ave on the spot.) My morning offering is often done on the fly. Time with scripture or any meditations are few and far between. My nighttime routine is similiar. I don't want to "blame" it on anyone or anything, but I will say that having 5 children under 5 adds to the inconsistentsy. Even discipline is inconsistent because my availablity varies in each situation. (I am often under a nursling and unable to physically get up and address a situation - I hate to admit it, I find myself yelling more...I DON'T want to do that...)
Some days we are home, all day - some days we are gone all day.
How do you find a proper rhythm for yourself and your family?
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Lisa, wife to Tony,
Mama to:
Nick, 17
Abby, 15
Gabe, 13
Isaac, 11
Mary, 10
Sam, 9
Henry, 7
Molly, 6
Mark, 5
Greta, 3
Cecilia born 10.29.10
Josephine born 6.11.12
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Feb 17 2009 at 7:14am | IP Logged
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I'm not in your shoes just yet, but I have struggled with being consistently inconsistent and had a hard time implementing rhythms.
For me, it helps to come up with a list of things I want to implement but then just adding one MAYBE two new habits at a time. Kids make it somewhat variable, but overall its the same. I had a great rhythm going before this last baby, and now that he's 5 months, I'm losing my excuse, lol.
So, for me, with a new babe, it is still nice to have one or two things that are super consistent. Like my morning devotion. I've had a hard time getting all my prayers in, but I have been able to get that morning devotion in consistently (5-6 out of 7 days seems consistent to me  ) by waking up in the morning before everyone else. Sometimes I'm interrupted and have to find a few minutes to finish later in the morning, sometimes I get up late and don't get to it until after breakfast, but those 10-15 minutes are a good starting place for me.
Anyway, I don't think that you can artificially create an entire day of rhythm a la Mother's Rule of Life. Its a good place to start in coming up with goals, but it takes trial and error, ime, to find those anchors for the day which allow you to sort of go with the ebb and flow without being washed away  And they don't all come at once for me.
Now, to implement my own advice and work some of our old rhythms that I miss back into the routine in a way that incorporates this addition to our lives!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Feb 17 2009 at 7:23am | IP Logged
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I think that it can be helpful to let the new baby help you start your rhythm. Yours is so young that you probably don't have her figured out. But, perhaps you can find some sort of prayer or devotion to start using consistently for that first long nursing session in the morning. I've never had one of these babies, but if she needs to be walked regularly, maybe you start a habit of inspecting the house and having your daily pick up during that time so you can quietly issue instructions throughout the house as you bounce the baby. Sort of like a quiet version of JEnnifer's daily backwards tornadoes
So, anyway, my advice would be to look at the things you already do somewhat consistently out of necessity and tacking on something that you are longing to add to your rythm, even if it seems very small.
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Feb 17 2009 at 7:25am | IP Logged
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Can I just say that I majored in music in college, and I STILL cannot spell rhythm to save my life. I have to retype it a million times and use spell check every single time. 
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: Feb 18 2009 at 12:34am | IP Logged
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Lisa~
Do you have a copy of The Mom Walk by Sally Clarkson?? (pgs. 96-100) If not, I'll be back later to highlight a couple things that I just read in there that made me think of this thread. Off to bed.....
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Jenny
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| Posted: Feb 18 2009 at 7:07am | IP Logged
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Ah, I was just telling my priest the the other night, one of the hardest parts of life (parenting, spiritual, physical fitness...) is consistency. I struggle too, so I'm not sure I am much help, except to say, we have to get up to parent. I have been under one nursling or another for 10 years, and we have to get up to discipline. The baby may not like it, but they will always get right back on 
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Jenny
Chris' wife and momma of 7. My blog: The Littlest Way--Bible Journaling, Inspiring Bible Quotes, Daily Affirmations, Prayer Journaling & photography
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Mimip
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| Posted: Feb 18 2009 at 10:50am | IP Logged
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*This is my first official post but lets see if I can help at all.*
I am with you Lisbet. I feel like my life is consistantly inconsistant  Our mother's sharing group has been discussing this for a few months and we came up with some ideas that have helped me tremendously.
Consider this: Our home is our monastary right? so let us follow our own "monastic bell" In a monastary there is a call to an activity with the ringing of a bell, thus the "call of the monastic bell" WE have our own monastic bell: our children. They call us to change a diaper or nurse or check a math problem or make dinner. So why not frame our day around that call? I'll give you an example. I sit in the same chair everytime I nurse. (I have to it, it is a thing with my back) I am no longer trying to do something with the kids when I am nursing because it is too distracting to my now 13 month old. So now when I sit, I hand him a rosary and I start mine. I get a divine mercy chaplet in!!! That is great, it is not? It does not happen every time but at least I am trying.
I also posted prayers all over my house. On top of the cabinets in my kitchen, so I can pray when I dry dishes since its quiet at night On my mirror in my bathroom so that when I brush my teeth I can get St, Ann's prayer said. We had people who had copies of prayers put all over from the toilet to the pantry ( so they could hide and say a decade of the rosary )
So my point is take what you have everyday to do and work from there instead of from the clock. I know we still have to get up to discipline but maybe we could use the time we have and take it as a cue for some consistency:)
Hope that helps and I love this thread. Such great food for thought!
In Christ,
Mimi
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: Feb 18 2009 at 11:11am | IP Logged
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I have about two seconds to write and I really do plan more posts, but I wanted to throw out my current experiment for you to consider, Lisa. The ONLY things I'm being consistent about are the spiritual ones. I'm trusting that if these are the pegs, the rest fall into place. And then, I'm pegging the pegs to the baby. The first time I awaken with her in the morning, I offer a morning offering. The next time I escape with her for a nursing, there's time for ten minutes spiritual reading followed by meditation. I talk to my guardian angel and beg not to be interrupted but trust that my angel will step in if I am. After lunchtime nursing is tied to listening to the rosary and praying along. The closest nursing to 3 is the Divine Mercy Chaplet. You see? Figure out what you're spiritual plans are and then just tick through them as your day goes. Every time you feed and nurture your baby, you ask God to feed and nurture you. My theory (well, not really mine--someone wiser than me) is that if I put the big rocks of prayer and time with God in first, the rest of the important things will happen as long as I cooperate with the opportunities He offers. And the things that don't get finished? God's grace will be sufficient.
And now, I'm off so I can actually live this
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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asplendidtime
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| Posted: Feb 26 2009 at 11:30pm | IP Logged
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I just read through this thread tonight too.  Thank you what a blessing. So much to ponder. Thank you!
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Rebecca~Mama to
Noah 17,
Katie 16,
Mary 14,
Tim 13,
Jonah 12,
Josh 10,
Zoe 9,
Will 7,
Peter 6,
Laura-Mae 4,
Emily-Joy 2,
Genevieve & Gabriella 1
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: Feb 27 2009 at 12:13am | IP Logged
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Daily Meditations, Elizabeth's article in the Catholic Herald
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Topic: Inconsistently Consistent
