Down Mulberry Lane

Homemade dishwasher soap, a no-go.

Well, we tried homemade dishwasher soap for several months and guess what?  My dishwasher quit working.   The dishes never came nicely clean and suddenly the pressure went down.  Dh thinks it is the soap. 

After trying to get it to work again, Dh cleaned the dishwasher with vinegar... it seemed to clear the lines enough to give it pressure, but now he finds that the timer for filling the dishwasher is off as it does not fill up enough, hence not enough pressure, hence... it may not have been the soap, but an actual trouble of the dishwasher... LOL. 

So, Dh said I could use the dishwasher again, we've been handwashing now for about 3 weeks.  But if I want to use it, I would need to add a gallon of water to the dishwasher before starting.  Well, we found the dishes are much cleaner washing by hand.  And we just got a new routine that involves handwashing dishes.  And to our surprise and delight... it works!  It works much better than the dishwasher routine.  Somehow if it didn't fit into the dishwasher it just didn't get washed! 

I decided not to buy dishwasher soap and just to enjoy the cleaner dishes and cleaner kitchen that comes with handwashing after every single meal.   Even if that means that "I" have to do the breakfast dishes on school days!   (I hate doing dishes!)  But I need to put forth my own good example to my kids.  When I was a kid, I remember once I hit fourth grade the dishes job was ours... I ended up doing that to my kids.  I remember despising the job.  I found my kids with the same lack of motivation for doing dishes as I had as a kid and I needed to find a way to change it.  I am hoping that by me stepping in and actually doing an entire meal 5 days a week will help the girls to share doing the rest.  Dad helps occasionally, so that gives another break or rather helps the time pass more quickly.  The chores currently seem to be evened out in work.  Here is how the chores are divided between the older three.   *the girls rotate at intervals to give them a new perspective. 

Kate - dry and put away

Chelsea - Wash and wipe table, stove, countertops

Megan - rinse, put food away, and sweep floors of kitchen and dining room. 

Mom- clears the table and gathers dishes from other rooms

We have premeal chores as well, but this after meal chore has been a troubled time in our home for some time.  I am thinking it was my own poor attitude towards the dishes that rubbed off on my girls.  I am praying that things will continue to improve in our daily chores in doing them with a joyful attitude. 

Warmly,

Melissa

Friday is Garden Day.

Thursday: Town Day

Wednesday: Cleaning Day

Ok, I know that Wednesday is not an optimum cleaning day for most, but as I was considering my schedule, I realized that it was probably best.  Thursday is our town day, and that works out best for us with how the ads arrive so I can plan for that.  Friday, we do alot of baking. Plus, it doesn't mess up the school rhythm as much for us.  So, that's how Wednesday came about.  Which actually we do cleaning each day, just an extra hour of deep cleaning is added on Wednesday. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Tuesday: Office day

Sharing our New Daily Routine...

Well, here is some of my hard work...This is my MOTH schedule.  I have other pages that I did that give details that I have to give credit to the Large Family Logistics site, but they aren't listed, yet.  This is my trial version.  I will start it slow.  Not all the details are in this schedule, so you don't see me starting the girls with their classwork, making sure they understand if needed, but it is in my head.  Many of the items won't take a full hour, like my high schoolers, will probably get done in 45 minutes or so with each class... their option is 15 minutes of free time or going on to the next course and adding up their free time for later.  The blank spaces mean they will do what is indicated in the above box... those are hour long time slots. 

Warmly, ~Melissa

Time	Mom	Katie	Chelsea	Megan	Paige
6:00 AM	AM Routine
6:30 AM	Steve BF
7:00 AM	Devotions	AM Routine	AM Routine	AM Routine
7:30 AM	Make BF	Farm Chores	Farm Chores	Farm Chores	AM Routine
8:00 AM	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
8:30 AM	Worship	Worship	Worship	Worship	Worship
9:00 AM	Daily Task	Daily Chores	Daily Chores	Daily Chores	Daily Chores
9:30 AM		Spanish	Algebra	Play w/Paige	Play w/Megan
10:00 AM	Paige Time			Math	Learn w/Mom
10:30 AM	Farm Chores	Pilgrim’s Pr.	Reading	Science	Farm Chores
11:00 AM	Exercise	Exercise	Exercise	Exercise	Exercise
11:30 AM	Meg/Chels	US Govt/Ec	History	History	Table Play
Noon	Kate				Video
12:30 PM	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
1:00 PM	Outside/	English	English	Outside Play	Outside Play
1:30 PM	Projects
2:00 PM	Read Aloud	Math	Typing	English	Story Time
2:30 PM	Read Aloud	Mom reads	Mom reads	Mom reads	Nap
3:00 PM	School Office	Computer	Science	Quiet Time
3:30 PM				Reading
4:00 PM	Aft. Cleanup	Aft. Cleanup	Aft. Cleanup	Aft. Cleanup
4:30 PM					Snack
5:00 PM	Supper Prep	Computer	Music	Free Time	Help ma/play
5:30 PM			Play w/Paige	Music	Play w/Chels
6:00 PM	Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper	Supper
6:30 PM	Steve	Play w/Paige	Free Time	Free Time	Play w/Kate
7:00 PM	Computer	Free Time			Computer
7:30 PM
8:00 PM	Paige				Bath
8:30 PM	Paige				Story Time
9:00 PM	Next Day Prep	Project	Project	Project	Sleep
9:30 PM	PM Routine	PM Routine	PM Routine	PM Routine
10:00 PM	Sleep	Sleep	Sleep	Sleep