Routine

Routine... bleck! Just the sight of the word makes me cringe. I'm not a routine person. I hate doing the same thing every day. I love to wake up, and just see where the day's events might take me. Do I feel like reading, sewing, cooking, shopping?

Since having Nathan, however, I am finding the value of routine. Babies and children thrive on routine. They like knowing what is going to happen and when. It makes sense, when your whole is in someone else's control, a little routine brings order and some sense of comfort.

Lately, I have been finding myself going through un-planned routine. By that I mean, I just kinda of fall into it without thinking. By evening, I'm exhausted and just want to spend some time with hubby and the boy. So, I don't pick up in the evening like I should.... But, I find myself just doing it in the morning.

~Toys, blankets, socks, etc... I seem to move room to room in the morning straightening up. I love starting the day with everything back in place.

~Dishes... again, should be done the night before, but just doesn't happen. After breakfast, once Nathan is playing, I do the dishes from the night before.

~Dinner... I've started doing two week meal plans. This makes daily planning SO easy. Usually though, before breakfast I'm thinking about what I need to do for dinner. Like today, I'm cooking down the chicken from yesterday and it needs to be put on the morning.

~Dishes... after lunch, I *try* to unload the dishes I loaded in the morning. Some days though, I'd rather sew! lol

~Daddy... somewhere around 4, I start getting things ready for daddy to come home. I turn on the porch light, who wants to come home to a dark house?? I attempt a quick clean up. I look at myself, would I want to come home to me?? hahaha I'm trying to get better at making our home a sanctuary for all of us. Part of that is making things appealing to the eyes.

~Dinner... do whatever needs to be done for dinner.

By the end of the day, I wonder why I am so stinking tired, but I see why. That list doesn't even include the days I do laundry, mop, clean bathrooms, shop, do church work, sew, etc... I do as much of my cooking from scratch as possible. I buy veggies in their whole form and peel and chop myself, I buy whole chickens and cook them till there's nothing left, including my own broth. I've been baking our bread and my own pie crusts.

I'm finding though, more gets done when I stick to a routine. I feel more peace in the evening, because I know I've done everything I can do in a day. I'm not worried about someone showing up at my door.