FOCUS Goals for week of March 11, 2013

Which will I be this week???? I am hoping for the 1st one! Stay tuned to find out!

Peacefully Busy

Crazy Busy

Well last week I barely kept my head above the water and I think I was the crazy busy. I never caught my stove on fire possibly only because I barely had a chance to cook dinner. I am hoping for a little more routine in the schedule this week, maybe.? I begin this week a day behind. I had a lunch I had to work at for Church on Monday so wish me luck on the catch up!

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

Goals for a Better Home

1. Personal Focus to better my relationship with God.

Daily: Start and end each day with prayer. Read two chapters in the Bible. Serenity Prayer  

Weekly/Monthly: Read Part III Chapter 1 & 2 in “The Lamps Supper” and answer questions.  I will miss our meeting next week as I will be out of town. This leaves only one more meeting. I will be sad to see it end and to be done with the book. It has been so great learning and growing my appreciation for the Catholic Mass and faith.  Run 4 days. This unfortunately has taken a back seat to all the kids and other activities. Hoping again to do better this week.

2. Remove distractions at key times.

Daily: No computer 6:30-8:00am and 3:00-5:00pm (after everyone is home)  

Weekly/Monthly: CUT BACK ON ELECTRONIC TIME!   

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

Daily: Morning Blessing, I am going to try the guardian angel prayer this week we talked guardian angels in our book study this week. and one on one conversation each evening for all.  Family Lent study.

Weekly:  I am going to again work on my household order and meal planning. It is generally chaos from the moment the kids walk in until we leave for practice every day. I really hope I can figure it out as I hate to see the stress in the kids.

Monthly: Take my husband on a date.  

Goals for a Better House

1. Daily Check Points: Weekly Plan Sheet. Evening chores didn’t go as well this week; I spoke too soon about doing better. But still working to get things checked off my list.

2. Weekly & Monthly Tasks, Chores and To Do Lists: Weekly Plan Sheet & Monthly Cleaning Schedule. Leave the house clean for my husband for spring break.

3. Weekly/Monthly Project to Do List:  

Monday: Weekly: Church lunch, soccer practice emails, prep for book study Monthly: none (DONE)

Tuesday: Weekly: Catch up on Mondays tasks and chores Monthly: Chores

Weds: Weekly: Clean out car, pick up soccer uniforms Monthly: Chores

Thurs: Weekly: Catch up day Monthly: Chores

Fri: Weekly: Pack for spring break, get things ready for dance comp. and 1^st soccer games. Monthly: Chores

FOCUS Goals for week of March 3, 2013

Family Circus

Well the spring sports season is going full force.  Each day evaluating the weather and asking the same questions. Are we going to be able to practice today? Should we practice indoors? The chaos has begun. The calendar I spoke of last week is covered in places to be. So I apologize for my late post for weekly focus, but it will likely happen again before the end of May.

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

Goals for a Better Home

1. Personal Focus to better my relationship with God.

Daily: Start and end each day with prayer. Read two chapters in the Bible. Serenity Prayer  

Weekly/Monthly: Read Part II Chapter 3 & 4 in “The Lamps Supper” and answer questions. We were able to meet this week. Again a lot of good conversation, I am still really enjoying and getting a lot out of the book.  Run 4 days.  Another bad week, better luck this week, I hope.

2. Remove distractions at key times.

Daily: No computer 6:30-8:00am and 3:00-5:00pm (after everyone is home)I will give myself a little leeway on the afternoon as email is how much of the sports updates on practice is done.  

Weekly/Monthly: CUT BACK ON ELECTRONIC TIME! I still would like to keep this on here and this week with my family discuss some time limits. To be honest I think the electronics make us all crabby.  

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

Daily: Morning Blessing and Focused one on one conversation each evening for all.  Family Lent study.

Weekly:  Really work on my household order and meal planning. When we are busy if I am organized and help have things ready for the evening, we all have a lot more peace in our life.

Monthly: Take my husband on a date.  We did go out with another couple, but I told him I’d still take him out just him and me, so I still owe him one.

Goals for a Better House

1. Daily Check Points: Weekly Plan Sheet. Still using the same one, my final check point is being completed more and more which in return makes the morning check point easier.

2. Weekly & Monthly Tasks, Chores and To Do Lists: Weekly Plan Sheet & Monthly Cleaning Schedule. After a month using the cleaning schedule, I have an idea now of where I still struggle and even some areas that don’t need as much attention. So I will make some adjustments and see how it goes. You’ll notice a lot of catching up on my “to do list”. I really want to get back on schedule everywhere. I was lucky last week with cancelled practices to have the evenings to catch up, but that luxury is going away and since in my “Better Home” goals I am working on providing more order for my family in this chaos, I catching up is big part of that.

3. Weekly/Monthly Project to Do List:  

Monday: Weekly: Catch up! Prep Book Study, Pick up dance shoes Monthly: Chores

Tuesday: Weekly: Basement Foundation appointment, Catch up misc. laundry Monthly: Chores

Weds: Weekly: Order Soccer Uniforms, Hang hooks in laundry room Monthly: Catch up chores

Thurs: Weekly: Get things for dance competition; get player cards for soccer Monthly: None

Fri: Weekly: Kids pictures Monthly: Daily chores & catch up chores

God Bless you, Sleep tight, and Have Sweet Dreams

“ God Bless you, sleep tight, and have sweet dreams.” My parents used to say each night when they tucked us in. I too now do this for my own kids. How nice to read an insert in our Church bulletin about how this simple statement has so much to offer.

“A blessing from one’s parents is a small gesture that carries with it extraordinary richness and meaning. Through this action, the parent entrusts the child to God and ask for all that the child needs, for the child to feel God’s presence, and for his or her peace of body, spirit and heart.”

(Home is the domestic Church, Jan/Feb 2013Catholic Parenting Newsletter)

Unfortunately I do not always read the Catholic Parent Newsletter thoroughly, but it always amazes me, that on more than one occasion when I do, I read something perfect for that very moment in my life. I guess it’s true, God is listening always. Now my “God Bless you, Sleep tight and have sweet dreams” is said with more heart after reading this, but there was more in this article than this that encouraged me to write.

Over the past few months I have repeatedly heard parents say “Praying for my kid’s safety today”.  It can be a scary world. Sometimes, as we should, all you can do is put it in God’s hands and say your prayers.  That helps us as parents have a little peace, but how can we help our children learn to feel safe and at peace when away from us also?

The article discussed parents blessing their children at bedtime AND at their comings and goings each day.  Just as the good night blessing is meant to give your children peace as they go to sleep, why not give them that same peace when they leave each day.  What better way than to remind them that God is with them each day, all day.  

Here are a couple ideas to try. Each only takes seconds, since typically for us that is all the time available to say goodbye because we are rushing out the door to catch the bus each day.

Ideas for a departure Blessing:

·         Suggested in the article: “May God bless you and watch over you today.”

·         Simply make the sign of the cross on their forehead, mouth, and over their heart. A gesture we use in church each week and at many special church occasions. In simple terms, may God be in your thoughts, in your words, and in your hearts.

·         The Guardian Angel Prayer: This is one I learned as a kid and seems appropriate for the start of your day.   “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard and rule and guide. “

·         Pray Scripture Over your children:  This was suggestion in a comment made on one of my earlier posts.

Maybe by adding this simple routine we can put our minds as well as our children’s at peace as we send our most precious gifts into the world each day.