Flow

We're kind of getting in a flow around my house. Our flood restoration is pretty much behind us, school is on a roll and schedules are meshing. I've tried to make little adjustments to our lives, so things run smoothly. Things like creating specific days Ben can play with friends, instead of kids ringing the doorbell at any moment, or Ben begging to go play at someone else's house. I guess I'm not one of those moms who has a "revolving door" to the neighborhood. It's too chaotic. With the dog barking, Ben and everyone else needing to do homework, it just doesn't work in our house. So, Ben now has his certain days he can play with friends. It's made a big difference. We can focus on his AWANA verses together, do homework and just plain catch up with each other.

I created a check-off chart for one of my daughters in order to keep her on track with her responsibilities. It's extra effort for me to hold her accountable, but the payoff will hopefully be consistency on her part.

I've let myself off the hook on cleaning my house as I typically would, as well as cooking dinner every single night. I do what I can in both cases. I know it won't last forever, and everyone else does too.

I spend a lot of time driving right now, until my oldest gets her license. If her friend picks her up in the early morning for "devos," she rides with them to her high school afterwards, and hangs out to study for her college classes and/or go to the one high school class she attend there - orchestra. So, Monday through Thursday, I pick her up after my morning class, and take her over to the college. If Joe's up he will pick her up three hours later. Then, of course, I drive her to violin lessons, Ben to AWANA and myself to my evening Physics class twice a week. It gets to me a little - all this driving.

Soon, Melanie will be doing gymnastics, which means more driving. UNLESS! Amanda gets her license, and I can make her do it! :)

My classes right now are really time intensive. LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of memorization and studying. Physics is still a struggle, but I go get help from the teacher during her office hours, or head to the tutoring center (more driving). Anatomy and Physiology is fulfilling, yet extremely hard work. Today, I had to create a plan from today until November 5th, detailing what I will do each day to prepare for 3 big exams. One in Physics, one an A&P lecture exam and one a Lab Practical. I was starting to get overwhelmed. So, whenever I feel this way, I sit down and make a detailed plan. I break each test down into day-by-day study steps to being totally ready. Once I have my plan made, I don't have to worry anymore. I just follow my plan until I get there.

This is something I am requiring my daughter to do everyday when she comes home. She must write up a plan (by the half-hour) for how she will be completing her homework and other responsibilities. I'm hoping it's a time management skill that will stick.

So, that's the flow of my life right now. Sometimes there are unexpected glitches in life's flow, such as when I found out this week that the ultrasound program changed some of the pre-req's that I have been working so hard to get!! They eliminated the computer requirement (one of which I had already taken, thank you very much), and added a CNA (certified nursing assistant) course. I got kind of discouraged, but I prayed about it, and the Lord helped lift me up. I asked Him to direct my steps, and I ended up finding a CNA course offered for free, at two different retirement homes. They offer them on a regular basis, so I will be able to check back when they start the next courses. Now I just need to carefully plan when I will take this, because I will be taking the second half of A&P next quarter, and I know it will be intense all by itself. I may take it by itself, leaving two more college classes for Spring (Psychology and Speech), plus the CNA course.

I started thinking about this CNA course, and thought it might be kind of cool to get a job at a nursing home as a CNA, like one day a week or something (maybe after A&P is over!). I actually need some patient-related volunteer or work hours as points to get into the Ultrasound program, so this may work out yet!

Well, I must continue with today's study plans. If you have a blog, I am still checking yours, even though I may not leave a comment. Thanks for reading mine! :) Maybe I'll have something more interesting to write about soon. :)