some new routines

Jan 4, 2012

I struggle with order. I should go to Unorderly Anonymous…except I don’t care about being anonymous. I put my unorderly self out for the world to see all the time. Hmmm, my spell checker says unorderly isn’t a word. I’m still going to use it. Or maybe I should try orderless. That word doesn’t come up flagged, but I like unorderly, it perfectly describes me.

Anyway, it is a new year. A time to reevaluate and think through how I can improve my life. We decided to make some changes to our evenings and tonight was our first night. So far, total success! We will see how long that lasts and tweak if necessary.

Change number one: Having a set time for family read-aloud and scriptures instead of it being a flexible thing that happens when it happens. The happens when it happens thing was leading to it not happening as often as we would like, so we made a new plan. Now, family read-aloud is going to start at 8 p.m. sharp (although, tonight my phone rang at 7:57 and I answered it and then the phone call lasted for 8 minutes, 42 seconds, so we didn’t start family read-aloud right on time, but that is okay, because we still read and everyone was still happy and no one yelled at me for being on the phone and everyone was thrilled to be starting our new book. All of that adds up to total success in my book.) We also set a time for scripture study instead of it happening when we are done with our read-aloud. Now, family scripture study time will be from 8:30 to 9:00, regardless of family read-aloud time. If we want to read together, we will need to do it before 8:30 and how early we get to our couches for reading time will be how much time we have to read together before scripture time.

Change number two: Everyone must come to family read-aloud time in their PJ’s and having their teeth brushed. Then, we will shut the lights out and snuggle down for an hour of reading and studying together. We will end with closing prayer and then everyone should be ready for bed already and it should only take a few minutes past 9:00 for the children to drifting off to dreamland. Since this was our first night of our new system, it took some getting used to for them, but everyone was still in bed by 9:15. I can live with that. We haven’t been finishing scriptures till close to 10:00 and it was far too late for Richard to get to bed when he has to be up so early and then work long days.

Change number three: This one I haven’t implemented yet and I really don’t know how I will do. I am going to try my darndest to study my scriptures from 6:30 – 7:30 in the morning. I am NOT a morning person and I usually read at night, but I need to go to bed and snuggle with Richard and not stay up all night reading or working on projects. I know I need to do this. I have known for months that I need to create a morning communion time with the Lord. I have thought about it. I have felt guilt about it. I have pondered about it. I have written it down. It is now time to do it. Tomorrow is my first day. I’ll let you know how I do…and on that note, I need to go to bed so I can have some semblance of a chance of waking up!