Time for Action

For quite some time now - probably the last few months - I have been feeling like things need to change.  Not in a bad way, but I need to make the changes.  No one else can do it for me, and they won't just happen on their own.  Then yesterday, I was reading my friend Kate's blog, and it totally confirmed what I needed to do.  I've been thinking, for a couple months, about the changes I need to make, and how to go about getting the results I want, but that's not getting it done.  It's time for me to take action!

OK, here's the story.....
Five and a half years ago, (I'm going back this far in hopes that my story will help someone), I gave birth to a beautiful little girl. That's when our world changed.  The next 1 1/2 years was pure torture.  My husband used to say, "If she was first, she would have been last."  It may sound cruel to some, but she was a very difficult baby.  For the first 15 months she was alive she would scream from 10pm to 4am every single night.  The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with her.....so we would sleep from 8:30pm (when our other children went to bed) until 10pm when she woke up screaming. Then when she fell asleep at 4am, we would go back to sleep until 5:30 when everyone had to get up for the day.  We did this for over a year.  I never knew the ill effects of sleep deprivation until then.  I had no patience for my other children and no motivation to do anything.  Even when I was 'awake' I just didn't have the energy.  My hubby and I both gained 20 lbs. that year.  So, because of these circumstances, I was keeping up with laundry and getting dinner on the table.  Everything else took a back burner, including keeping up with my home.  When she was about 2 1/2 I realized that I needed to get my house back in order.  That worked for a short time, until the next baby came along.  So, here I am 5 1/2 years later, still suffering the effects of long term sleep deprivation, among other things.  It's been a roller coaster.  I'll do good for a while, then, because of a busy week or something else, I'd let things slide & we'd be right back to where we started. 

OK, back to where my story.  God has been telling me to take action and get control of my homemaking skills!  The problem is, I've been working on the plans in my head but have yet to make the move.  Then yesterday I read Kate's blog, and she was talking about similar things.  I believe she even she even said she's going to use her blog to hold her accountable.  That's when the lightbulb went on for me.  I've been trying to figure out a focus for my blog.  So, I'm going to jump on her bandwagon (so to speak) and use mine for much of the same thing.  I'll still blog about homeschooling, fun adventures with my girls, etc., but I believe we are not alone.  With the help of other mom's who struggle with the same thing we can do this.  I've read books on organization. Now it's time to put them to good use.  I'll start sharing some of the tips I remember and hopefully others have tips too.


~Kristine