Embrace the Ordinary, vol. 33
When this week began, I knew it would be a tough week, and a busy week. What I didn’t realize is that on the hardest day, my oldest would end up breaking a tooth, requiring an unplanned trip to the dentist. Nor did I account for toddlers and random fevers, possibly due to teething, but I can’t say for sure.
I didn’t realize, when this week began, just how exhausted I would be, how far I would be stretched, how much I would appreciate even a few hours of sleep in my bed after nights on the couch.
Maybe sometime during the summer, my ordinary weeks will be filled with quiet, lazy moments. For now, my ordinary days remain busy, filled with unexpected moments, and frequent moments of my heart crying out for grace enough to get through the day.
Yesterday, I spent my morning working on math lessons with my oldest (only 24 more lessons to go before we finish the book! I am hoping to skip or combine a few, as it is possible), and in between checking her work and answering questions, I started planning. New months are always great for plans, aren’t they? Plans to finish the math book (can’t wait!), plans to finish sewing my quilt top this month (I sewed two rows together yesterday! Baby steps, you know?), plans to try new recipes through the summer and return to a predictable menu each week. 
Mondays will be one-pot or crock pot meals.
Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdays! We do anything Mexican, really, on these nights.
Wednesdays are typically the days I have the kids help (one each week), by choosing a meal and doing prep and cooking with me.
Thursdays are leftovers or breakfast nights.
Fridays are meatless, simple nights. Soups, salads, eggs…
Saturdays are either leftovers or salads or grilling.
Sundays are our meat and cheese nights, or grilling. Fence and I loooove doing meat and cheese nights, with a variety of cheeses, crackers, and sliced meats. The kids apparently are bored with it, but they are cooking, so no complaints allowed! 😉
Now, I just need to keep myself in a rhythm of checking my planner each morning, and being prepared for the meals I plan. I think I’m going to create a calendar of meals to hang on the fridge, so I can easily glance at it and see what needs to thaw or can be prepped ahead in the morning. I’m so much fresher in the morning than at 3pm, when I look at the clock and groan that dinner still needs to be made.
How about you? What are you planning and looking forward to?
“…there is something holy, something divine hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it.” St. Josemaria Escriva, Passionately Loving the World
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Baby steps for sure! I cut 1/8 of the strips I need for my new quilt last night, haha.
My SIL gave us a magnetic meal board for Christmas which is working great, it has clips for each day where I put the meals I have planned and it’s in the kitchen where I see it frequently. I can move things around easily if I need to. Visible and flexible! I do need to simplify what I’m serving during this season, though, so I think I’ll come up with a loose schedule like you mentioned. That will help streamline things for sure.
What a great idea, that meal board!
Pics of your quilt project? I love seeing the fabrics people choose. 🙂
I love your ideas for meal planning. I’ve been struggling with getting started on it. Theme nights seem like such a great place to start!
Sounds like a crazy week with lots of the unexpected! Hope things calm down a little for you.
I find that I feel so accomplished when I sew anything – even if it’s just ten minutes to get a few quick stitches in. Hope you’ll post pictures of your finished quilt! 🙂
Such fun ideas for meal planning! I like your Sunday meat and cheese routine – must be fun to pick out different selections to try. And I love that your kids take turns choosing and helping make a meal. Thanks for some inspiration!
Yes, just a little bit of time sewing *does* make a huge difference! More pics are coming sooooon! 🙂
I love how you’re persistent. You keep going. That is so good. So much grace in that, friend! <3 Also, quilting! I so want to get started! Where do you purchase your fabric? I need to go to the store and just look and look till I find something fun for my grandma (she's made me blankets since I was born and I want to finish one for her birthday in June. She would flip!). I'm still intimidated by the size of it all. And exactly how it will all pan out. Being the non-planner I am, I can see how sewing and I may have some bumps in our relationship but I'm determined to make it work since I have found I enjoy it so much 🙂 Prayers for you! And yayyy for finishing the math book!