ScratchPaperEssays: Focus Goals May 5, 2013 & Updates

Science Fair Project #3

May is here! Ours started with a bit of winter. The end of season soccer tournament had highs in the 40’s winter coats, hats and gloves were worn instead of sun block. It may have been cold but still a fun day aside from the fighting in the car while waiting between the games.

Updates:

Extras: The final science fair project went to school today! We had to skip baseball and PTO to get it done; my son follows my own tradition of procrastination. After a long weekend it was nice to have a reason to stay home. The project became a family project. Input from siblings, mom, dad, and grandpa to get it done. We thought a 1 gallon water jug would break the bridges, wrong. We had to move outside with a 5 gallon bucket, weights, and water bottles. With lawn chairs set up to watch we all anxiously awaited the first sound of wood cracking. The photo above was taken by our 12 year old. It was much more fun than a PTO meeting.

Last weekend ended soccer for 3 of the 4. Our oldest has a tournament this weekend, but we do not coach his team so it’s a little more relaxing when he plays. No tournament champs, but our leagues ended well. #1’s team was undefeated, #2’s 1^st in league (5W-2L-1T record), #3 2^nd in league with a 5-3-0 record and number 4 though no score is officially kept finally won our first game since we moved to 6v6! It is bittersweet when the season ends. We miss the fun, but not the chaos. We must enjoy it all or we wouldn’t have been doing it two seasons a year for the past 10 years. We have lots of fun memories at the soccer complex. They are getting ready to build a new facility with real bathrooms. I don’t think it will be the same and our fondest memories will likely be of the good ole days of gravel parking and porta potty’s.

Today we have the 6^th grade track meet. I am so excited I love to go to track meets. I am nervous though too. #2 won all her events last year in the 5^th grade, so a little pressure as returning champion. Especially in the 4x100 relay as their school smoked the competition last year! I still couldn’t talk her into the cross country race; I think she has some hidden talent in the distance events. She has speed too, so maybe an 800/1600m runner? I am not pushing, but I would love to see it!

Chickens: All 17 still growing strong! I accomplished moving them into the garage last week, thank goodness! I think they have double in size and smell! We used an old stock tank to put them in until we can get the coop ready and overnight temperatures improve. I think they were as happy as me flying and running around the cage. The kids think they are trying to make paper mache because they like to scratch the paper and put it in their water.

Weather: We did get snow last Thurs. a small amount of accumulation and as I said it was COLD and wet for the soccer tournament. Now that soccer is over, the weather is beautiful! Do I dare pack away the winter gear?

Meals: Lunches and dinners still improving. We had mushrooms that my husband and kids found in the pasture last night. They are a delicacy; I didn’t believe my husband the first time but googled it and he wasn’t joking. Morel mushrooms look it up! We are already starting to eat late like in the summer, it’s hard to come in and cook when it’s nice out and still light. Only a few more weeks and it will be summer break so being up late won’t matter as much!

House: Laundry is still bogging me down. I am more on track this week. I cheated on my no spring cleaning and cleaned out the garage last week before I moved the chickens. There was one nice day before the snow, I had to take advantage the garage was a disaster! When I came in unfortunately the cleaning fairy didn’t visit and do the other work I skipped L

FOCUS Goals for week of May 5, 2013

New Goals, comments, and excuses are in purple below.

Goals for a Better Home

1. Personal Focus to better my relationship with God.

· Start and end each day with prayer. Read two chapters in the Bible.

· Run if I can. Still trying!

· Read 1 chapter in Reasons to Believe.

2. Remove distractions at key times.

· No computer 6:30-8:00am and 3:00-5:00pm

· No volunteering tasks until my family tasks are underway each day. (This will be easier with soccer season over, maybe?)

3. Add something to give more of me to my family.

· Take a minute when everyone gets home each night to see what is going on with them and what needs to get done.