Looking back and moving on

Last year I made a list of goals I wanted to accomplish in 2010. Those goals didn't include losing my father and the chaos that followed, nor did they even make room for that. But still, I did ok. Not great, but ok.

I do make a major portion of my family's bread. I've recently found a recipe that works for bread (as long as its not at all stale) and a flat bread maker my friend told me about just may find its way into our kitchen when the budget allows. I still keep a couple loaves of store-bought bread and tortillas in the freezer just in case though. I've found a way of freezing homemade biscuits for breakfast which helps immensely in decreasing the need for "bread". Especially since the toaster feature died on our toaster oven...

I'm well on my way to a more organized house. I'm not done, but it's getting there.

Couponing is easy... still at it when it applies.

Pre-school... well, I was chomping at the bit to start actual kindergarten with Gloria this fall when a very wise homeschooling friend reminded me that this is my last year of likely the next TWENTY that I don't have to school. I took that to heart and quit virtually everything! I'm getting back into it now. She's learning to write her name legibly and how to read a calendar. Aaron's learning colors and letter sounds. Odd, I know. I actually have some thought that he may be colorblind... just a thought.

As for prayer, I'm a great pray-er while hanging up laundry! I need to get to where I habitually pray while doing dishes and I'll really be doing well. And in the summer I do very well getting up early. Now, forget it. Especially when children have me up most nights. Early rising sun does wonders to wake me gently.

When I plan lunches, I do great making them varied and nutritious. But I fly by the seat of my pants still far too much.

Record keeping in the garden... that was a joke this year. It was all I could do this spring to keep something edible growing each week. Just yesterday I made a computer document with each garden layout and planned out our spring and summer crops. I still don't have a good way of record keeping seeding, transplanting and harvest dates, but frankly, I'm kinda waiting until a little helper is big enough to do my record keeping for me. Until then... well, the seat of my pants just may sprout wings.

Exercise and vitamins... not so much. Failed miserably here. Oh well.

So 2011 goals:

1) Continue to make my home more organized and tidier.

2) Freeze some beans, okra or other homegrown goods so they are an easy heat-and-serve veggie for busy days. No more relying on Birds Eye for when I'm too busy to clip, clean and prepare collard greens.

3) Read to the kids more. At least a story a day with all of them and each get an additional story, one-on-one most (if not every) day.

4) Streamline the later part of the day better. Make better use of afternoon hours so that evenings have less chaos. I'd like there to be time in each evening we have at home to spend quality time as a family that doesn't involve eating dinner. Time for a game, several books, a hymn-sing instead of eating dinner, cleaning up, doing dishes putting kids to bed (often late), finishing cleaning, milking the goats, folding laundry then crashing in bed ourselves. It may mean flat out doing less in a day so that a days work can all be done before Randy's home from work. I hate that thought, but it may be necessary.

5) Getting music (namely hymns) into the kids lives more frequently. Gloria always asks me to turn on the stereo. She also hates that I'm an NPR junkie in the car. She's always requesting that I turn the station. She loves playing piano and I will start regular lessons with her when we start kindergarten, but until then, I'd love for them to gather around with me at the piano each day to sing a hymn or 2. I don't know when or how to really do that right now, but I know a GREAT Teacher. He'll guide me, I'm sure.

6) Really challenging Gloria's Scripture memory ability. She's amazing. Long passages, entire Psalms, she does easily. Maybe a new Psalm each month plus a shorter verse each week? Hmmm... would be a challenge for me at least!

7) And last, but the most important, prepare my heart, my home and my life for a new little Coslow. I pray daily for our children born to other wombs... and frankly speaking, I feel pregnant! It may be that given the timing of our 3 children, I SHOULD be pregnant... or maybe we are. Maybe a precious baby that will one day be in our home is growing right now. What a treasure each child is!!!

So, that's it. No more dreams of being a super-human, ultra-buff, vitamin-taking mom machine. I'd rather stay soft if it means my children will snuggle with me more. :-)

Ok, that's all. Now to see it through.