Organization

Another way home can be peaceful to me is when everything is running like clockwork. When the kids and I have a routine down, and it's working! Now this doesn't happen everyday, probably not every other day....when you have four kids six and under in the house, and one is only nine weeks old, there isn't much predictable in life. But we can strive and aim for routine. One thing that keeps our house running smoothly is a schedule. And by schedule I run more by a routine schedule then a time schedule. And flexibility is always important because, lets face it, things come up. Like my husband may call me for a ride from a field right before I am ready to start school, or one of the girls may spill something all over the floor, or, my favorite, you are just ready to walk out the door and your darling newborn decides to load his pants. Yes, life happens. But I like to get up in the morning with a plan. With a goal. And I thought I would share my weekly plan with you......
MONDAY
Breakfast Responsibilities:
Alaina & Charlotte: dry breakfast dishes
Mom: lunch prep (we eat our dinner at lunchtime)
Morning:
Morning Devotional: we are reading from the book of Mark right now, and also the book, Leading Little Ones to God (Sonlight curriculum)
Larissa is to bring out the laundry
School
Lunch Responsibilities:
Charlotte: set table
Larissa: dry and put away lunch dishes
Afternoon:
Kids: pick up toys before quiet time
TUESDAY
Breakfast Responsibilities:
Alaina & Char dry dishes
Mom: lunch prep
Morning:
Devotional: Bible and Leading Little Ones to God
Larissa: clean girls' bathroom
Mom: clean my bathroom
Char & Alaina: gather towels to wash
School
Lunch Responsibilities:
Alaina: set table
Larissa: dry and put away dishes
Afternoon:
Kids: put away toys before QT
WEDNESDAY
Breakfast Responsibilities:
Alaina & Char: dry breakfast dishes
Mom: lunch prep
Morning:
Devotional: Bible and Leading Little Ones to God
Larissa: help strip beds
Mom: bedding
Girls: dust bedrooms
Lunch Responsibilities:
Char: set table
Larissa: dry and put dishes away
THURSDAY
Breakfast Responsibilities:
Alaina & Char: dry breakfast dishes
Mom: lunch prep
Morning:
Devotional: bible and Leading Little Ones...
Larissa: wipe down bathroom
Char: roll out mom and dad's laundry
Alaina: girls laundry basket
School
Lunch responsibilities:
Alaina: set table
Larissa: dry and put away dishes
Afternoon:
Kids: pick up toys before QT
Evening
Awana
FRIDAY
Breakfast Responsibilities:
Alaina & Char: dry breakfast dishes
Mom: lunch prep
Morning:
Devotional: bible and Leading Little....
Larissa: wipe down chairs
Mom: vacuum
Girls: dust living room
school
Lunch Responsibilities:
Char: set table
Larissa: dry and put away dishes
Afternoon:
Kids: pick up toys before QT
Mom: vacuum
SATURDAY
Breakfast responsibilities:
Char & Larissa: dry breakfast dishes
Mom: clean kitchen
Char: help with any laundry
Lunch Responsibilities:
Alaina: dry dishes
Larissa: set table
Afternoon:
Kids: p/up toys before QT
Mom: wash floors
SUNDAY
I will usually sit down and plan our meals out for the next two weeks.

This is our routine for the week. I try to stick with it as much as possible. On Mondays I will also try to get to the store. I plan our meals out for two weeks, so I only go to the store every two weeks. We live over a half an hour away from the grocery store, so I try to write as extensive of a list as possible, because I just can't run to the store for a forgotten item. We also only do school four days a week. The other day is a catch up day, or a baking day with the girls. Our evenings are typically low key.
I read the book "Homeschooling at the Speed of Life", by Marilyn Rockett, and she included a CD rom of printouts of different schedules and plans that you can personalize to your life. I use these to write out my schedule and it hangs on a bulletin board in my kitchen. I also hang my menus there and grocery list. It's nice to have everything in one place.
I love to hear about others' schedules and routines, and ways that they choose to organize their homes, in hopes that I may learn something new that may save me time. Feel free to share yours......