Staying Together
I don't know about you, but often I feel like my house/life/family is one step from chaos.
Mix together:
a very touchy three month old (who often has whole days of crying/sleeping/being held to prevent screaming)
a very busy two year old who needs lots of guidance, giggles, outdoor time (to use up energy) and correction
a husband who needs encouragement, feeding and quality time
a job (eight very needy and complicated 11-14 year olds)
a house that needs cleaning and organized
tummies that need fed
and you have a lot going on!
I'm really working on doing a better and more "professional" job of keeping our family going and going WELL. One of the steps I've taken, is trying to have lunch planned the day before or at least first thing in the morning. Most "normal" wives have to plan dinner, which takes time (we have dinner in the cafeteria). But I find it more of a challenge to plan lunch, because we have less time to prepare. I don't have 7 hours to cook something in the pot or to thaw something out, I have four hours. And often I have a crying Forest or a Forest who needs to be held . . . which makes it a challenge to prepare anything.
So I've become best friends with my "crock pot" or slow cooker. It's a nasty looking thing (I'll take a picture sometime) but it works well. Today I'm cooking Hoison Chicken . . . smells amazing and so yummy. It feels so good to have lunch already made and the house smelling great. Little things like that help me feel more organized and "good" at my job!
HERE is the recipe. I used frozen chicken drumsticks instead of wings.
She has lots of other great recipes and has also published them in a cookbook, which I'm currently enjoying from the library.
And since I can't leave you without pictures and my computer time is up, here is a layout I made of the kid's bedroom. I love looking at pictures of other people's homes . . . makes them seem more real. Hope you enjoy! (click on them to see larger)
Mix together:
a very touchy three month old (who often has whole days of crying/sleeping/being held to prevent screaming)
a very busy two year old who needs lots of guidance, giggles, outdoor time (to use up energy) and correction
a husband who needs encouragement, feeding and quality time
a job (eight very needy and complicated 11-14 year olds)
a house that needs cleaning and organized
tummies that need fed
and you have a lot going on!
I'm really working on doing a better and more "professional" job of keeping our family going and going WELL. One of the steps I've taken, is trying to have lunch planned the day before or at least first thing in the morning. Most "normal" wives have to plan dinner, which takes time (we have dinner in the cafeteria). But I find it more of a challenge to plan lunch, because we have less time to prepare. I don't have 7 hours to cook something in the pot or to thaw something out, I have four hours. And often I have a crying Forest or a Forest who needs to be held . . . which makes it a challenge to prepare anything.
So I've become best friends with my "crock pot" or slow cooker. It's a nasty looking thing (I'll take a picture sometime) but it works well. Today I'm cooking Hoison Chicken . . . smells amazing and so yummy. It feels so good to have lunch already made and the house smelling great. Little things like that help me feel more organized and "good" at my job!
HERE is the recipe. I used frozen chicken drumsticks instead of wings.
She has lots of other great recipes and has also published them in a cookbook, which I'm currently enjoying from the library.
And since I can't leave you without pictures and my computer time is up, here is a layout I made of the kid's bedroom. I love looking at pictures of other people's homes . . . makes them seem more real. Hope you enjoy! (click on them to see larger)
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