Next To My Reading Chair

Friday, September 30, 2011

October 3 in 30 Goals

I can't believe September will be behind us in a few hours!

My goals were:

1. Start Mikah's new home program.
This did not go well. I did a few masks a couple of different days and got really discouraged at how upset he got. I guess this is something he and I are going to have work through. I can't not do it so I guess I will just have to keep reassuring him that it is okay and push through until he figures out it helps him. I did rearrange his room and set-up his patterning table. The last time we had it out he was still in the crib, now he has bunk beds and with the table setup it is really crowded in his room. I would like to figure out a better place for the table although I am not sure where else it can go considering we will be setting his inclined floor up in the florida room this weekend. I did sit down with a good friend and was able to talk out how to organize and implement his reading program. I also found a pocket chart that I think will work for holding the reading cards. I need to order this. So I guess there was progress made. We just didn't actually do any of the program with Mikah.

2. Restart school.
This went well. We got off to a slow start but are back on track, not completely caught up with our originally planned schedule but not so far off that we won't be able to get done what is needed.



3. Practice Eucharisteo daily.
This went good. I recorded a few gifts almost everyday. Especially on those hard days. It was a great practice to help refocus my attitude and mind on Who is important and that without Him I am nothing.

What's next?

The goals I have chosen for my October 3 in 30 are:

1. Stay consistent with school.
I want this to become a habit and it is not yet, for me or my children. We will be changing our schedule a little bit, adding circle time and a few other changes to hopefully help.

2. Start Mikah's new home program.
I am keeping this one since it was not met and it is important.

3. Declutter and organize the kids toys and books.
They are taking over our house! It is crazy! When we were pregnant with our first we said we only wanted high quality, simple toys that stimulated imaginative and creative play. Fast forward several years and our house is over run with toys most of which do not fit that criteria. We actually started a toy closet for toys, puzzles, games, Montessori type manipulatives, etc.. It is already full! My goal is to declutter so that everything will fit nicely in the closet.


To hop in or check how everyone else is doing, link up over here.
3in30 Challenge

Friday, September 9, 2011

September 3in30 Week 2

How did I do? Well, with a holiday one day and then daddy home for three of the other days we only had one normal day so not very well...We LOVE having daddy home. It's just that when he is home we spend time with him and not on our regular activities.

1. Start Mikah's new home program.
We started masking. We did one mask, one day...I have been trying to figure out where to set up Mikah's inclined floor and patterning table again. Does that count? This should definately improve next week with a normal week to work in. A good friend of mine is also coming over to help me setup some things like his reading program.

2. Restart school.
Well, this kind of had the same false start as the masking. We did one whole day and then the rest of the week daddy was home and daddy is much more exciting than school. :) We did finish up our science lesson and will be ready to move into the next chapter on muscles next week.


3. Practice Eucharisteo daily.
This went the best out of everything. I made a point to take note of several gifts each day. My list is growing and my attitude was better.

Hopefully next week will be better.

To hop in or check how everyone else is doing, link up over here.
3in30 Challenge

Thursday, September 1, 2011

September 3in30

So I got lost in August. I really enjoyed this in July and it really helped me focus and keep on task so here's to starting over. :)

My 3in30 goals for September:

1. Start Mikah's new home program.

My first 3in30 goal ever was to fill out and submit Mikah's consultation papers. Well, I did that and we had our first phone call just last week so now we just need to get started again. We are supposed to work on the simple program she gave us for 6-8 weeks and then take a video of Mikah and send in the video along with new paperwork. Once that is done she will give us a much more detailed home program to be done for 3-6 months after which we will have the oppurtunity to take Mikah to the Institutes.

2. Restart school.

We started off great August 1st. Then everything kind of fell apart last week with a death in the family and out of town family members staying with is for a while. I need to look past the fact that we are 'behind' according to my planner, not try to fix it and just get started again.


3. Practice Eucharisteo daily.

I am not trying to be legalistic about this. It's just that this practice has been life changing for me and in turn for my family. My attitude is better, my prayer and quiet time is better. Sometimes when the simple things are in place the big things fall in place as well. This seems to be one of those simple things for me that leads to bigger things.

To hop in or check how everyone else is doing, link up over here.
3in30 Challenge

Thursday, August 18, 2011

332. Poop Messes


My Multitude Monday post is happening on Thursday from my other blog...

What a great heading for my first post...for two years? Almost two years? I guess I was pregnant with our little red headed fireball the last time I put my fingers to the keys and typed. Let the words flow out. But poop is a happening thing in the Starner house. Especially the size and quanitity of a certain young man's poop. My fingers are not enough to count the number of explosive poops that have happened recently. All requiring a dunk in the tub which is no small thing since a certain young man does not take to the water by himself. How messy! and stinky! But I love him. I can think of no other reason that I haven't really lost my cookies. Some know that at one point I couldn't even wipe a snotty nose or think about changing a peed in diaper without gagging. I will admit to still having this problem with other people's children but God in his divine mercy has bestowed upon me the ability to help my own children with these needs.
So poop happens. And this mom is struck with guilt and sadness. Both conveniently aligned to rob me of joy. Of peace. Of my sound mind. Guilt because was I not paying attention? Was I being lazy, not being a diligent and observant mom? Mikah is for the most part content. Content to do his thing. Zoom around the house, or should I say scoot, playing with this toy or that. His contentment reaches far beyond my own and is at times too much. When the red head calls or Ellie needs, or dishes are piling up...errr...falling out of the sink...well you get it, right? Those who aren't screaming and are happy and content may get left to their own. I have made it a point to not let this happen since I became aware that time was zipping away and Mikah was being left in its wake. But still the guilt monster does its little dance on my shoulder whenever there is a mess. Were you present? Were you not?
And then there is the sadness. I am not sure which monster stings the most. Which will leave more marks. The sadness because maybe I was paying attention. Maybe I was completely in the moment and it just happened. And Mikah couldn't tell me. He couldn't say, "Hey mom, I need to poop." Which is worse? I really can't say. They both have the ability to steal my joy that I fight to grasp.
So I make my list...of gifts. I am on my way to 1000. 332 and counting. Some are hard, like number 332, poop messes. Some are easy, like number 1, the still of mornings and number 2, God's words and number 3, Jesus offering thanks...The counting cleanses the air of the stench. It wipes the dirt from my eyes. It frees my thoughts from guilt or sadness and the joy seeps in. It soaks up the day's clutter and peace enters my soul.


#310-332...of counting gifts...more of the One Thousand Gifts that never end...

310. Family zoo day
311. School planning
312. Visits with old friends
313. 4 year molars
314. Innocent as doves
315. Camping memories
316. Ellie rising early
317. Reading the Word aloud to my once little girl
318. Parables in Matthew
319. Dinner in the slow cooker
320. Quiche crust
321. Chocolate milk filled circus cups
322. Gold finches crowding for a spot
323. Squirrels tumbling
324. Seeds blowing in the wind
325. A single leaf making its way to the earth
326. Butterflies laying eggs
327. Hummingbirds searching
328. Little girls waiting
329. Finding coupons
330. The little blessings on hard days
331. Tot school
332. Poop messes

Today, if you’d like to share your own marking towards One Thousand Gifts of thanks, of making your life about thanks to God — (please, jump in!) — just go here.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Offering Eucharisteo...


A few months ago I had never heard this word, it was missing in my life. I just was unaware of my need for thanks. I was wandering and wondering. I knew my Savior, just not about His giving thanks and how much I needed to do the same. Then I saw a pretty cover filled with pages. The beautiful words on those pages changed something inside of me. I had been studying the word joy. Searching for it, how to grasp it, how to live it out daily. God placed Ann's words in my lap, in my hands and I drank them in. I had no idea how thirsty I was. I read and then I started counting on my own. Every little moment, little gift, big gift. The size didn't matter. But the change in my heart was real. Still there. Growing. The beginning is here. And I am still counting...
#295~309...of counting gifts...more of the One Thousand Gifts that never end...

295. showers after sweating
296. ants at work
297. swim lessons
298. husband willing to run
299. grandparents still able
300. Anderson's day
301. new pens
302. new planners
303. homemade lunches
304. middle of the day ice cream
305. Jazzercise 5 days in a row
306. little boys throwing everything
307. sore muscles
308. new trucks
309. teaching moments

Today, if you’d like to share your own marking towards One Thousand Gifts of thanks, of making your life about thanks to God — (please, jump in!) — just go here.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

July 3in30 Week 2


My 3in30 goals for July Week 2:

1. Fill out and submit Mikah's paperwork to the Institutes.

This has been something following me around for over a year! I finished filling out the last form not 24 hours after my first 3in30 post!! Somehow, putting it as my number one goal for the month made it okay for me to sit down and concentrate and get it done! I am so excited. My goal for this week will be to take it to the post office and mail it out.

2. Organize homeschool shelves, materials, and paper work.

This is going well. I was not at all excited about doing this but I have found some really great articles and other fellow homeschool mom blogs like Sam's and my enthusiasm is back. I ordered a new planner, The Well Planned Day and I am loving it! I also found my new favorite pens in the whole world! Frixion pens! They erase! Love them! I will be finishing typing up our letter of intent this week which we will mail August 15th.


3. Weight loss goal for the month ~ Continue Jazzercise and cut back on sugar, especially chocolate.

This is going great! I had a great week last week and lost 3lbs! I went to Jazzercise 5 days in a row in an effort to "shock my body" as I have been stuck at a certain weight for about 3 weeks. It was really discouraging me. This week I will be doing a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday Jazzercise schedule. I will also be going without CHOCOLATE...I have asked a couple other people not in the blogosphere to keep me accountable on that one :)

To hop in or check how everyone else is doing, link up over here.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Words to think on for today...

See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?
I will not yield my glory to another.
Isaiah 48:10-11

Practicing the art of losing myself for His sake.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

July 3in30 Goals


Starting something new...besides this blog. It is called The 3in30 Challenge. Basically you set 3 goals to reach for in the next 30 days. Each month you start over with 3 new goals. It is a way to eat the elephant "one bite at a time". Since I have been overwhelmed recently with all the "things" rolling around in my head that need done, I thought it would be helpful.

My 3in30 goals for July:

Fill out and submit Mikah's paperwork to the Institutes.

Somehow, this has not been done in the past year. I am embarassed about this, beat myself up and generally just don't understand myself. That being said, feeling guilty is not going to get it done. This will be tackled 15 minutes each day.

Organize homeschool shelves, materials, and paper work.

I have declared July our “get ready to get back to school” month. The plan is to start school August 1. This is the first year I actually have to submit paperwork to the school system and I have much to do to get ready for us to start on that day!


Weight loss goal for the month ~ Continue Jazzercise and cut back on sugar, especially chocolate.

I have been struggling with my weight since having Mikah. It is affecting decisions that my hubby and I want to make for our family, I am sure it is affecting my health, although I appear healthy right now and it is affecting my energy level as far as being the wife, mom and keeper of my home that I feel I should be. I am considering cutting out chocolate altogether since I can't seem to have just a little bit/ Each little bit turns into a whole chocolate bar or 5 cookies instead of one. This will be my hardest goal to meet and continue.

That’s my three goals for the month. If you would like to join too, visit here to learn more about it and link up!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Just like my life...

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