New trials

Tomorrow we begin to get back into our regular routine.  I can't do the full routine just yet as that would send the kids over the edge but we will start doing a few things again.

1) Getting up and getting ready for the day.  Skylar has a PT appointment at 8:15 AM so she will be up early and has to get dressed to go.  Cairn is starting one of her new routines - a clipboard check off sheet.  She struggles with what to do in the morning and she hates to hear it from me.  So I created a worksheet that has the things she needs to do each morning.  If she does them all by 9:30 AM, without reminders from me then I will pay her a dollar.

2) We will return to our daily piano practice.  I found some fun games to help Andrew learn a few things he is really struggling with in piano.  It seems so weird for him to struggle with something but he can't seem to get the names of the keys.  I will also try to get the kids to either do a simple math assignment or game or do their handwriting.

3) Chores will be re-instituted with a few changes.  Someone is going to help me with the dishes every single night.  I haven't figured out how to do it yet, I will probably ask the kids so they have some investment.

4) Return to bedtime routine.  We had such an easy bedtime routine before we left and while we were in NC but returning home as been awful.  Tonight after a long fight with everyone, I got them into bed.  They are all asleep except Cairn, she just struggles so much with bedtime and has her whole life.

Today, I continued to rest my back as much as possible and the kids played.

Routine? Not yet

We are still working on getting back into our routine.  Everyone was up slowly today and moving even slower.  I wanted to get out the door to get some errands run but they were slow.

We needed to hit the bank, the grocery store and collect the mail.  We were supposed to go to the library too but the kids were a mess so we went home for lunch and to regroup.

The kids just seem to be on edge a little.  I think it is because we haven't started back on our regular routine yet so they feel a little out of sorts.  My kids thrive on their routines.

That is one thing I am going to work hard on this next year - creating a good routine and then sticking to it.

I also have started a couple new procedures for myself.  At night, I am going to make a to do list for the next day but it is going to be more specific but also more realistic.  My first goal of the day is always to teach the kids then I can work on all those other projects I want to do.  The second part of my to do list is going to be goals in certain categories.

For example, my categories for now are:
1) home organization
2) project completion
3) work on something for someone else
4) each of the kids

So today's to do list was
1) home organization - clean out the boxes by the front door
2) project completion - make list of projects that I need to get finished
3) work on something for someone else - write birthday thank you notes.
4) each of the kids - each kid needed to practice the piano (this was my priority for them for the day, then I also needed to make Skylar's practice poster for her recital and talk with Cairn about her new systems routine (more about that another day)

After lunch, we had some quiet time and then headed to the library.  It was so beautiful we went to the park after we picked up some books.  C was with us and the kids played for almost 2 hours at the park.  I got to sit and read a great book I found on Pinterest (more about that later too.)

After the park, we returned home so I could make dinner and the kids played a game.  After dinner, everyone was ready for bed.