Goals, Good Books and Making Plans

I'm like so many others who view September as the month of beginnings, much more so than January. The year has always begun for me as soon as school gets back in session, and it's permanently ingrained in my teacher's mind/heart. So...Happy New Year? =) Every so often I like to record some goals and plans, kind of "write out loud." This is one of those kinds of posts, so either A. sorry! or B. you're welcome! (Because I like to read about other Mama's goals/thoughts, too.)

For a long time I was guilty of reading only homeschool-related things, and without any balance in that area, it began to consume me. That's never a good thing. My poor mind (and planner's heart) needed a break! I forced myself to pick some "non-essential" books off the library shelves, and wouldn't you know, the first several were pretty awful, and then the next few were okay, but still not even worth mentioning. I guess I lost my touch about finding a good book, ha! Then I found these two:

1. My Time in France

It's Julia Child's story of her life with her husband Paul, and their time in Europe, pretty much what the movie based its info on. I loved it! She was quite witty and had such a zest for life, and it was also very much a love story- she and Paul adored one another, and I found it really inspiring for the kind of marriage I want to have. One warning: some people (my mother) were put off by the details - and there are LOTS of details! - about all the food, but I just loved it. Now I want/need to watch the movie again.

2. Trim Healthy Mamas

I have a feeling I'm one of the only women who had not heard of this book until fairly recently, and while some people may not think of it as leisure reading, I have found it really fun to read. It has also been a great source of information about nutrition from a Biblical perspective - I admit that I have never fully explored this topic in the Bible, and it is so interesting! On a recent grocery shopping trip, the clerk (who was a middle-aged man, and whose wife happens to be expecting their fifth child...I chat a lot with people, ha) asked me if I was following the advice from this particular book, based on what had just passed on the conveyor belt. That made me feel pretty good because I haven't actually begun to purchase anything differently from what I always have, just lots of veggies and fruit, lean meats and not so much in terms of breads and pastas.

I'll admit that I have read more than a dozen books about hormones, thyroids and the like in recent months because I'm on a mission to get to the bottom of some of my issues, but that wouldn't count for "fun reading" so... Oh, and I did really like The Hormone Cure by Sara...oops, can't remember, but the book is great!

My biggest goal by far is to get back in the habit of devotions/reading my Bible. I don't know why I go through seasons like this where I simply don't feel like doing it. My guess is that I need better materials, and I haven't made as big an effort in finding them, which of course is just an excuse. I want us to also do more in the name of Christ. We will continue to make brown bag lunches to hand out to the homeless, and I've got some other ideas swirling around that I'd like to plan out and see through, but there are many opportunities to reach out. I want my children to love to help others, and I have to admit that I have had a grumbling spirit recently. If there's something in it for me, great; otherwise, never mind... that has to change!

My second goal is school-related. I want to bring the boys to all of the neat historical sites/places in our area, such as Boston and Lexington, and make plans to visit at least two other farther-away places sometime this fall.

My third goal relates to organization. Any busy Mom needs to be organized, but now that school happens inside my house, I find that I need to step it up. I need everything to go to...a place, someplace, and not the kitchen table! I've had some successes on this mission, but I still have a ways to go to work the kinks out. I think I've also become lazy with things like laundry and my ever-present little piles of stuff, and it kind of wears me down. A cluttered home = a cluttered mind. That won't do. I want to wake up energized and ready for a new day, not sucked back into yesterday because I haven't finished taking care of things that should already be done.

What to do? I'm going to find some new Bible study materials. I wish our church did more studies because I'd love to join up, but they don't seem to (which has been a big, not-so-great surprise since joining). I'm also going to do a little research into some trips and actually put them on the calendar. That's the hardest part for me! What if the weather isn't good, the kids get sick, I get sick? Of course there are also soccer and gymnastics schedules to tackle. But, trips don't happen if they don't get planned, and I need to get better at this. Lastly, I have already added some storage to our main work area - the dining room - and need to find a good system for folders and papers and such.

Of course since I'm dying to put out some fall decor and light up my pumpkin spice candle, we've had temps into the 90s here all week. Maybe that's the perfect pause button moment I need to get things in order and then be perfectly ready for Fall when the cooler weather does come. A good sweat is good for the soul, you know.  =)