Saturday, August 27, 2005

A COUPLE CHALLENGES AND A VERY TARDY UPDATE

Next week, starting Monday, we will be turning off the TV, Nintendo and computer for a whole week. This is no problem for me personally. I am both dreading it and looking forward to it because I know my kids just need to give it up for a while. I especially want to see how it affects my 8 yo son who really loves his Nintendo. I've tried to explain to him that you know you're abusing media when you think about it a lot and can't go one day without wanting to watch something or play something. I'd really appreciate your prayers next week even though I won't be blogging or even getting on the internet. Can you tell I'm getting nervous? I'm writing down things we can do instead of watching TV, etc. I know that many of my faithful readers here don't even own a TV or use one but maybe y'all can sympathize and give me some advice too. Thanks :)

The next challenge has to do with my attempt to implement a much better schedule as we head into our school year. I purchased the Maxwell's book Managers of Their Homes and am trying to put together the master schedule. Have any of you out there used this system? Any reviews? I'm hoping this will work for us. Now that my second child is starting kindergarten I'm feeling the need to really be more organized with my time. I'm also realizing that I'm wasting a lot of time and there are a lot of unfinished projects (scrapbooks, sewing, cross-stitch, decluttering) and unfinished books (several Piper books, Anna Karenina, some Willa Cather, and some online books by David Chilton) that are just being put to the side. So I'd also appreciate prayers for this endeavor.

Finally a very tardy update. Some of you were praying for my friend Lori's brother and sister-in-law who were expecting a very premature baby. The baby was born at 29 weeks and is still in the NICU but is doing well. He's grown to over 4 lbs. Thanks for your prayers for this little one.

Au revoir my blog sisters for a whole week. AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

8 comments:

Roberta said...

Meredith~
I pray you will have a blessed week.
Roberta :)

Karen said...

If you check in before your week begins, know that I'm hoping that it all is fruitful and goes well! I used Managers of their Homes, and put together the master schedule. It was very fun to do (I thoroughly enjoy that kind of thing), but we ended up taking that 15 minute block schedule and broadening it considerably (we now have things in large chunks...for example, we don't have "math - 20 minutes, spelling - 15 minutes, history 30 minutes, etc.". It's "school - 2 hours"...I just found too much failure from the really tight schedule. But I couldn't have done it without the framework that MOTH provided.

Enjoy your family!

Unknown said...

See you next week, Meredith.

Lani - the flowerlady said...

know you won't read this until your week is over but I'll post this anyway. We did a 40 day TV fast (we don't own any play station thingies) and the first week was the hardest. However, once the kids realized it wasn't an option they quit asking and weren't too excited about it when they could see it again. hmmm - maybe we should do that again, including the computer, they're getting a little too attached lately...

elisa said...

I've come in late. Since you will read this at the end of the week, I hope it went well.

I have also used MOTH and continue in my own version. I picked up Karen's copy a few years ago when I was visiting. I now do it all on the computer through a spreadsheet. I love schedules. They look so neat and clean and well, happy. Reviewing a completed schedule makes me happy at least. But take Karen’s thoughts to heart. Don't let it run your life or it brings condemnation and guilt. And who needs any extra of that?:) Happy planning.

Roberta said...

Meredith~
I have just been thinking about you so much with the disaster Hurricane Katrina has left in her wake. Not sure where you are at in relationship to where she struck, but I pray you are safe and well, (and your car had a full tank!) I'll check back next week when you return.
Roberta :)

Anonymous said...

I've attempted to do MOTH twice, quite seriously, and both times ended up canning it. lol... It's not that it's not a good idea...it's just that it's not ME.

The latest issue of Above Rubies had a mom of many share her schedule for each day, and THAT is more ME!!!! I loved that. Much of it I do already, and the rest of it I am working on implementing.

The scheduling half hour by half hour thing just doesn't work for my house of little ones. I like a rhythmic flow much better. It keeps me way calmer, works for all the unscheduled diaper explosions, accidents, and hugs needed in a little ones day, etc... Not to say I haven't gleaned some awesome ideas from my MOTH book...I just haven't liked having the entire day scheduled, that's all.

That said, I know of other gals who swear by MOTH. So...to each their own! Whatever works is my big motto...all of our households are different and will run in different ways.

It's the fruit we all REALLY want--happy productive God-chasing adults coming out of our homes. Whether that comes by implementing a MOTH schedule or not, I really don't care...whatever works! :o)

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