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The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

July 31, 2017

No.13: Intentions for the Beginning of August

August already – I can’t believe it.  We’re soaking up every bit of summer, but I’d be lying if I wasn’t anxious for some relief from this weather.  I’m melting!  On Sunday morning, we woke up to a little chill in the air and it made me so excited to experience fall in the new house.  Soon.  On the new habit front, Mark and I chose “health” to work on this month.  We’ve already casually started this in July, so I’m hoping to continue the momentum.  Our goals as a family are:
– Make food choices that make our bodies work well and help us feel strong (but always have room for the occasional treat too!)
– Try new fruits and vegetables because as Sophie reminds us, “Daniel Tiger says to try new things ‘cuz they might taste go-od”
– Get active everyday, play outside (even Mom and Dad) and reduce screen time significantly
– And a personal goal for me: more positive self-talk, celebrate small victories and don’t obsess over the scale or the work that still needs to be done

INTENTIONS FOR THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  • Habit of the Month: HEALTH
  • lots of veggies in every meal (work on breakfast!)
  • order collagen peptides
  • make three recipes from my new cookbook
  • green smoothies for the kids at least twice a week
  • don’t skip weight training even though it hurts!
  • wear my new running shoes around (NOT running) to adjust and avoid blisters
  • finish kids’ chore charts and start new allowance system
  • have a tea party in Sophie’s room with real drinks/treats
  • continue Operation Catechism catch-up
  • read Across Five Aprils in preparation for M’s history
  • read two chapters in my Jackson Pollock book
  • start thinking about birthday gifts for Sophie and TJ
  • make a big batch of taco seasoning to keep in the pantry (100LT #46)
  • organize and prepare the school room
  • register at our new parish
  • sign up the boys for CCD
  • hang master curtains and artwork (I WILL do this!)
  • sign up for cards at our new library (need to make the time to do this!)

PREVIOUS INTENTIONS:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  • add green smoothies to my day (I had one every few days, not a bad start)
  • find a dairy-free protein powder (decided on a slightly different direction and getting collagen peptides instead)
  • sign up for a 10K in October (SO excited!)
  • accept compliments and give them freely! (work in progress…)
  • Operation Catechism catch-up (started, but have more work to do)
  • hang master curtains and artwork
  • write and send “Intent to Homeschool” letter
  • sign up to be a Wild + Free subscriber
  • power wash the front porch (100LT #38)
  • read two chapters in my Jackson Pollock book (25% of that monster of a book complete!)
  • bake a pie 
  • schedule an eye exam for me (100LT #73)
  • draw together with D (we followed along with Art for Kids and drew Spiderman!)
  • start working on a bird watching basket (just a few more items needed)
  • July house photo
  • sign up for cards at our new library

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What about you?  What’s on your to-do list for the next two weeks?

July 28, 2017

No.12: New Habits, Little by Little – An Introduction

 So the question is not Am I teaching my child habits? The question is Which habits am I teaching my child? Yes, other influences may play a role, but it is the habits learned from parents that have the most impact upon a child’s developing character. {via}

Soooo… I’m kind-of on a new kick.  I’ve been reading a lot about Charlotte Mason and she was quite the advocate for habits.  She went beyond thinking of habits as just the physical things we do and connected them to character traits.  So, for example, when we teach the kids how to properly brush their teeth, we’re also teaching them the habit of cleanliness.  Or when we work on putting our toys back where they belong, we’re teaching the habit of order.  As a mother, I hope to raise children who grow up to be kind, generous, truthful, disciplined (and the list goes on and on…) adults and Charlotte’s viewpoint sounds like the most logical path to get to my goal.

As it should, this emphasis on habits has also made me reflective of my own behavior.  I can’t exactly have my children strive for excellence on a certain habit while being a total hypocrite myself.  So I’m committed to learning and growing right along with them.  Charlotte said, “It is pleasant to know that, even in
mature life, it is possible by a little persistent effort to acquire a
desirable habit.”  There’s hope for me!

So here’s the plan.  The full list of habits that Charlotte Mason provides is quite extensive and a bit overwhelming, but I’m going to intentionally choose one each month to work on as a family.  After a month or so, we’ll keep it on the back burner, still tweaking behavior as needed, and turn to a new one.  Little by little, I’m hopeful that we’ll all (even me!) grow in good habits.

P.S. I found this free e-book really helpful in learning more about Charlotte and her vision for executing habit training.

_____________________________________ 

MENTAL HABITS

  • Attention 
  • Imagining
  • Meditation
  • Memorizing
  • Mental Effort
  • Observation
  • Perfect Execution
  • Reading for Instruction
  • Remembering
  • Thinking
  • Accuracy
  • Concentration
  • Reflection
  • Thoroughness

DECENCY & PROPRIETY HABIT

  • Cleanliness
  • Courtesy
  • Kindness
  • Manners
  • Modesty & Purity
  • Neatness
  • Order
  • Regularity
  • Candor
  • Courage
  • Diligence
  • Fortitude
  • Generosity
  • Gentleness
  • Meekness
  • Patience
  • Respect for Other People
  • Temperance
  • Thrift

MORAL HABITS

  • Integrity
  • Obedience
  • Personal Initiative
  • Reverence
  • Self-Control
  • Sweet, Even Temper
  • Truthfulness
  • Usefulness

RELIGIOUS HABITS

  • Regularity in Devotions
  • Reverent Attitude
  • Sunday-Keeping
  • Thanksgiving
  • Thought of God

PHYSICAL HABITS

  • Alertness to Seize Opportunities
  • Fortitude
  • Health
  • Managing One’s Own Body
  • Music
  • Outdoor Life
  • Quick Perception of Senses
  • Self-Control in Emergencies
  • Self-Discipline in Habits
  • Self-Restraint in Indulgences
  • Training the Ear and Voice

July 26, 2017

No.11: 20 Things I Love – A Gratitude Journal

the smell of freshly bathed kids
the itty bitty freckles on D’s nose
mama and baby deer in the backyard
cheering P as he starts to crawl
the excitement of a new school year
blasting the AC in the car on 95 degree days
watching the big boys create robots for days after watching Real Steel (thanks Tab!)
my new cookbook
evening thunderstorms
the smell of freshly mowed grass
my sweet little nephew
stacks of new books waiting to be read
Friday night “date dinners” with Home Chef
early morning runs
reading with the kids on the front porch
the feel of brand new contacts
Sophie’s letter A “hunts”, searching everything she can find
being brave and signing up to attend a blogging conference
chicken on the grill for dinner
this quote from St. Josemaria Escriva (a reminder I needed as a mother): “Another fall…and what a fall!  Despair? No! Humble yourself and through Mary, your Mother, have recourse to the merciful love of Jesus.  A miserere – “have mercy on me” – and lift up your heart!  And now, begin again.” – #711, The Way

July 24, 2017

No.10: Five July Favorites

1. COUCH TO 10K PROGRAM
I’m on week three of a Couch to 10K program and feeling great!  Instead of jumping into mileage like I usually do, I’m doing intervals and I actually love it.  Other running-related favorites this month:
+ Starting the day with a run: usually at 5:30am
+ Getting new running shoes for 30% off on Amazon Prime Day
+ Signing up for a 10K in October: the medal and t-shirt are always motivating

2. PLAYING OUTSIDE AFTER BREAKFAST
It is SO hot out right now.  We’ve started the routine of getting outside after breakfast before it gets unbearable.  I usually push the stroller while the kids drive their plasma cars and we all get a good dose of outdoor air for an hour.  By 9 o’clock, it starts getting sticky and we head back inside.


3. NEW NEIGHBORS
We finally met our “next door” neighbors last week, which is a funny term since about five acres separates us.  They were so nice: around our age, pregnant with their first baby, and working to create a horse farm on their property.  I just cannot get over how welcoming this community is.  It is so funny to think that we escaped suburbia to “never see our neighbors” (we had really snotty, judgmental ones before) and yet here we are, surrounded by the kindest people, even with acres between us.  God is funny.

4. EDUCATIONAL PLACEMATS
The kids and I are on a mission to learn all of the states and capitals and what easier way than at the dinner table?  I ended up getting a bundle that includes a US map, a world map, the solar system and the human body (and another alphabet one for Sophie).  They’ve been awesome for dinnertime conversation!  We quiz each other, talk about our traveling experiences, tell stories about broken bones and hear Sophie sing the ABC song over and over (we cut her off after four, hah).  Great investment for both learning and family life.


5. GIVING UP MOST SOCIAL MEDIA
Big confession: one huge plus of letting Big White Farmhouse go is the freedom to also quit most social media.  I always had this guilt that I had to be connected for the sake of business, but somehow always fell into the trap on a personal level too.  Going forward, I’m excited to have this blog and a private Instagram account for out-of-town relatives.  That’s it.  (This related TED talk helped the decision too.  And this one is interesting too.)

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