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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 07 2007 at 2:47am | IP Logged
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oh my 
I've been struggling this week too.. we'd been sick, dh out of town.. extra things happening with Lent (stations of the cross followed by a soup and bread supper on Fridays).. kids are playing lacrosse (and dh was going to be home during this season so he was doing it with them and now I get to pinchhit)
And I've very good at organizing.. can get there sooner or later no problem.. staying that way??   forget it.
Not sure if this is too much like flylady (I do NOT live in my shoes thankyouverymuch so she's annoyed me from the get go ) but this is something sort of simliar for large families http://largefamilylogistics.net/
And *gasp* I bought a book that's about scheduling.. but I was encouraged that it's from a Catholic homeschooling perspective AND that it supposedly helps you find what you need.. not a do it my way and your life will be perfect thing. I'll have to let you know how it goes after I get it.. I figure either it'll be interesting enough that I'll read it.. make me mad enough to throw it across the room and leave it.. or impossible enough that I set it down and never pick it up again  oh.. it's "A Mother's Rule of Life" but don't burst my bubble in thinking it might be useful.. it's paid for and on the way and right now I feel like I might actually read it.. so no discouraging words
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Bridget
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| Posted: March 07 2007 at 8:38am | IP Logged
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Tina P. wrote:
I can't keep up wtih the condition of my house. I found the door to my pantry broken yesterday. How did that happen? |
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I am a naturally organized person, keep things very simple and I can still barely keep up. And if it's any comfort, we have three cupboard doors broken off from children climbing on them. It's really not the look I'm striving for. 
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God Bless,
Bridget, happily married to Kevin, mom to 8 on earth and a small army in heaven
Our Magnum Opus
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chicken lady
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| Posted: March 07 2007 at 10:47am | IP Logged
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No way is it a stress, we joke over here about the only time we get it together is when we have people over for dinner!!!
So I am now having a St Josephs day party, I need to clean
And talk to Jenn about the menu
Tina you are in great company here, I just sit back let others come up with great ideas for me, plan my menus, organize my curriculms, and reap the benefits of these wise organized ladies
I am to busy to organize I am scrapbooking
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JennGM
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| Posted: March 07 2007 at 11:15am | IP Logged
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I have one child and I'm disorganized also. Why do you think I come here...to get inpiration. I didn't learn some of these growing up, and I'm a slow learner!
And Molly, I can plan for other people much better than myself.
My biggest problem is finding that chunk of time to concentrate. Why does it seem like it's always by the seat of my pants? Menu plans? Sketchy, but always changing. Routines? Forget it.
I'm fearful for the homeschooling days that will make things even worse!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Dawn
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| Posted: March 07 2007 at 12:58pm | IP Logged
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I struggle with this too, and I have only 3 boys.
I said to Maria (Ladyugs  ) recently that I am able to keep a few plates spinning at one time, but not all of them. For instance, I might remember to request every book I need for a certain feast in time ... but completely forget to pay the light bill.
I am pitiful at keeping up with e-mails, PM's, phone messages, snail mail ... forget it. It is amazing I have friends at all.
I don't know if I just need to get more organized (read=disciplined) and/or if I need to pare down all the things (areas) I need to organize. Probably not going to be able to do the latter. I mean - house, lessons, meals, family, budget - I don't do much else. I don't work (outside the home), I don't volunteer (I admit shamefully), I don't really have any hobbies these days, well, except for that blog ...
I pulled out Flylady's book and A Mother's Rule of Life recently. I was trying to decide which one to (re)read hoping this time it would stick. I finally decided not to re-read either ... I spend too much time reading and thinking about it.
So I'm making myself a planner and a once-and-for-all set of routines. And I am on a serious de-cluttering kick. (I am actually allowing my husband to go through the basement and just get rid of things as he sees fit  ... I may regret it, but at least we'll get our basement back.  )
Anyhoo ... just wanted to chime in and say I struggle too!
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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Angel
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| Posted: March 07 2007 at 4:22pm | IP Logged
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Tina,
By now you know you're not alone, but I just wanted to chime in and say me, too! (The more, the merrier I hope.)
Today I got a phone call from a credit card company. As far as I knew, we had not used this card in years, but they were saying we were about a million days overdue on the bill. What bill? We haven't even gotten a bill in ages. I had to get my husband to call them because I couldn't even find the card, couldn't remember his SSN, and couldn't actually talk on the phone because my kids have yet to learn to be quiet when I'm on the phone and anyway, someone always picks then to injure themselves.
Turns out *I* was the one at fault. I accidentally used the card several months ago -- I suppose thinking it was the card we do use occasionally? Since we didn't change addresses when we moved, we were not receiving bills. Therefore -- extremely late credit card bill. <sigh>
Now, my husband has a CPA and two degrees in accounting. He works in finance and is responsible for millions of dollars of other people's money every day. But is he responsible for keeping track of our bills at home? No, because he's even worse at keeping track of time and being organized than *I* am, which is saying something. (I was an anthropology/creative writing major, though, so maybe I have more of an excuse???) Anyway, the net result of our ADD/nonsequential/visual-spatial/daydreamy/I'd rather be reading household is so often utter chaos that it drives *everyone* -- including the kids! -- nuts.
To give myself some credit, I do try to improve our lot; it's just that everything I seem to try backfires or the effort involved in ensuring that *everyone* uses the system is so overwhelming that things go right back to the way they were before. Plus the babies are always about four steps ahead of me. Now they have started climbing on top of the coffee table, where they feel the need to a)jump up and down and b)run. I have had to strap them into their high chairs the past couple days just to keep them from killing themselves (and me, since the pregnancy backaches have started already.) So even though it feels like most days I am constantly working, it only keeps the house in a state of messy equilibrium.
As for homeschooling... usually I'm just trying to keep my head above water, so I don't worry about being "behind" too much. Now that standardized testing is looming over our heads, though, I am. Mainly I find I am always worrying if I am taking the right approach, if the kids are learning enough, why my son can't seem to learn his times tables... to be honest, homeschooling wears me out. I love reading to the kids, going outside with them, mucking around in nature, going to museums... but the day-to-day teaching of skills in our special needs house, especially with a child with behavioral problems, sucks the energy right out of me. I often find that I need to take a break, but around here breaks only make for constantly bickering children. So I feel like I am constantly on a treadmill.
I try to remind myself that things are not going to be easy with so many little kids in the house (once this baby is born, we will have 4 age 4 and under.) But I see other people bringing it off a lot better than I am, and I keep asking myself, Why? And, how?
Honestly, I've been trying to pick myself up all day. I'm trying to keep a balance right now between resting (so I don't *really* hurt my back) and actually *doing* something about the things which are bringing me down. Tina, I think your clean room is quite an accomplishment! One clean room is such a joy. I have been working in halfs for a long time, and it just feels like nothing ever gets accomplished. I think I need to work on finishing what I start.
I also realized, though, that a complete fixation on the house wasnt doing me much good either -- was, in fact, sucking most of the joy out of my life. I found myself sunk into a place where I wasn't really interested in anything. So I forced myself to buy a book that had absolutely nothing to do with homeschooling, organizing, or anything like that, and I forced myself to read it. (If you knew me, you would know how ridiculous it is that I had to "force" myself to buy and read a book. I usually go through books like candy.) I also ordered myself some Latin books.
I think part of my problem is a matter of perspective. I need to work on organization, etc., but not at the expense of my mind. My kids need clean underwear and to be able to find their school books , but they also need a mother who isn't worn down all the time.
Anyway, I think I have blathered on long enough. I hope you're feeling better, Tina!
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Why am I so slow about everything I do?
