Week #10 TIME

Mom,

Thanks for reminding me I have a blog or two pending. I found it funny to be writing on time and I feel like I ran out of time. The letter was in motion I just never finished it up. So here it is:

Today I am focusing on time. Some of the things I have heard recently that have my thoughts thinking.

1. “Love is really spelt T-I-M-E”

2.” The Lord has given us time, so budget wisely.”

3. “The challenge to better utilize our time grows larger and larger as we take on more of life’s responsibilities.”

So one day I wrote out my time. I am a little embarrassed to post it, but what the heck…. Don’t judge!

5:24 AM – Woke up but laid in bed thinking about writing out my time. Read scriptures. Prayed.

6:41 AM – Canon wakes. Fed him, changed him. Got dressed.

7:06 AM – Downstairs to start breakfast. Unloaded dishwasher. Threw in a batch of laundry. Sat on the couch and read for a bit.

7:28 AM – Kids start to wake and eat. I write my to do list for the day.

7:52 AM – Kids are dressing, making beds, brushing teeth, etc. I am cleaning up breakfast and feeding Canon some baby food.

8:11 AM – Family scriptures and prayer. The kids have a 15 minute personal scripture and prayer time. I am moving laundry along, vacuuming, and dusting.

8:50 AM – Kids are off playing while I am putting together last minute lesson planning and putting Canon down for his first nap.

9:15 AM -  School started.

10:29 AM – Break. Laundry. Practiced guitar.

11:01 AM – Sitting down with Jax and Rylon with their piano.

11:32 AM – Lunch. Cleaned up lunch. Laundry. Swept floor. Talked to John on the phone. Canon wakes and I feed him.

12:20PM – School again.

1:30 PM – Break. Folding the last load of laundry.

1:46PM – School. Broden is down for a nap. Canon is down for nap #2.

2:33 PM – Done with school. Jax and Rylon are outside playing. Eyrlin is in her room playing. Cleaned up school. I sit.

3:01PM – Clean up a bit. Canon wakes. Broden wakes. Serve up some snacks.

3:36PM – Homework with the girls.

4:36PM – Said goodbye to the girls. Fed Canon and he is down for his last nap. Start dinner. Call all kids in for chores, wash hands and face, help set table, John comes home from work.

5:15PM – We are eating.

5:50PM – Clean up dinner. Send Jax and Rylon off to the showers. Get Broden and Eyrlin’s shower started. Start the dishwasher. Sweep.  Get the kids dressed. Kids play and I sit down and talk to John about his day. Canon wakes, I feed him and bathe him.

7:00PM – Family reading time. We’ve started this recently, EVERYONE reads including mom and dad for 3o minutes.

7:30PM – Family Prayer. Brushing teeth. Last minute clean up. Clean up shower mess. Tuck everyone in bed, lights out.

8:00PM – Brushing teeth. Couple study and prayer. Light out for me.

8:38PM – TV time. I am not sure the exact time I fell asleep but it was around 10:30PM

You are probably wondering how was this an important exercise but to me it was. I have heard people say they don’t like to write a schedule but I do. I love the sense of accomplishment as I finish each task I have planned. I feel like an accountant making sure I use the time the Lord has blessed me with wisely. It doesn’t always work the way I want but I don’t beat myself up about it I just try again the next day.

Mom, TIME is an interesting thing. You can’t rewind it, well unless you are Adam Sandler. You can’t pause. You can’t fast forward. You take it minute by minute just as it comes.

As a mom, I look at the quality of time I have with my kids and my husband. I want to invest more into teaching them gospel principles and snuggling and less cleaning. It is like accounting…10% strictly to the Lord (24 hours would be 2 1/2 hours), 20% to savings or investments (5 hours to family and myself), 8 hours to sleep, etc.

Anyway, my goal would be:

1. Writing out a daily schedule and sticking to the time allotted to me to complete certain tasks. This will ensure quality time in areas of my life where the quality will matter.

2. Journal about it.

Mom, I always feel like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, “I’m late! I’m late!” Pre-planning will hopefully bring me past that.

Oh….Times up!!! See ya next time.

Love you!

Kathy