The Art of Housewifery: More Balancing the Clean

Monday morning.  What would normally be English from the Roots Up time in front of the dry-erase was filled with.... snoring?  Our mini vacation from last week spilled into Monday.  Feeling almost completely refreshed but definitely not on top.

Our extended weekend of downtime opened up some dialogue with some of my young students.  Something that has been itching my brain has apparently been itching theirs too.  They didn't know what to call it... but I did:  CABIN FEVER!  Yup, that time of year where the weather is moodier than the Israelites in the wilderness!  That time of year where you wonder where the sun went and when it does pop out... always seems to be right in the middle of a lesson.  How to break these hum-drums?

Well, I explained to my young pupil how some subjects and their seemingly monotonous context are unavoidable if we are to lay good groundwork for future material.  However, I also recognized how other subjects have the freedom of being stretched into a more exhilarating frame of study.  All the while I am also becoming more aware of a need to start on some spring cleaning, something I am not able to do ALL in one day as I did when I was younger.  I admitted to myself, in light of last week's article on balancing clean, that I need some sort of master list and general rotating plan to keep the grime out of the corners and the cobwebs off my book shelves and window pains. But how?

We already have a full week with school and blogging and volunteering.  Weekends come and it is our time to sort of.... crash.  Together.  How do we fit the clean into the creases of our day.  FlyLady always comes to mind.  Her time saving strategies and nuggets of quick-hits on key spots.  With a team like I've got here, we can cover four-times the space in a fraction of time!

So, tonight, I tackle the pile.... the pile of papers and school books which I have been quite neglectful of over the past week.  Sorting the pages I have been procrastinating on handling and set a plan for managing them right away.  The books are subjects which are due for their mid-year review on effectiveness and assessed for any strategies or changes necessary to make them more applicable.  The extra filter this time will be how to make them more engaging.  I need to re-visit our school schedule and see where we can move from hum-drum into actively engaging our texts.... bring history to life, live like a real scientist or observe health from the astute perspective of a doctor in-training.

Most importantly is my planner and notebook.  They double for articulating both school and chores. Once upon a time I kept a large binder with all the break-downs I needed for each room when it came time to do their deep cleaning.  I put them in a page protector I could use dry-erase markers on and away I went, cleaning and checking off my to-dos.  That was many years ago and in a house many counties away!!  I am now not only faced with a need to find routine in DEEP cleaning a different house well... but also in decipling my children on this task lest they wonder why rodents and/or bugs always want to invade!!

Tonight, and perhaps throughout this week, I will turn to a fresh page in my spiral notebook and begin:

• to list out each room and each aspect of those rooms which requires attention
• I will also jot down a map-of-sorts of our daily NEED-tos and the hoped for want-tos  

With all this information spread out before me I can begin to maneuver each element into a routine.  With the room break-downs I can develop a new working list to print and put in sheet protectors for deep-clean time and with the week overview I can develop routines that work, leaving time to breath and 'play'/adventure in life!  We are already working on adding an adventure afternoon on Fridays to wrap up our week and get out and about.  Visit the Audubon nature preserve, local parks, museums and even sneak in some art walks!  We will learn our new city yet!!!  And, hopefully, come home to a cleaner house where a dropped utensil doesn't draw our eyes to a neglected corner or a lost pen in the couch cushions doesn't reveal the depravity of furniture vacuuming!

I will keep you posted on our progress, in case it helps you with yours!  I know the testimonies of other housewives' routines certainly helped me to find mine back when it seemed hopelessly lost!!

I pray you have have peace as you balance the clean in your home!

Blessings,

Linking up today with some of these...