Chores 'Round Here - The Teen Schedule

*Be sure to scroll down to see what other fabulous bloggers are chatting about scheduling and link up your post! It doesn't have to be a new post - if you have wisdom, please share!

It can be difficult to find a chore schedule that works for you family - I know, it's been a challenge for us. It was especially difficult when we were all cramped in a tiny house, tripping over one another and a surplus of all our stuff!

At the risk of jinxing myself, I'm happy to tell you that we've finally found a schedule that works for us! And I'm going to share it with you today. Our schedule involves individual chores that each boy must do every week, plus a group of chores that the boys alternate each week. It sounds confusing - but it's really not.

This has worked much better for us than schedules in the past because with 3 teenage boys (and one toddler boy) in the house there's a lot of testosterone floating around here. With this schedule, the boys must work together to be sure the house runs smoothly, but they aren't working together on individual chores. Doing that often created strife because they are all so different - one gets everything done early, one gets everything done last minute and another only gets everything done (very slowly I might add) if you crack the whip. There are plenty of other opportunities we use to teach them to work together nicely without chores.

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17

Rotating Chores:

Dish Boy: Does dishes after meals, Sets and clears the table, Gets drinks for meals

Dog Boy: Walks dogs, Pooper-scooper, sweeps and mops utility room once a week (room where dogs eat and enter/exit on walks)

House boy: Cat litter boxes, Vacuums one downstairs room a day, Takes out trash

The boys rotate these chores each week, right now Fox is Dish Boy, Billy Dog Boy and Tony House Boy. On Saturday afternoon they rotate - in alphabetical order, dish, dog, house - so there is no confusion. In addition to their rotating chores they have their individual chores. In our new house, we are thankful each boy has his own room. We also have three bathrooms - Tony and Billy share one, Fox and Bram share one and then there is the master bath.

Individual Chores:

Tony:
~Monday -Laundry (his clothes and bed sheets)
~Friday - Bathroom Scrubber

Fox:
~Tuesday - Laundry (his clothes and bed sheets)
~Friday - Bathroom Scrubber

Billy:
~Tuesday - Bathroom Scrubber
~Wednesday - Laundry (his clothes and bed sheets)

For just as we have in one body many members, but the members do not all have
the same function, so we, although many, are one body in union with Christ, but
members belonging individually to one another. - Romans 12:4,5

This has been working for us, hallelujah! Well, this and keeping copies of the schedule taped up where they are easy to see. I am so thankful to have our chores Well Ordered. What works for you?


Be sure to check out all the ladies chatting up scheduling from all angles and join the conversation!


Dana at A Slob Comes Clean - When Life Happens and Your Schedule Stops Working
Amy at Raising Arrows - How You Spend Your Time Matters
Maureen at Spell Outloud - Do Toddlers and Well Ordered Days Mix?
Kris at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers - Scheduling Time With Your Husband
Jimmie at Jimmie's Collage - Meal Planning for Well Ordered Days
Angie at Many Little Blessings - Time for Creative Endeavors
Rachel at Finding Joy - The flexible schedule, it's posible
Cindy at Get Along Home - How I Stopped Dithering and Learned to Love the Schedule
Lacy at Catholic Icing - Creating a Schedule Your Family Can Thrive On

Tempted to Public School

Confession: I was struggling in my homeschool resolve. I was [thisclose] to thowing in the proverbial towel, signing on the dotted line and ushering my children onto the big yellow bus.

Truth: It happens. It may happen early, it may happen late, but it will happen. At some point in your homeschooling career you will want to give up. That's okay. It's not about the feeling of giving up, it's about the action of continuing on.

As you know, we had a very tough year last year. But I was ready to put that behind us and press on - or I thought I was. Until a few weeks ago when Tony and Billy went to visit their mom. Then Fox went to housesit and dogsit for his grandparents. And my husband went on a business trip.

That left me alone in the house with our 4 year old, Bram.

And oh the time I had! Hours. HOURS everyday to do what needed to be done plus time left to do what I wanted. It was amazing. The house was clean. The laundry was clean AND put away. I could leisurly cuddle with my littlest. And I was able to get a ton of behind the scenes work done for The 2:1 Conference.

Then a selfish voice began to creep into the back of my skull...

Do you have any idea how much you could accomplish if they were in public school?? The house would stay clean! You wouldn't have as many dishes to do! The big boys woudn't pester the little one and vice versa! You would have time to build a bloggy empire! Mwahahaha! Why not put them in public school?

And I admit, I was severly tempted.

I knew God had put homeschool on my heart because it's the path He wants me to follow. But it's hard, it can be so hard - and this alternative looked so easy. I went to my husband with watery eyes and pled my case...

..this house could run so much smoother if I didn't have 6 hours of my day consumed with homeschool and activities.

...I could do "real preschool" with Bram, not the hit or miss lessons he's been getting as of late.

...I could really get all the bloggy endeavors moving.

...and he didn't buy it. Thankfully, I have a strong, determined husband - who has more faith in me than I ever will. When we started down this homeschool path 11 years ago we meant to see it through to the end. He lovingly pointed out that of all the 'reasons' I gave to quit, none of them were about the boys or God. They were all selfish reasons, decisions made out of frustration or fear.

Are the boys unhappy? No.
Are they struggling academically? No
Are we discipling them, not just teaching them? Yes
Will they get that discipleship in our local public schools? No.

So why would we quit?

Sometimes God calls us to do things that aren't easy, sometimes they're downright tough. When I step away from the day-to-day frustrations and personal wants, I can see this journey is blessing me as much as the children. It's not easy but it is a blessing. I just need to keep my eyes on the goal and enjoy the journey.

Women of Faith Reminder #WOFImagine and #WOFOTT on Twitter

Hey everyone, this is your reminder that today and tomorrow The Women of Faith Conference will be at the Verizon Center in Washington DC! They will be in Dallas this weekend also.

My mom and I will be attending, as we have almost every year for the last 10 years. We always have a blast. There are great speakers like Sheila Walsh, Marilyn Meberg, Lucy Swindoll, Lisa Whelchel (who also homeschools!) and my personal favorite, Patsy Clairmont. Although I don't believe Patsy will be in DC this year.

Patsy, honey, you need to talk to your people. DC should be an every year event for you. Just sayin'.

There's also dramatic presentations from the remarkable Nicole Johnson. If you read my post on Building Cathedrals you know I adore Nicole. And there's music! In the past we've seen Steven Curtis Chapman, Kathy Triccoli, Sandi Patty and I believe Amy Grant is making the rounds this year. Top notch speakers and entertainers.

I will be at the DC event all day Saturday. If you will be there, please leave a comment or tweet me at @SomewhatCrunchy - I'd love to meet up with you!

If you aren't near DC there is still a chance that there will be a Women of Faith conference near you. This is a national event, they are in two cities a week from now through November. I encourage you to check out the WOF site, find an event near you and GO!

Allow yourself to be blessed.

Apologia Blog Hop and Giveaway

Today is Apologia's Blog Hop - a time for you to get to know more about Apologia, their amazing speakers and line of books for the homeschool heart, plus meet some great bloggers (ahem) along the way! There are 12 bloggers participating - that means 12 giveaways! So after you read the interview and enter here, skedaddle on over to the Apologia Blog Hop to see who else is participating and what else you can win!

I have had the privilege to interview Davis Carman, owner of Apologia and homeschooling father of 7 children. He shared some great info, nuggets of wisdom and an inside scoop about the upcoming Apologia e-catalog. Be sure to read the interview then check out the giveaway below.

Davis Carman is passionate about being a husband and father. He and the wife of his youth, Rachael, have been happily married since 1986. They live near Charlotte, North Carolina,where they are raising their seven children. The kids range in age from 6 to 20. The Carman family has been enjoying the adventures of the homeschool lifestyle since 1996 when God “got their attention.” In 2008, Davis purchased Apologia Educational Ministries, the leading publisher of creation-based science curricula designed specifically for homeschoolers.

SC: In 2008 you purchased Apologia Ministries. Since then Apologia's line has expanded to include inspirational books for homeschool hearts. Tell us about your new book, Good Morning, God and how writing it was placed on your heart.

DC: Yes, Apologia has a new line of inspirational books to encourage homeschooling families to stay in this adventure of a lifetime. Some offer practical help and what I like to call the nuts and bolts or “Homeschooling 101.” Other books in this line up deal with heart issues for parents. My new book, Good Morning, God is the first of what we hope will be many for the pre-K age group. This particular book (illustrated by Alice Ratterree) is about a four-year-old boy who learns to love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength in the course of a week. Although homeschooling is not directly mentioned, it is clear that this boy is growing up in a family where intentional discipleship and home education are part of everyday life. I want to provide books for this age group that encourage and demonstrate traditional Christian values in action. I also want the kids to see certain aspects of life as normal whether or not they are their own life experiences. This would include families with a nurturing mom and an engaged dad, brothers and sisters, homeschooling, imaginative and relaxed play time outside, unconditional love, church attendance, prayer, praise, and daily worship of Jesus Christ.


SC: You and your lovely wife Rachael have been blessed with 7 children. Does a typical homeschool day run like a well oiled machine, like feeding time at the zoo, or somewhere in between.

DC: My answer is “all of the above.” We have found that making sure Rachael has Sunday evening to plan for the week is vital. We try our best to stay on plan, but we know that life will happen, a kid will get sick, a friend will be in need, or the time for an activity will change requiring us to adjust as the week unfolds. We are grateful for smooth running days and weeks, but we realize that we will need to persevere through many moments and stay focused on Christ who will give us the strength to hang on when the going gets tough.

SC: Speaking of Rachael, she is an inspiring speaker and author of thoughtful, encouraging books. Will you share a little about her latest book How To Have a HEART For Your Kids?

DC: Rachael is truly gifted with an ability to effectively express her passion for living a faithful, obedient, joyous life in Christ. Her hope and prayer is that she will be a messenger of truth, pointing moms to Him who is able to give them everything they need for life, godliness, and homeschooling. She wrote a book for Focus on the Family entitled Soundbites from Heaven – What God Wants Us to Hear When We Talk to Our Kids. Her newest book How to Have a HEART for Your Kids is published by Apologia. She uses the word “HEART” as an acronym to encourage moms to truly consider what it means to love their children, accept them as gifts from God, and teach them the truth found in His word. Along the way, the reader gets a peek into our life at home.

SC: There has been some chatter about Apologia's upcoming Christmas e-catalog. An e-catalog sounds really exciting! What is it all about, will you give our readers the inside scoop?

DC: I am really excited about this new project. It’s purpose is to provide an opportunity for fans of Apologia to get some gifts and family-oriented items that will make the Christmas season even more meaningful and blessed for their family. This special event will be for a limited time during the holiday season. Anyone who is part of our e-mail list will get the first notice when it comes out November 11. Some unique offerings include beautifully illustrated Christmas cards and artwork, which are designed to defend the Christian faith with their portrayals of Nativity scenes. One final teaser is a never before released Apologia gift card that long-time Apologia users will find financially beneficial. I also think grandparents will do well to consider getting them as a way to show their support for the homeschooling efforts of their families.

SC: If time and money were no issue, what destination would be your ultimate family vacation/field trip? And why?

DC: We feel extremely blessed to be able to take our family to some really nice destinations as we travel to homeschooling conferences across the USA and internationally. We took our family and a dozen Apologia employees to Hungary this March to minister to missionary families who are serving in twenty European countries. We just got back from the Arizona homeschooling conference where we extended the trip with a visit to the Grand Canyon. We hiked into the Canyon and along the rim, watched a colorful sunset, and observed dozens of shooting stars as we enjoyed God’s amazing creation. Each new homeschooling conference provides an opportunity for our next ultimate family vacation/field trip.

SC: I think a favorite Bible verse or passage can tell a lot about a person, what's yours?

DC: When Jesus was asked about the most important commandment, he referred to Deuteronomy 6:4-7. If Christ thought it was that important, I can’t help but put it at the top of my list too. In almost all of the presentations I give at homeschooling conferences, my first point has something to do with our need to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Of course, I have a long list of other favorites including John 10:10, John 17:3, and 2 Peter 1:3.

Isn't that inspiring? Thank you Davis for taking the time to chat with us! Reader's please know that Davis' wife Rachael will be speaking at The 2:1 Conference in April, she's funny and inspiring, you don't want to miss her! Now on to the giveaway. What's up for grabs? Davis' book Who is God and the accompanying coloring book. There will be two winners, each will win one set.

Giveaway Rules

• You must be 18 years of age or older



• Open to US Addresses Only (Sorry Everyone Else!)



• You must leave an email address or link to your blog page with email address for notification



• If you tweet about this post, be sure to leave a comment stating that you did so



• Every comment counts as a separate entry



• Entries are unlimited
  

The winners will be chosen by a random number generator on Friday, August 26, 2011, 8:00 pm and contacted via email. The winners will have 24 hours to respond with their shipping information. If they do not respond within 24 hours new winners will be chosen.

How To Enter

1. Leave a comment.



2. Tweet about it-and comment that you did (one comment per tweet)
   

Not sure what to tweet? Use this: "I want to win the @ApologiaWorld giveaway at @SomewhatCrunchy" or make up your own, just be sure it has @ApologiaWorld in it.

Thank you and good luck!!

Go Read - Why We Adopt

So I was going to post something today but nothing really came to mind. So then I wasn't going to post something. Then I read this:

Why We Adopt by Chantelle at Given Much (I just love love love her blog.)

So then I HAD to post and tell you to go read it too. Simple. Concise. True.

Do You Women of Faith?

Yes, I Women of Faith.

That may sound strange, but it's a verb, let me tell ya. My mother and I have been attending Women of Faith conferences for about years. We always come away feeling surrounded in God's perfect love and peace, wanting to bless our families. I adore WOF.

We have always attended the Washington DC event - tens of thousands of women praising His name...it's powerful. And it's fun! The speakers have a way of sharing their messages with a good dose of humor and reality to meet us where we are in our walk.




WoF has a really great promo video - but blogger is being testy and I can't upload it. Be sure to watch it if you'd like to get a glimpse inside the conference.

Over the last years we've been privileged to hear people like Patsy Clairmont, Nicole Johnson, Marilyn Meberg, Steven Curtis Chapman, Kathy Triccoli, Lisa Whelchel, Sheila Walsh and more! The line up for DC promises to be awesome this year too! If you're not near DC check out their other destinations to find an event near you they will be in 28 cities across the US. Depending on which city you go to, they are offering two themes this year. The DC theme is Imagine.

Are you ready for some inspiration and encouragement? I am, and I'll be there! I am proud to say that I am a Women of Faith blogger! I will be in DC sharing live tweets, photos updates and more. Maybe I'll even be able to score a speaker interview - fingers crossed!

I hope you'll come and meet me there. We can be blessed together! The DC event is August 26-27, 2011. There are still tickets available!