Leftover Turkey Cheesy Mac Casserole

Maybe you have eaten all the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving? Maybe you have some frozen in the freezer for a rainy day? Maybe you need to gather ideas for the next turkey? Well, this Leftover Turkey Cheesy Mac Casserole works for chicken and turkey it is good either way… or shall I say GREAT!! It is a comfort food as well, as in umm not exactly low calorie, but filling and very yummy or cheesy or yummy?

Leftover Turkey Cheesy Mac Casserole  Use up those Thanksgiving and Christmas Turkey Leftovers in this comfort food casserole!!

 

Ingredients (all ingredients are variable due to amount of turkey or chicken you use) :

  • 2 lbs Leftover Turkey (1-2 lbs depending on family size)
  • 2 cups Leftover Gravy (whatever you have left or Cream of Whatever Soup)
  • 3 cups Milk
  • 1 block Cream Cheese
  • 3-5 cups Cheddar Cheese (we love cheesy here)
  • 1 14 oz package Elbow Macaroni (cook according to package instructions. We like them not quite done for this recipe)
  • 1/4 cup Butter
  • 1/2-3/4 cup flour
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)
  • Garlic (to taste)
  • Ritz Crackers crushed (2 sleeves with 3 T butter)

How to Make Leftover Turkey Cheesy Mac Casserole

I neglected to get a picture of the first couple of steps…

First, melt butter in large dutch oven. Now add the flour to make a doughy looking mushy goop. (yep, those are professional family cooking terms there folks)

Stir that and keep it cooking on a low to medium heat. It should start to turn to a nice golden color as it starts to slightly brown. Don’t let it burn!!

Now add your milk to make it more of a gravy type consistency. Stir it in slowly, so the flour and butter goop breaks up and smoothes into the milk.

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Now add your leftover gravy, keeping the cooking temperature on low to medium.

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Once the gravy is mixed in nice, add your cream cheese.

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Once it melts in, you can taste and see how much salt and other spices you need. If this is super thick still, add more milk now!!.

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You are now ready to add your cheddar cheese to your gravy mixture.

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Get it all gooey and melted and add your turkey.

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Once that is all mixed together, add your macaroni.

Now pour it all into your casserole pan. Next, add the crushed crackers mixed with melted butter over the top.

Bake at 350 until bubbly and crackers are slightly browned.

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Serving Leftover Turkey Cheesy Mac Casserole Up

We like to serve this with sliced bread, green beans and carrot sticks. For dessert we had homemade apple pie and ice cream. Sorry, no pictures of all that, as well, baby was needing me when I was taking my pictures and I rushed around to grab them. Cuz… babies don’t wait. :)

As I mentioned yesterday, our baby had oral surgery on Monday. I was worn out and had nothing for our family to for supper. So, we swung through the grocery store on our way home and grabbed a rotisserie chicken. I deboned it and we used it to make a quick supper. I had some frozen cheesy goop from above in our freezer. (I made a huge batch a few weeks ago, and froze the extras)

What is your favorite Leftover Turkey/Chicken Recipe?

Not Just Tacos Latino Recipe and Culture eBook FREE for Five Days

My family often teases that I am a fair skinned blonde Mexican. I love to eat Mexican and I love to fix Mexican foods. Up until recently though, I really had no idea any background behind the foods I was creating, or whether or no they were authentic. Not Just Tacos by Shirley Solis of Lifetime Books and Gifts has changed all that!!

Not Just Tacos

Our Favorite Recipes from Not Just Tacos

My family’s favorite recipes that we have tried are the Pico De Gallo, and the Arroz Imperial. My husband LOVES the Pico De Gallo, he asks me for it almost daily. I am now making triple batches of it, and it might just last two days. I also took it to this week’s church pot luck and my bowl was empty, even with the HOT sign.

When my son Isaiah had his tonsils out ten days ago, he asked for chicken. The Arroz Imperial being a mild dish from Cuba was a big hit.

Not Just Tacos Arroz Imperial

The top photo is part of the preparation of the Arroz Imperial. The bottom is just out of the oven.

Get Not Just Tacos FREE this Week ONLY

Here is the great news!! You can get Not Just Tacos eBook on Kindle FREE through Friday!! So, hurry over to the Not Just Tacos Link, (Click the red text) and follow the instruction to get your FREE eBook Cookbook. This book is so much more than a cook book. It is an introductory to the cultures of the Latino Countries. It helps you cover geography, cultures and so much more! It is a HUGE asset to any family kitchen!!

Not Just Tacos has given my menu plan several new recipes, widening our tastes to the food available south of the border. I am sure your family will enjoy Not Just Tacos as much or more than we are, and may even decide you have to have the hard back book.

I have both the hardback book and the eBook. I use the Hardback Not Just Tacos book during our school and family discussion time. When I am in the kitchen, I use the eBook form on my iPad, so I can easily wipe it off when those little kitchen splatters happen.

Easy Peasy Chores System for Non-Readers

Earlier this spring I found a very easy to set up chore system for non-readers. With our special needs children, I have four non-readers, and many times, the older kiddos end up doing their chores, because the littles can’t read the check list and by the time I find the problem, it needs tended to immediately. Mommy Fail!! Easy Peasy Chores has helped me get past this mommy fail.

Easy Peasy Chores, a chore system for non readers and the young children in your family.

If you decided to purchase the Easy Pease Chores eBook, use code OnThePrairie for 15% off. Good through Thursday May 23.

However, this new system has pictures, and words…so, now they can see what they need to do, I am also setting it up in a binder, so I can easily flip to the time of day, or room/area that needs the work. Easy Peasy Chores @ GoodOldDaysFarm.com

Does Easy Peasy Chores come with tips and instructions?

Easy Peasy Chores comes with GREAT instructions for those moms or other parental unit, that needs help with setting up a chore system routine. However, for me, I pretty much printed the cards and ran with an idea that hit me when I was scrolling through and looking through the file. (It’s a homeschool mom thing to take off on an idea that is not in the instructions)

Side note, that could be why I am speaking on Curriculum Modifications and Adaptions for the Multi-Abled Family at the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha. Adapting and Modifying is why I am still homeschooling…oh, and a whole lot of grace from God and supreme pressure to continue from God and my husband.

Bring Joy Back into Chore Time with Easy Peasy Chores

Easy Peasy Chores has opened a door that has been locked for quite some time in our home. Making it so our younger non-reading children can look at the chore chart and know what they need to get done. It is working and it is great to not hear from the olders about the fact that they are having to do the youngers chores or tell the youngers they need to do their chores. Less arguing and bickering is a HUGE thing in any home with several children. Easy Peasy Chores is literally bringing the Joy back into chore time!!

How I set up Easy Peasy Chores

I printed off a set at a time, as in when I opened the file, I printed the 2-3 pages she has grouped together. Then I cut them out.

Assigning chores

I marked each card with highlighters to assign the chores to each child. Some chores have all six children working on the same chore, so that card will have six different colored dots on it.

DSCN6170See the six colored dots? You could also use 1/4 inch sticky dots if you can find enough different colors for your family. I could only find four different colors of dots, and decided to use the highlighters instead, I had the highlights on hand anyway.

Organizing Chores

I organized my sports card sleeves by daily, time of day, and then what day.

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We have chores in the morning before and after breakfast, before and after lunch, after nap, before and after supper, and before bed. We also have different chores each day, some Monday and Wednesday, Some Tuesday and Thursday and a whole lot on Saturday (sometimes half of those on Fridays).

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I divided our sleeves into those time slots, so they would be easy to figure out when to do. I did not print off more than one chore card per child, instead I marked the cards with highlighters in the color assigned to each child.

Displaying Easy Peasy Chores

Instead of hanging our Easy Peasy Chores on the wall, I purchased a binder that stands up on a table. AKA a presentation binder.

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By putting the chore card filled sleeves in a binder, we are able to take it into each room as we work in that room, rather than the “constant need to see what to do next and getting distracted in the wrong room issue”. (Come on moms, none of you know what I am talking about, ehh?)

Decided to purchase Easy Peasy Chores?

Use code OnThePrairie for 15% off. Good through Thursday May 23.

My Easy Peasy Chores Supply List

Here is the complete list of supplies that I purchased to put together our Easy Peasy Chore System in.

When I set out our Easy Peasy Chores System, I used our working for the most part routine, which I had put together in January. However, with summer chores upon us, I did add and take out a few things. I stuck to this chart for the most part though.

When my children complete a chore, they have tickets with their names on them, that they slide into the chore card pocket. I then know to check to be sure the chore was completed properly.

I had not planned to set this up for all my children, but found it was so easy that I added my older two in. That way they have at least two charts to look at each day. No excuses to not know what to do each day!!

I will be speaking at the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha about Developing and adapting a Family Routine/Schedule for the Multi-Aged , Multi-Abled Family. I invite you to join me there!!

Ultimate Homemaking eBook Bundle Sale

The Ultimate Homemaking eBook bundle will help you on your way to being the best homemaker you can be, with recipes, planners, guides, and more. This bundle is sure to help you snap your home into a neater more inviting place to spend with your family.

 

Friday I told you how excited I was about this bundle, well, now it is available to purchase!!

Ultimate Homemaking ebook Bundle for $29.97, over $640 value.  Help for homemakers, wives, moms, homeschool families, and more!!

Buy Now

 

 

Only on Sale for 6 days as a bundle at this price!!

For 6 days only, more than 75 widely-known bloggers and authors in the homemaking sphere have joined together to offer 97 of their most popular eBooks and eCourses, valued at just over $600, for the incredibly low price of $29.97! We firmly believe that you will not find a more comprehensive collection of homemaking resources anywhere on the web, and particularly not in this price range. For this low price, you gain access to every single one of these resources, so that you can customize your own collection to contain exactly the ones you want and know you’ll use.

This library of homemaking helps include topics such as mothering, organization and cleaning, recipes and kitchen helps, home education, spiritual growth for both moms and kids, home décor and DIY, pregnancy and baby care, frugal living, health and fitness, and even work-from-home and financial tools. To sweeten the pot, we’ve also teamed up with 10 companies to bring you over $140 in bonus offers, giving you an affordable opportunity to get products you’ll use and love for only the cost of shipping, or in some cases, entirely for free!

What’s Included in the Sale?

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection, you will get instant access to any of the 97 eBooks and eCourses listed below.

PLUS over $140 of FREE Bonuses

Each The Ultimate Homemaking eBook collection comes with more than $140 of FREE Bonuses from 10 companies that we know you’ll love. More on these bonuses below.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered.

 

Here is the full listing of ebooks and courses with links to all of them.

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

Educational Children’s Resources

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

Pregnancy & Baby Care

Holidays & Special Events

Spiritual Growth

Marriage & Romance

Motherhood

Health & Fitness

Beauty

Working from Home & Blogging

Ecourses

 

PLUS, You will receive FREE Bonuses from these companies…

A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. No shipping restrictions.)

A $15 store credit to TruKid. With products like their aware-winning sun care, they are dedicated to providing all natural skin and hair care for kids, babies, and now pets. ($15.00 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)

Your choice of incredible natural products like sea salt and clay for FREE. Choose from the Redmond Trading Earthpaste Bundle ($24.90 value) or the Facial Mud Bundle ($26.90 value). (Standard shipping applies. Continental US only.)

Your choice of a FREE heirloom sourdough starter or FREE yogurt starter from Cultures for Health, the leading supplier of starter cultures and supplies for making cultured and fermented foods ($12.95 value. US & CAN addresses only. Standard shipping applies.)

Your choice of: a FREE 3-Month Subscription (for new accounts) or 30% off a One Year Subscription. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that uses your recipes, scheduled for the days you want them. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)
A FREE Culinary Herbs Assorted Seed Pack Check just in time for spring planting from www.wheatgrasskits.com, a living whole foods company. ($11.95
value. Standard shipping applies to all US states and territories- no international shipping for seeds.)
Get $10 off their original “my husband rocks” tee. Their marriage apparel lets you celebrate your spouse in style. ($10.00 value. Standard shipping rates apply. International shipping available, but free shipping only available within USA.)
A $10 store credit plus 1 FREE lip balm from Bee All Natural. Their whole body products nourish and heal, and are made using only the highest quality, food grade, organic ingredients. ($13.49 value. Standard shipping applies. International shipping available.)
A FREE 2 oz. bottle of your choice of liquid herbal formula from TriLight Health. They specialize in fast acting, great tasting natural herbal remedies. ($12.95 value or more. Standard shipping applies, within the USA only.)
Your choice of 3 FREE ePlanners OR a 3-Month FREE Membership to ListPlanIt, whose mobile lists will help to organize your life. ($15.00 value. No shipping restrictions.)

Buy Now

The fine print:

Bonus Offers

  • Each bonus offer can be redeemed once only per eBook Bundle purchase.
  • For each bonus offer, transaction numbers or proof of purchase may be required at the time of redemption.
  • All bonus offers are free gifts from the bonus sponsors, are their sole responsibility to provide, and are subject to availability.
  • All bonus offers expire at midnight on May 25th, 2013 (3 weeks from the last day of this sale).

General

  • It is your responsibility to download and back-up your purchase within the 1-month download time-frame. With proof of purchase, we can renew download links up until August 1st, 2013. After this date we will no longer have access to the books and will not be able to provide any new links to download.
  • Due to the nature of this sale, there will be no refunds available. However, we would invite you to read our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the file types, the download process, how the bonus offers work, etc.

Please note: This collection is only available from 9 a.m. EST on April 29th to 11:59 p.m. EST on May 4th. There will be no late sales offered, so make sure that you get your bundle right away!

Particularly for those wanting to read these ebooks on their mobile devices (iPhones or iPads, Android, Kindle, etc.) you will want to learn more about the file types, how to download them correctly, and how to transfer them to your device.
This post includes affiliate links, and I make a portion of the sale of each ebook bundle. Thanks for your support of this site!

Buy Now

Toilet Cleaner I Accidently Discovered

How do you accidently discover a toilet cleaner?

Toilet Cleaner and Declogger in One

When you have only one toilet, and it is plugged, your hubby is super busy away from home, you have no toilet plug stuff on hand, the plunger isn’t working, and there are seven people in line to use the one and only toilet that is PLUGGED. And by plugged, I am talking you can’t see through the nasty water in it, and it isn’t because of the toilet paper. I am talking it was a mom’s worst nightmare, worse than dealing with any cow or horse behinds. PLUGGED! I mean, this is after the three boys had used the bathroom, and no one telling me the toilet was plugged, PLUGGED.

So, I was all but standing over the toilet in tears when, I thought, there has to be someone else who has been in this predicament. Right?

Google is a homeschool mama’s, stay at home mom, homemaking wife’s best friend in certain instances. Come on, y’all know what I mean here.

So, I wash my hands, and I mean WASH them. Take a deep breath and threaten anyone who was even thinking they might have to go potty while mama is researching the next step in my attempt to save us from the ultimate plugged toilet, and go sit down and Google how to unplug a very PLUGGED toilet.

So, Google brings me to this: How to unclog a toilet without a plunger with liquid dishwashing soap.

Dishwashing Soap to unclog the toilet?

So, I actually have some on hand. I give a big ol’ hefty squirt, and then a couple more for good measure. I had already used a five gallon bucket and hot water, so I add some more, and within about five minutes, we have a flushing toilet. The sound of that toilet flushing was music to my ears. I was a dancing and singing and hollering like I was at the Super Bowl or something. I mean I was standing over it, right? and now it was the SUPER bowl, as it was flushing.

Hallelujah!!

But…

Umm, that nasty smell of a ton of, well ya’ know human waste that had been sitting in there for oh, probably half the morning was still there. I knew I had run out of toilet cleaner, so I was sitting there thinking and it dawns on me. Use the dishwashing soap. If it can wash the dishes and unplug the toilet, then it can’t hurt to try it as a toilet cleaner, right?

Dishwasher Soap as a Toilet Cleaner

Oh my heavens, why didn’t any one ever tell me this stuff is AWESOME!! I am never buying toilet cleaner again. We have super hard water, and well our toilet has had nasty looking stains since the first month after it was installed. They are GONE!! GONE, I am telling you that toilet for the first time in seven years, sparkles again.

This is what the inside of the tank looks like after seven years of hard water build up.

Hard Water Stains in Toilet Tank

Nasty huh? I am telling ya, we have some nasty hard water, and no, we do not drink this stuff. It is like being sandblasted when you shower… Ya, we know all about softeners and such, and well, when we move, it is at the top of the list. But, for now, we have ick to deal with.

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Now ladies, and gentlemen, would you expect the bowl of a toilet, whose tank looks like the above picture to look like this? Well, let me tell ya something, it didn’t, until I discovered that dishwasher soap is the BEST toilet cleaner. I mean, I am practically dancing. When my mother-in-law visits, you can bet your sweet sister I am going to be clean our Super Bowl with some dishwasher soap.

I am not one to use a ton of harsh cleaners, but let’s face it, some places need a good strong cleaning agent that can kill those germs that are dumped in there daily. So, dishwasher soap it is for our Super Bowl.

What have you accidently discovered is a wonderful way to clean something in your home?

Find more helpful tips by clicking the graphic below.

Daily To Do’s Got You Down? Don’t have time to do a Big Spring Cleaning? MoMo can help…

YES, I found something to help with the daily to do’s. I love my house hold notebook, for many things, but writing out the daily to dos, I always ended up forgetting something important. Motivated Moms has changed the forgetfulness. I have it on my Android phone and as a printed planner. The printed is nice so I can tell me kiddos to check it and see what else needs done. The app is WONDERFUL for me!! I can add a chore to it and have it schedule it for daily or whatever I want/need. AWESOME!!

Motivated Moms

The app and the paper planner can be used together, or you can use just one. It is your personal preference. Winking smile

Motivated Moms is a chore planning system to help you have a clean and organized home and still have time for yourself! Available as a printable eBook, or an app for iPhone/iPod/iPod touch or Android.

What I love about the app is the ability to go in a edit chores for our family. I can set it up to schedule them to the frequency our family needs. In just a few short clicks, the chore is scheduled for the needs our family has for the rest of the year.

 

However, the paper planner is nice for my children to go from, as I would rather I be the one to check them off on my phone, that way I can click and check each chore and keep track easily. We all know that if you don’t check the quality of the work your children do, it will probably not be long before things are not done as good. Winking smile

Motivated Moms, hasn’t left many chores out, and if they did miss something you need for your family, you can easily add it. It has everything from make the bed, Bible reading, to Wash the windows, and dust the baseboards, to clean out the freezer, and more. Your house will take on a whole new look as you keep working through chores each day. It is also fun to click off things as you do them, and it saves me a ton of time, not having to write it all out each week for each day. Winking smile

In the picture above, I am creating a new chore. Here you can see that you can also assign who does it, how often and in what room, along with when due. Winking smile

On the Motivated Moms website, you can find sample pages to look over. You can also purchase a planner with or without Bible Study plans, and in full page or half page layouts. They are also available in page per day or a page per week type format. Winking smile

And the best part? I have a coupon code for the eBook!! Use code Prairie at checkout for a $1 off the $8 book!!

Code ends on Feb 24, 2013!!

Homeschooling Through The Foggy Headedness

What a title ehh? So, how many of you are wondering what’s new, if I am just now mentioning that my head is foggy? Well, here of late, I have been foggier than normal. It all started with an ear infection, and well, it seems there is still some congestion fog stuck in my head. I couldn’t sleep very well during the infection and my body seems to be stuck in that routine…I wake by 4-5 am each day and am not falling asleep until midnight or so, though I do lay there, for hours waiting or wishing praying to go to sleep… Yeah, that is losing a bit of sleep… I know that with the holidays and getting back into routine and a few of the stressful things on the farm, haven’t helped. I am not really sick, but still seem off…However, life goes on…

Homeschooling Through the Foggy Headedness

Anyway, since obviously, a lack of sleep makes my head a bit foggy, and well, I still need to do school with my children, keep the house up, laundry and meals, I need to figure it out right?

Well, I have and one way is to make sure we are all up by 7:30, and all animal chores are done by 8:15. School starts by 9, and we all have a quiet/rest time in the after noon. Not much variance from our routine, but the quiet rest time is more enforced. I am not reading much…I do my devotion/quiet time, and that is about it. For some reason, reading much at all makes my head swim. I don’t think it has much to do with my eyes, so much as the sinus pressure. It doesn’t help that my head gets heavier with each cold/snow/rain front that comes through. We have had several and another coming tonight.

So, really, what is a mom to do? Well, for one, she gets things done when she feels good. She delegates other things. For the younger child crowd, she hands them puzzles and rests on the couch. We also cuddle while watching a LeapFrog movie. We delegate an older child to work on flash cards etc. Older children can look through a younger child’s phonics work to help out. It is actually good for them. I have found that their spelling is getting better. Who’da Thunk?

There are going to be seasons where homeschooling isn’t going as you planned. That’s ok, that is how we build our children to be usefulThey see that in real life there are real struggles. It doesn’t hit them upside the head 3 hours after leaving home. They learn to serve. They learn to help and to see where help is needed without being told. Their spouses will thank you.

So, what about getting rid of that foggy headedness?

  • Exercise. A brisk walk outside, helps a ton.
  • Get in the word, or listen to the Bible, even a speaker on the radio talking about the Word.
  • Eat healthy
  • Chew or suck on something with strong peppmint
  • Make sure you are getting plenty of protein
  • Rest when needed
  • Spend some time doing something fun
  • Go to the chiropractor

So, you do ever get in a fog? How do you keep things going while you are stuck in the fog?

Another post for Project Cleanse…Because part of getting more productive is figuring out how to be productive when your body is off. ;)

Project Cleanse

Project Cleanse~One Month to Clean Up One Area of My Life…

You have probably noticed, that I have been discussing getting our routines and such in order to smooth up our days. Well, I am actually going to keep with that. Project Cleanse Yep, our routine is printed and working pretty good, but what I find is that the daily drudgery of some of our chores is about more than my children can tolerate.

Why?

Because they tend to get sidetracked by things, while doing their chores, and then well, a five minute chore ends up taking twenty or even more minutes. So, my Cleanse is going to be Project Productive Cleanse, helping the entire family to become more productive.

Project Cleanse

Over the next several weeks, I will be blogging about ways to be more productive, ways to design the perfect or at least most productive routine. We will discuss ways to encourage your children as they work through their chores. Training children to do chores, and noticing when a team of children is not working out well. Among a few other things that will help streamline your productiveness.

I am also starting to work out and diet a bit, working to get in better health. Since November 12, I have lost 22 lbs. Exercising is hard, as I like to do it in a group setting and in our rural area, that doesn’t happen except for summer for water aerobics. What does getting in better health/shape have to do with productiveness? Well, a ton, as when you are in better shape, your stamina is higher, you can focus better, and you just plain feel better. So, I will be posting bits and pieces about this along this journey.

I will discuss a few of my favorite cleaning tools. And there is one room in my home that I keep the door closed on at all times. I plan to try and change that. EEEEEKKKKK… Yeah, that could be scary…

So, what tips for becoming more productive can you offer me? Come on, help a chaotic mom out…

Homeschool Moms’ Winter Summit and GIVEAWAY

Are you ready for some encouragement?

How about some refreshment?

Would you like to gather with a whole room full of moms that are on the same journey as you?

Well, have I got some news for you!!

January 25-26, I will be gathering with moms from all over the central part of the U.S. Many or maybe even most of us are homeschool moms.

Where and Why?

At Norman Oklahoma, for the Homeschool Moms’ Winter Summit. A retreat for Christian moms to come hear and gain encouragement, refreshment and gain some new friends.

Who are the speakers? I am telling ya, you don’t want to miss this!!

Amy Groeschel
“Success in Progress: The Great Balancing Act”

Cheryl Lange
“The Most Important Job You Have as a Parent: Your Marriage”

“If You Don’t, Who Will? Practically Teaching Your
Children the Word of God”

Connie Hughes
“Extreme Faith: Having the Courage to Allow God to Do
Amazing Things in Your Life”

“The Power of People Skills: Teaching All Personality Types the
Importance of Being the Light of the World”

Peggy Hoshall
“Sticks & Stones May Break My Bones,
But Words Could Always Hurt Me”

Roxanne Parks
“Reflections of a Homeschool Mom”

Sheri Yates
“Warning! In the Event of Life, Your Emotions May
Control You: Gaining Victory Day to Day”

Shirley Quine
“Knowing Him and Being Known”

Susan Chrisman
“Preparation for the Empty Nest:
When and How to Think About the Next Season”

“Hold Fast: How to Walk by Faith
Day by Day (No Matter What)”

What to wear? Well, I will be wearing my khakis or jeans and a shirt with a sweater. I have found from experience, that layers at retreats/conventions work best!! For shoes? My Danskos of course, because well, they are the most comfortable shoes ever!!

Homeschool Moms' Winter summit

And, as a special bonus, the winner of this giveaway will get to stay in my hotel room with my two friends who are traveling with me!! So, you won’t have hotel expenses to add!! How cool is that?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MORE Summit giveaways!

  • The Marathon Mom

I would like to thank Teach Them Diligently Convention for helping provide for my travel expenses to the Homeschool Moms’ Winter Retreat. I encourage all of you to check out what Teach Them Diligently has to offer in your area. They will have Christian conventions in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Nebraska!! Last year’s convention was AWESOME!! I will be attending the Omaha convention in May.

Creating a Homemakers Notebook for YOUR Family

If you are like me, you love the idea of a homemakers notebook. A notebook that will help keep you organized, on track and keep important details you need at your fingertips. However, I like to make them, but keeping up with it…well, not so much.

Why?

It becomes overwhelming.

How?

Designing a Home Management Binder for YOUR Family

Because as soon as we have a day that takes a left turn instead of a right turn, we get off the plans in our Notebook…I panic, or umm, walk away and slide by, by the seat of my britches, grasping at dried leaves and twigs down a steep slope, ending in complete homemaking chaos, where we end up getting only the necessities done.

I don’t like this typical way of our family and the Homemaker’s Notebook, so I am working on a new one. One that, if we get off track, we can just jump back in where we were…one where it uses mainly the printables that are easily customized for our family. Umm, one that is for US, not for Mom Blogger Down the Internet Road…

I have found what looks to be the near perfect Week/Day planner for me from AmyBayliss.com. This is super versatile and can be edited in Microsoft Office, thus making it even more versatile.

I am also adding in the monthly Decluttering in 15 Minutes a Day printables from Home Storage Solutions 101.

Rather than fill in every single blank on your planner, which ever planner it is, (goals, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, etc), leave space to be able to get caught up.

If you are sick, or there are sick family members, be sure to plan less, and make room for their needs without stressing yourself.

If you have to be away for a day or two that week, be sure to plan around that. If you are going to be gone or occupied for several hours, don’t expect to be able to keep up with your normal daily plans. That is how we become overwhelmed.

Have you ever noticed if you tell your child to clean the kitchen, that it isn’t what you think of clean when you go check it out? To help your children know what you expect done in each of their chores, give them check list for each area. You can find these premade at Household Management 101 and A Virtuous Woman. I keep these checklist in my binder for my children to easily find them.

I also include our family medical info pages, a listing of illnesses, and treatments/medications. If you or one of your family members seems to have something going on, you can take these with you to the doctor to help both of you communicate what may be going on. Let’s face it, if you have more than one person sick in your home at a time, it can be hard to keep whose symptoms are whose, and who took what meds when.

I keep our daily and weekly day chores in here too. That way, I can do a quick run through with our children as to whether they have their chores done.

Make your homemaking binder a binder made for your family. God put you together like a puzzle and if you put a binder together without looking at each of the puzzle pieces it probably isn’t going to work for your family.

Homeschool Marriage~Discussion Style

Proverbs 21:19

It is better to live in a desert land
Than with a contentious and vexing woman.

The above verse helps me to realize, when I get worn out and tired from a day of homeschooling, and caring for home and children, that I am not the wife God wants me to be or what my husband needs. I can see the living in a desert land as a messy house. My goal is to make sure the things around the house that really bother my husband are done, but not worry so much of others if I feel my energy dwindling.

image

A Homeschool Couple who is a great encouragement to me as I strive to be the wife and mother God desires of me. They are an example many of us should be looking to.

Homeschool moms tend to become worn out and tired. Often having little to offer their husbands when 5 o’clock rolls around.

In the comments below, let’s discuss ways we can be sure to have something left for our husbands at the end of the day.

 

Three Ps to Holiday Organization

Are you tired of the chaos you experience every year from mid November, through the first of the New Year?

Would you like to simplify this season and be ready for company more than 20 minutes before they arrive?

Would you like to be done shopping for your groceries and gifts long before the crowds hit the The 12-Week Holiday Plannerstores?

Would you like to make homemade gifts and actually complete them, wrap them and have them ready before you can even think about the stress of not getting them done?

Do you want to be sure to keep Christ the focus this holiday season?

Then the planner ($12.95) I am using to get ready for the holidays in twelve weeks is going to be a huge blessing to you!!

What do I mean when I say Three Ps to Holiday Organization?

  • Print
  • Punch
  • Plan

This planner includes:

  • Blank monthly and weekly calendar pages for planning your year

  • Weekly “To Do” lists showing exactly what needs to be done each week
  • Thanksgiving and Christmas Menus forms
  • Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Recipe Card forms
  • A Holiday Self-Evaluation form
  • Shopping Lists
  • “Sheri’s Tips”- tips to make your holidays meaningful, shared throughout the ebook
  • Christmas Craft and Gift Ideas
  • Memory Making Ideas for the Family
  • Holiday Journal Pages
  • Many, many forms such as:
    Christmas Gift Shopping List
    Gift Making Checklist
    Christmas Card Checklist
    Holiday Wardrobe Planner
    List of Baked Items to Share/Give Away
    Favorite Meals to Freeze for Later
    Decoration Ideas
    Needed Supplies to Purchase This Week
    Holiday Baking Schedule
    Kids’ Gift Idea List
    Christmas Gifts to be Shipped
  • PLUS!!! Two bonus weeks with family tradition ideas, menus, and more!
  • PLUS!!! Some of our favorite holiday recipes!
  • PLUS!!! Holiday Coloring Pages!
  • PLUS!!!  Brand new zipped folder with all the forms from the planner in editable PDF format

The plan is to begin using this planner the first week of October.  Since we are into the third day of the first week, it is time to get started.

Why is this planner special? 

You will quickly find that all you have to do is print the pages, and bind them or punch and put in a binder, then start planning and getting things done. 

If you would rather use the planner from your computer, the planner is now available in a zipped format, so you can type, print and bind.

I however, like to write in as needed. Winking smile

There are tons of delicious recipes and craft activities.  I especially like the coloring pages.  I plan to print a few of those off to hand out to my younger children while I am either crafting or cooking!!

There is also a combo pack ($15.95) that has lots more planning helps.  The Holiday Combo Set

  • A Christmas Journal
  • Traditional Thanksgiving…Can’t wait to use this to help create a more Tradition Thanksgiving, using more whole foods recipes
  • Homemade Gift Mixes~A great way to keep a few things together for exchange gifts, special occasions and such.
  • Holiday Open House~This book is helping me realize that even though we don’t live in a Good Housekeeping example of a home, I can still have friends and family over for fellowship and celebration!

As you can see the Holiday Planner and Combo Pack can really help you stay on top of the Holiday Chaos, instead of becoming so terrible overwhelmed. 

Noticed some Blog Craziness here? What we have been up too

Yeah, me too, but in the end it should be well worth it.

On the Blog…I have kinda jumped off the blogging train in order to work on a few things.  Both around the home and on my blog.

For Our School…I am working on my school record books, and assignments. I also have been organizing our school stuff on a new to us, kinda ugly, but functional shelf.  It is going to help a ton with keeping books organized.

More On my blog…I am hoping and praying to add a store with printables I am designing for our school.  I figure I can’t be the only one needing some of these.  I will still have lots of freebies available, but, I also would like to make a little money for some special activities this year.   I have started putting the store together, but have run into a couple of glitches, and will have a homeschool grad helping me with it soon.  I am going to keep my prices very reasonable.

In the Garden…I have also been working on our garden.  It is still mostly weed free, and doing well, except for the heat and a couple of moles who have it in for my peppers…

On the Farm…We have also kept busy on the farm.  In this heat, being outside working really takes it’s toll on ya.  I am so thankful for coolish AC to come home to.

Around the House…I purchased three more over the door shoe organizers…one for toddler socks and undies, one for small toys (hot wheels and the like, army men, etc), and one for big boy goods…Ahh, stuff off the floor and actually staying put away better.

In the Kitchen…We made a batch of pickles, and are hoping to have green beans and some squash to put up in the next week or two.

With My Children…I have them working to get back into the routine of getting their chores done in a much more timely manner.  We have enjoyed a couple of times swimming, and going to the park.  We have field trips and the county fair next week.  My daughters and I will go to the garage sales this weekend, cuz ya got to train them right, ehh?

In the Word…This week, in reading the intorduction to Zan Tyler’s book 7 Tools for Cultivating Your Child’s Potential, we read Titus 2:4.

so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

Love our children and husbands…You know they aren’t always so lovable, but we must love them.  We want to, but sometimes we find it hard.  We get tired, and worn at times.  Recently it has been the long hours that my hubby is in the field or at the shop.  gone by 7 am and not home until 10 pm…I doubt I ever stop loving them, but I know I become very agitated or easily frustrated.  A lot of the time, I feel like a single parent, but still have to take care of a husband…I need to make sure I see that differently.   

What I am Excited About…Getting ready for homeschool to begin.  It means that our routines will get back to something I can predict…or at least have an idea what is going on.

 

    

Chore Charts and List, They can either make or break the chaos…

I have tried so many different chore ideas, and they all work for a bit and then, whamo, we are right back where we began. It drives me bonkers, it makes me mad, it creates a terrible non peaceful environment that will literally push me so close to the edge of insanity. However, as with much of our life, I have to adapt and change how we do things, and chore lists and charts are not any different.

I have been color coding our children for some time. Well, now I have set out 31 days of color coded charts. This means there are 3 charts with 31 days, and chores listed by color for each day on each chart. Each color represents a different child.

We have a chart for:

  • Kitchen Work
  • Around the Home

  • Animal Care

On each day of the chart I have made a list of the chores that need to be done, each day is just 1-31, so this rotates monthly. After I printed the charts, I then highlighted each chore with and assigned the different colors to different children. The charts are posted on our refrigerator door.

We have been using these charts since the beginning of March. They have worked most of the time, but if a child is out helping dad, the chores tend to become mine, or I reassign them. These charts are laminated, so when a change is needs, I use a wet erase marker to add a star next to the lucky child who gets to help pick up the missing child’s chores, which are split between 3-5 other children and myself.

The benefit of this system, is there is no question whose day it is to do what, at least when it comes to daily chores. Many of the chores listed are done several times a day. At this time, I haven’t been using a check off system other than me going through the house and making sure things are done each day.

As my family has grown, gotten older and our lives have gotten busier with me working a bit, I have had to create something that even my husband can pick up and learn easily, even if I am away from home for a few days. He used this chart while I was at the Teach Them Diligently Convention.

Teach a good work ethic in your children from an early age is going to benefit them for a life time.

Proverbs 10:4 (NASB)

Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich

Priorities and Blogging

Over the last six months, I have grown more and more concerned about some things in the homeschool blogging community.  It seems that some bloggers are so bent on getting 5-6 posts up a week that well, other things are suffering…their homes, husbands, family, children, and even worse…their relationship with God.

Some call me unpredictable and sporadic, I have been looked down on in the past when I do skip around and don’t post daily…however, I have to do what I have to do to keep my most important priorities in order…

My priorities are more like this:

  1. God
  2. Husband
  3. Children
  4. Keeping my home up
  5. Homeschool
  6. Help on the farm
  7. A Journey Through Learning Job
  8. Life
  9. Life
  10. Life
  11. Blog…

If I can’t keep up with all the other things, then my blog is going to be the first to go…

And honestly, I make more money blogging with my priorities straight than I do when I push everything aside and try to keep up with the crowd…

What does this say?  God wants me to keep my priorities straight.

So, where have I been? 

  • Well, there has been a lot going on.  I have been writing a couple of articles for other bigger, huge great, awesome blogs.
  • I have been working on my Two Teaching Parent Convention Workshops
  • I have been in the cow pasture—we now have 4 living baby calves.
  • I have been WITH my family, DOing lots of fun things
  • I have been working on some projects around our home
  • I have been working on our garden
  • I have been spending every evening with my husband.
  • I am preparing for another homeschool convention
  • I have been working through a challenging time with one of my children
  • We have been working on some new homeschool things

So, though I blog less, I am getting more done, in better priority…

In all honesty, I don’t think my readers probably have the time to read so many blog posts anyway, so, why should I feel that I should be the one keeping them from their priorities to read my blog EVERY. single. DAY?

So, no, I am not going to stop blogging, but for this season, it will be slower, and that is ok…

Frugal Grocery Shopping Six Weeks at a Time

Seems every mom of more than one or two children really dislikes grocery shopping. I don’t think it is so much a matter of taking our children with us, but the time and money involved.

 

I would like to say that grocery shopping is fun, but it isn’t. As prices increase and the tummies grow and become bottomless, grocery shopping is becoming a little more stressful. There is hope though, God will provide and at times it is at the last minute.

Matthew 6:31-33

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

First, I do not do your normal menu plan. My menu plan consist of a list of meals that our family enjoys that our fairly easy to make in a short amount of time. On my list, I have a place to write out what we will need. This allows me to be able to have flexibility. As I use up ingredients for different items on my list, I put an X along side it, letting me know I do not have the stuff to make it. We rotate through these meals and add a few others. Each page is for a week’s worth of meals. Winking smile I make out six of these for our rotation.

I cook nearly everything from scratch, this saves a ton of money. I buy a lot of our flour, sugar, rice and such in bulk at an area bulk food store. All our spices are purchased in bulk too.

We purchase ALL beef from a Mennonite farmer who only raises grass fed beef, same with chicken, only we get it from a friend. Grass fed beef is typically more expensive to purchase, but you do get more for your dollar, as there is not any fat to drain and the fat there is, is the good fats. Also, it is healthier as it is not loaded with growth hormones like so much of the grocery store meat is. In the next year or two we will be eating our own beef, as we now have a beef cow herd.

We avoid nearly all processed foods to avoid high fructose corn syrup, coloring, additives preservatives and such. We have found that we get full faster with healthy foods. We have more energy and feel better too.

We grow a garden for nearly all of our salsa, pickles, onions, green beans, bell peppers, and such. We only buy carrots and salad for most of the winter months. If we run out of our garden veggies, we do buy at the store. This past year we had a horrible drought and well…got VERY little from our garden. So, we have had to purchase veggies this year.

 

We buy fresh fruits when they are in season. Right now, we are going through about 3 pounds of oranges a day. We eat fruits for dessert most meals and have fruits for snacks. Carrot sticks are also a snack staple. Lots of snacks are apples and peanut butter…natural peanut butter those a little more to buy, is much better for you.

We purchase our yogurt, but I buy the Greek yogurt that has at least 19 g of protein per serving. There is no high fructose corn syrup in it. I hope to someday make our own yogurt. Winking smile

I make all of our gravy and cream soups. This saves us a ton. All leftover gravy, whether it is turkey, chicken or beef gets turned into a creamed soup. My family can’t stand canned cream soups in our casseroles anymore. I freeze this and keep it ready for all casseroles.

Milk: We do not drink much milk. I use it in cooking a lot. We also try not to use milk at all when our friend’s cow is not being milked. A few of our children have health issues that are exaggerated with store bought milk. They can have all the raw milk they want though. and we are able to get it locally. At some point, I do want to get our own cow, and so does my husband.

I don’t use many coupons, as most are for processed foods. I do use a few of the store issued coupons. I use them for non food items mostly.

I make a LOT of casseroles. They last a little longer and feed more. I then add a few sides, rice, potatoes and such.

The big thing, is not to waste the food you buy. I only buy flour, canned goods and such for our six week at a time shopping. We buy fresh produce every few days. I watch store sales too, which helps.

I buy our meat every six weeks and typically get about 50 pounds of beef, 20 lbs of chicken and 8 lbs of fish (Tilapia). Most of the time, this does last a bit longer then six weeks.

During a good summer, (we have a steady summer income and very little during the winter), I stock our freezer full. This helps us have a better winter.

In my home management binder, I have a column along the sides for each day that has a place for me to write out a short list of things we need. At the end of that day, I add these to my master grocery list. This makes creating a grocery list fairly easy.

If I have a coupon or there is a sale for an item, I also add a c or s next to the item. This helps me know whether I need to ask my hubby to run and grab something that is on sale on one of his parts runs. We don’t have a big grocery store locally. ;)

 

Let God guide your shopping. He knows what your family needs.works for me wednesdays

How to Help a Friend During a Marriage Crisis…

Can you help?  Well, by prayer, and really that is as far as it goes.

Honestly, you do not need to go there with her.  Why?  Because those details, that she may share with you could turn to gossip and well, that is not how to help her.

So, what are you to do?  Pray for her, pray with her, and if she is wanting to talk to someone, find a pastor or outside person that is VERY trustworthy for her to talk to.

Most likely, if she is close enough to you to want to talk to you, you are too close to the situation.  You know her, her husband, her children.

You can offer to watch her children, so she and her spouse can have a few hours to talk.  But, do this tactfully. Winking smile

You can’t fix this, but, you can pray.  Because God, is the one fix all we have this side of heaven.

Pray, pray and pray some more.

Getting involved with someone else’s marriage crisis is likely to create a crisis in your own.  The best way to help, is to guide them to the proper help.  Someone who is not as close to the situation, who is a Christian, who probably even maybe has a little training.  I am not one to say counselors, but Pastors, or someone who has a known knack for this.  For me, I am not that person. 

Proverbs 27:14 NASB

He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be reckoned a curse to him.

To me, a loud voice could be considered advice, or counsel. 

So, my suggestion, and what I have done, is to be there as a support, but I refuse to talk with the wife about the situation.  I will pray with her, I will listen to her as she tells me she is upset, but I won’t discuss the situation.

My advice for my friends, is to talk with their pastor, or one who they are comfortable with. 

Why the Enemy WANTS Your Marriage…How to knock him out.

A few weeks ago I wrote about keeping your marriage first. I have seen so many marriages fall apart over the last few years, and my heart breaks.

Satan WANTS your marriage.

Why, because the marriage is a “Holy Institution”. He hates God.

 

Hebrews 13:4-7

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Satan wants between you and your spouse. Even the strongest of marriages are going to experience this.

Genesis 3

9 Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”14 The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;

15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

16 To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.”17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it';
Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you will eat of it
All the days of your life.

18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
And you will eat the plants of the field;

Way back when eve at the fruit of the tree, Satan took a grasp on marriages, that is the beginning of Satan wanting your marriage.

What can you do to help stop Satan?

Be submissive to your husband:

Ephesians 5:23 NASB

For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

For me, this is a relief. I can leave most major decision up to my husband, but I must be willing to discuss them. This doesn’t mean, that I always agree with him, but if I allow him to be the head, then all I have to answer to God about is that, I did submit and let my husband have the final word.

Many times this is not easy, but who said that marriage was easy? Seriously, I am an only child, dh is an only child who was a bachelor until age 27. That in and of itself, has created some umm…friction? However, once I learned to submit, most all of that friction was released and done away with.

1 Corinthians 11:3 NASB

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

My husband desires a meek and quiet spirit in me…OUCH. Honestly, this is VERY hard for me. I work hard on this and I know I do fail, but I pray I am making headway.

Find out what your husband would like for you to work on. Him, knowing that you care enough to maybe make changes will help him know that his opinion matters. Sometimes it is as simple as a clean kitchen sink, other times it can be as complicated as a meek and quiet spirit.

I can safely say that men do NOT like chaos. Seem, that they might like to create it, but they don’t want it to stick around. Funny, I know, but let’s work hard to create that peaceful environment. And I don’t mean getting rid of your children. Before your husband gets home from work, have the children pick up, fold up and clean up. Make sure they are in cleanish clothes, or I tend to just get them ready for bed. Winking smile To make this even easier, have four to five, five minute pick ups throughout the day. I know my small family moms are wondering how it could take that many to keep the house peaceful, but just invite all your friends children over for an afternoon and then tell me how long it took to clean up. Winking smile

Another area we can help protect our marriages is by being pleasing to look at. I don’t mean super model looks. I mean teeth brushed, hair combed and decent clothes. If your husband doesn’t like sweats, then don’t greet him in them. If he likes to see you in a skirt, wear it. In all honesty, I need to go shopping to fill this particular point. I tend to buy for everyone else, and well, my body shape has changed, six children five abdominal surgeries later…I am rather soft and cuddly around the edges. Winking smile

I also don’t mean wearing things that should be kept to the marriage bed either. That last one is one that really bothers me. I see so many married women wearing clothing (if that is what you want to call it) that doesn’t cover any more then a skimpy swimsuit. As my husband has said when seeing women out with their husbands, or even at church, if you want to attempt to attract other men, then please just leave me at home. Your husband probably does not want you traipsing around like that.

Be the instigator. Yup, I said it, and yes, I am talking about THAT. They like it. I don’t need to turn this post to an x-rated post, you know what I am talking about, and I am pretty sure, you understand it. Winking smile

Spend some one on one time with your husband AT home. Yes, they really don’t like to go here there and everywhere, they want to spend time with you. My husband would rather spend an evening talking, chatting and….then going out to a dinner, where we can’t hardly talk, and a movie where it is rude to talk. I would too, and it is cheap, no sitters, no gas, no extra money spent.

One reason we love to go grocery shopping as a family…Dh and I get windshield time to talk. We live far enough from a major grocery store that we normally get about 1.5 hours of talk time. Our children read books and listen to audio books.

As a homeschool mom, being done with homeschool by the time dh gets home is a good thing, but on days where a particular child is pushing and pulling, I do leave it in dh’s hands, as he is our principle, and he is the head of the house. Winking smile

In the end, pray, pray some more, and do what you can to lessen the stress on the home front. Give your husband a peaceful place to come home to. Make it so they want to come home. Meet them with a smile and let them unwind a bit.