Well here we are in the 2nd full week of 2010, and I thought I’d let you know how it’s going.  The menu plan is working wonderfully.  Although I’m not strictly following what is supposed to be on each day, having a list of menu options helps tremendously.  I’m also following along with Money Saving Mom’s eating out of the pantry challenge, and I’m working on getting my freezer cleaned out so I can defrost it. 

The routines are not going quite so well.  We’ve had a wrench thrown into the works by way of a cold that has sidelined me and now Boo.  I’m a big baby when I don’t feel well, so the kids are being fed and I’m assigning schoolwork, but not much else gets done.  Schoolwork actually went really well last week so I’m rather bummed about Boo being sick because it delays us all since I have the girls doing science together. 

This week’s big goal is to get the Christmas stuff put away.  It was too cold last week for me to pull all the stuff down on the outside, and somehow the tree got half undecorated but not finished, but when those 2 things are done, I am done.  I even went through some of the boxes I have put away and purged some Christmas decorations I will never use.

Speaking of which, why is it that I feel guilty about throwing away (donating) things I have been given that I can’t stand.  I don’t like them, I won’t use them, and they take up precious space in my house.  I know in my mind I am fully justified in getting rid of them, but somehow I feel guilty. 

Well I’m off to be productive!  I have blueberry muffins baking at the moment (an experiment with dried blueberries), and I need to go pull my meat out of the freezer for dinner. 

The Boo got a new camera for Christmas.  A nicer camera than anyone else in the family has.  She’s 10.  And she takes pictures like this.

That’s why she gets the good camera.

I am terrible at menu planning.  Actually, I’m terrible at menu follow-through.  I’m actually a wonderful planner.  I make lists, charts, schedules…and for me they are usually a bunch of papers.  I am BAD at execution of these plans.  The big hang-up for me I think is organization.  I am so disorganized it is paralyzing.  So when Money Saving Mom reviewed a service called Stolen Moments Menu Planning, I went to take a look.  After all, I love a good plan.  So, I took and look and I was impressed.

Imagine if someone could come in and see how your family eats, how you like to cook, and then does all the planning for you – menus, recipes, and grocery lists based on the foods your family likes and avoiding cooking techniques that just don’t work for you.  Now, I’m kind of picky.  We have to eat as naturally as possible for Boo (although it certainly doesn’t hurt the rest of us), but if something is too complicated, I won’t make it.  Have you ever seen some of those recipes for “from scratch” food?!  So, with high hopes and a bit of skepticism I signed up. 

I filled out a pretty extensive questionnaire on my family’s likes an dislikes, how I wanted my menus and grocery lists organized, what kinds of cooking work best for me (go crockpot!).  There were even places for me to comment … things like “we use fresh whole wheat flour” which is important because some recipes do NOT convert automatically to whole wheat…and “we avoid MSG” which means no prepackaged seasoning mixes for us.  I signed up for the full plan which includes breakfast and lunch.  Let’s face it, the girls and I are home everyday and it is just as hard to think of something interesting and healthy for breakfast and lunch day in and day out as it is for dinner.

When I got my plan I was even more impressed.  The recipes looked yummy.  They were simple and doable.  As I was noticing how the recipes were simple and doable, I got a brilliant idea!  Everything was all in one place… plan, recipes…directions…the GIRLS could read what was for breakfast/lunch/dinner and then THEY could MAKE IT!!!!!  Dreams of a life of leisure filled my head…

Okay, now I haven’t actually tried any of the recipes yet (remember that execution thing?).  December was probably not the wisest month to try to begin.  However, I am raring to go now, and I will give you an update next week.

The one caveat I must mention as a former desktop publishing guru is the layout of the menu plan.  It arrives in it’s PDF glory (mine was around 50 pages for the month), and I found its layout to be less than polished.  The content was excellent, but recipes broke across pages and the calendar, recipes, and grocery lists ran together a bit.  Now this is decidedly a minor quibble that may only be an annoyance to those of us who fix up these sorts of things for a living, but in my eyes, it is the one thing that keeps the service from being perfect.

There are goals and then there are dreams.  I’m not sure I separate the two very well.  The idea of the “perfect” life I have in my head is, of course, unobtainable in a sinful world, but I can dream of peace and harmony and children who always cheerfully obey and a husband who is always understanding and supportive in just the right way, a house that looks like it belongs in a magazine instead of well, like it belongs to us.  So, to be realistic, I had to come up with some specific things that I feel are accomplishable. 

So, here are my goals for 2010 (in no particular order):

1.  Routines:  I need a routine for myself, for housework, for menu planning.  I crave some organization (perhaps it will give me the illusion of control).

2.  Housekeeping:  I need a routine, a process for the girls to follow.  We need to get rid of STUFF that is stifling me.  I really feel like this weighs me down emotionally.  I know it is inconvenient and costly when I can’t find something that I know we have and I need to use, so I end up going out to buy more…

3.  Use my talent:  I play flute.  I’m actually pretty good.  I was a music major a long time ago.  When I practiced regularly I was very good.  I play in the church orchestra with professionals.  I need to commit myself to playing regularly.  I also want to play special music.  It makes me feel good to use my abilities to help people worship. 

4.  Date nights:  This has been something that my family has struggled with.  We have issues with schedules and routines all around.  Except the Bug, who thrives on routine and schedule.  I want to make spending time with each of my girls and with my husband a priority.  Family nights would be good too.

5.  Budget:  The Dad and I have very different ways of thinking about and handling money.  We need to get organized and have a plan.  However, this is a monumental thing to accomplish due to the fact that we are polar opposites in almost all areas of communication, cognitive processing, etc.  This is something we have fought about and subsequently ignored for years.

6.  Get a job:  We need the money.

7.  Routines for Boo:  My youngest daughter is a little too much like her mom for her own good.  She needs routines.

8.  Have people over more:  I wanted this house, so that I would have room to have people over.  I want to be hospitable.  The dad prefers sitting at his computer playing a certain game to human company most of the time.  I’m going to have people over anyway.

9. The clichés:  What list of goals for the new year would be complete without losing weight (30 pounds), exercising, and eating/cooking better.

10. Write regularly:  A million years ago, I wanted to be a writer.  I still want to be a writer.  So for now, I will write this blog.  Who knows, maybe someone will read it.  (Other than you, Mom.)

11.  Fix up the house:  For almost 7 years I have lived with ugly 80’s wallpaper in my family room and carpets that needed to be replaced when we moved in 7 years ago.  Now, I have 6 years worth of fingerprints and marks on the walls that I can’t remove with endless scrubbing and which annoy me to no end.  I also have a large pile of framed photographs that are sitting in the extra bedroom rather than on my walls.  So I want to paint, hang up my pictures, and nag my husband into tiling the main floor which thanks to my wonderful brother an sister-in-law’s Christmas gift he now has all the tools we need to get it done!

12.  Have a successful garden:  This is definitely a wish.  I have the world’s blackest thumb.  My great grandmother had a farm and vegetables and flowers and it was wonderful.  I didn’t get that gene.  I usually get sticks instead of tomatoes.  Any suggestions or help would be highly appreciated.

I just watched the movie Julie and Julia, and it has me thinking.  The movie itself was okay.  Not great, not bad.  The Julie character struck a chord of familiarity with me.  Underachiever, wannabe writer, talented, self-defeating…but likable (I hope) all apply to the character and, I must admit, to myself, oh and the blog.  I realized as I was watching, that I need a goal.  A theme if you will.  However, in order to force myself into action I always need a deadline.  I’ve struggled for a while with just what to do with myself.  I struggled with it as a young adult and tried several things, some successfully, others not so much.  When I really got to know Jesus, He became my raison d’être, and soon after, I married and had children and my purpose was quite obvious to me.  I took care of my children and my husband and I began homeschooling.  Believe me, it was enough to do for several people.  My girls are 10 and 12 (very soon to be 11 and 13).  There will be no more babies for me to take care of.  The girls can read and write and one can do algebra.  They can cook and clean (although typically reluctantly).  My role has changed from mommy to mom.  Now I advise and listen and drive them around.  Did I mention the driving?  Teaching consists of handing out assignments and grading and discussing rather than guiding little hands to form letters and counting blocks.  There are times when several hours go by and I don’t even know what they are doing as opposed to having to constantly keep and eye and ear out for what mischief they were getting themselves into.  It is time for me to stop looking back and face forward.

But what is the next thing for me?  I’m waiting for God to let me in on that little secret.  I think I’ve been fooling myself into thinking I’ve been waiting for that answer for a while now.  I haven’t really been ready to listen.  I wanted to fight to hold onto the last stage, but it seems clear to me that it is time for me to let go.  I enjoy my children at this stage.  It isn’t sloppy kisses and “I love you mommy” anymore.  It’s a lot of giggles and eye rolling and stomping and slamming doors.  There is laughter as we tease the poor dad simply because he’s surrounded by females.  It’s the borrowing of jewelry and the rare dash of mascara “because it’s Christmas.”  It’s the offer to make Ramen noodles for dinner because they notice that I’m tired.  They are becoming wonderful young ladies, and I know I only have a few years left to be in the center of their lives.  And then where do I go?

The dad thinks I need a job, and I do.  But more than that I need purpose.  Direction.  A goal.  So I’m going to make a list of things I want to accomplish in 2010, and I’m going to blog about my progress.  My first deadline is to have my list finished before New Year’s Eve so that I can “begin” on New Year’s Day.  You’ll all have to pray with me that God shows me what I need to do so that I can get wherever it is I need to go.