Happy Homemaking---Menu Plan, To Do's, and a Good Read Aloud

At Biblical Homemaking this week, I really liked how Mandy listed her weekly goals. She listed them very simply: To Do, To Read, To Learn, To Be. I don't know if this is something she came up with, or if it is from a source everyone else recognizes and I am the only one who missed it, but I liked it enough to write my own (and to have Tex write his own as well).

To Do: 

Monday--Blog post on Our Favorite Cheap Resource, print up kids' weekly schedule sheets, update kids' learning blogs, focus on grammar in school (cool lapbook/notebooking pages to try), lots of laundry, set up schoolbooks in the buffet in the dining room (I just moved it from the back room),

Daddy makes chili for Chili Cook-off at work.

Menu: Lasagna, salad, served with corn on the side (a bit of Mrs. Dash's Italian Medley sprinkled in the pot with butter makes it work well with the lasagna)

            Tuesday--Bread store for 10% off day, other errands, give kids haircuts, organize kids' cds, Chess Club, work on Bible verses.

Menu: Breakfast for dinner (french toast and eggs)

            Wednesday--Call a few friends/relatives to catch up, work in the garden (check out when to Grow Your Groceries), ride horses, Awana and Bible study.

Menu: Dinner at church (hotdogs and burgers, fries, fruit cocktail)

No, he doesn't actually get to use that tool.

Yes, playing in the water in the hole meant for the new tree is a lot of fun.

Doesn't every kid need a hole, some dirt, and some water to play in??

            Thursday--Lapbooks/Notebooking pages, work on front porch, PLAY OUTSIDE (70's!!), post on Who Am I? Bible Curriculum from Apologia (loved it!!).

Menu: Alfredo chicken over noodles, garlic bread sticks, salad

            Friday--Fun Friday (meaning manipulatives, puzzles, games, etc.), more laundry, pick up Tex's buddy who will be here for the weekend, play a game with Daddy since he is going out of town for a while, help Daddy pack.

Menu: Nachos 

            Saturday--Second (and last) Foster/Adopt training class all day long (9-3), Tex and his buddy are babysitting (we are leaving them with a box of fun stuff and a list of activities...the kids had a blast last time), then home asap to have pizza and a movie night together.

Menu: Pizza and a movie (Three Hearts movie--review next week)

            Sunday--Daddy flies away (sniff), church, send Tex's friend home, rest

Menu: Black Bean Soup (in crock pot), chips and salsa

To Read: A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levinson, Throne of Fire by Rick Riordian (the Kane Chronicles---Tex is waiting for this one so I'd better hurry!)

To Learn: I am working my way through all of\ the talks/seminars on the Lamplighter website. Online I am reading about notebooking.

New shelves...Real wood. Tall. Sturdy. Cheap. 

Small study area now separated from library area. Nifty.

Making progress sorting books by topic into containers from the 

Dollar Tree is slow work, but worth it. The kids love it.

We even printed up labels for the boxes.

Hint: It always looks messier before it gets better.

To Be: We are focusing on orderliness this month since my BIG project of the month (above) is to set up a library/study area in our back room using the AWESOME bookshelves I scored at the thrift store. If I can get the kids to make fewer messes, and pick up the ones they do make, then I will have more time to do other things. It takes a while at first, but the payoff should be worth it. 

I am reminding the kids that God is a god of peace, not disorder...and that one way we can encourage peacefulness is to keep our environment tidy and well-ordered. Say prayers for us!!

Our Read aloud of the week is Under Montana Skies: January to June, a story about nature in the winter and spring, published by Rod and Staff. Since it is going to be 70* here on Thursday, you know my Amigos are thinking about spring. Wouldn't you be?? I am hoping they will be inspired to spend the whole day outside, to make up for those wet and rainy (with slushy occasional snow) that we've been having.

A Site To Share: Impress Kids is the site we've been using to help the kids memorize their Awana Bible verses. You set up an account, type in the Bible verses of your choice, and let your kids have fun practicing the verses using a "Bible Verse Hero" game. Then they can head over to "Granny's Bible Dojo" (really) for some board bashing practice of the books of the Bible. It sounds a little silly, but honestly, my kids have learned quite a few verses in the last two weeks using this game and their enthusiasm for it shows no signs of waning.

A Few Favorite Blog Posts to Share: 
Walking by the Way shares a collection of free children's books you can put on your Kindle
Ben and Me shares a HUGE selection of family-friendly free books for the Kindle
Earlier this week I shared Our Favorite Online Character Resources (which includes links to many downloadable family-friendly, character building books)

Don't forget that even if you don't own a Kindle yet, you can download the FREE! Kindle app to your desktop or laptop from the Amazon website. Then you just add any free books to your account, and they magically appear...yay!!

Praying for: my grandmothers because both of them have just been blessed by wonderful visits with my folks, but they are both a bit down this week because they are already missing them (that means that Nanny and Poppy are on the way home...yay!!).

Also, for please pray for Bubba and his fiancee's wedding planning...the big day is June 24th. WOW! I am so excited. I feel so old. But in a good way, I think. ;-)

I pray you have a blessed week.

 Visit Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for more Happy Homemaking.

Check out more menu plans at Organizing Junkie.