Summer Goals

Over at GirlTalk they are talking about summer goals. When I was growing up, my mom had a summer theme for each of us girls. Usually, it involved one issue of the heart and one life skill. So last week while the kids were at Karate class, I wrote down some of our summer goals for this year.



Evan: Learn to keep track of the time and be ready for _____ on time. (Need to buy a new watch!)



Amy: Learn to keep clothes and shoes organized and put away.



Emily: Keep working on being able to play by herself quietly for a short time.



Me: Organize and declutter rooms.



Usually I have a bit more free time in the summer since I don't have lessons to teach. This year, I am hoping to take one room per week and focus my energy and time on tackling the clutter. Drawers, cupboards, and closets are all going to be turned upside down one at a time as much as possible. We are in town for 9 weeks so I have picked out 9 rooms: kitchen, school room, my bed room, living room, Emily's bedroom, dinning room, downstairs bathroom, guest room, and our bathroom. I purposely left out the older kids rooms since I've been trying to help them get organized throughout this year.



We are also planning for some fun! We are going to have "park" days once a week with our friends from church. I am also hoping to have some friends over for dinner more often. That was put on hold over the winter because Sean's schedule was so funny. And we are adding swimming lessons and horseback riding lessons (for Amy) to the summer schedule.



And last but not least, I'm not taking my teaching hat off entirely. We are going to have a full school day once a week on the Monday's that we are in town. Sean will be home and has offered to take Emily out for the morning. We have some Science and Latin to finish up and a little bit of Math and Language arts as well. Usually we just do a little each morning (an hour or so), but Sean suggested this idea and the kids liked it so we're giving it a try. We should actually get close to finishing the Latin book with 9 weeks of lessons!

Toolin' Up Tuesday: Good Shoes

My good friend Jessica has started a new blog called Life as MOM. As part of her many helpful posts on motherhood, she has started a weekly spot for great tools and gadgets to help us all with our job of being a mom.


When I was little I had knock knees and flat feet. I had to wear special shoes to correct this and they were very expensive as I recall. My parents faithfully took me to the good shoe store in town, the Junior Bootery, and payed full price for these special shoes, even though I HATED them. They were soooooo ugly.*


When the day came that I got to pick out any type of shoe I wanted, I was so excited!

Now days, good shoes that help keep your knees and back comfortable still cost a pretty penny. But they are at least cute! After many years of Target shoes and aching knees, my mom bought me a pair of Dansko shoes for my birthday. It made such a difference in my day! Now she takes me once again to the good shoe store in town and buys me a new pair every year for my birthday.


So whether you are walking with a baby, running after a toddler, or standing next to your child who needs help with his school work, a good pair of shoes are a great tool to get you through your day.

I recommend going to the good shoe store in town and getting measured. Many of the shoes there will be in European sizes which are different than US. Find a brand that you like, then wait for a blow out clearance sale (usually once a year). Or look at Ebay, Sierra Trading Post, or Dansko Outlet for some better prices. My favorite brands are Dansko, Josef Seibel, Merrell, Keen, Ecco, and Ryka.

Your feet will thank you!

*Now days, doctors say that these type of shoes with special inserts don't really correct knock knee. It was really several years of ballet that corrected both problems for me.

Guest Blogging

Today I am guest blogging over at my good friend Jessica's blog. She is doing a series on the challenges of motherhood. You can read what I have written here.