September.

We've had a great 3-day weekend...lots of times with friends, Lifelight, and some relaxing. I've enjoyed a start to a new month, which means a fresh new routine with homeschooling and homemaking.

Our biggest September adjustment will be homeschooling Nathan in kindergarten (and doing pre-school with Ella), while we also adjust to having my nephew Micah (8mos) with us everyday. Nathan and Ella will both be doing a curriculum called Five in a Row, while Nathan also does added phonics and math, and Ella works on numbers and letters.

In response to this new busyness (and to last month's grocery budget explosion), I'm attempting to simplify life. Though it definitely took some time and planning, for the first time I wrote out an entire monthly menu-I've done weekly and bi-weekly, but this was a new challenge. (I did do themes to simplify it...Wednesday is soups, Thursday is chicken, Friday is favorites, etc.) So, I did a big shopping trip for the whole month on Sept. 1, and I'll go back on roughly the 15th to restock on produce and dairy...but nothing else! My goal is to save a couple of hours of time, and at least $100. I'll let you know how I do:)

I've also been creating a new baking schedule. I love to make homemade bread, muffins, granola/granola bars, and these:

Yes, it takes more time-but the kids and I both enjoy doing it, and it's a lot cheaper and a lot healthier. I just find a couple of days a month that will work, and try to do lots at a time. I'm even becoming strange to my family and soaking grains and using products like kefir and coconut oil. Anways, I'm loving that my family is eating healthier.

So, for now my day is getting ready and school in the morning with some playing outside, lunch and stories in the afternoon, usually with a little t.v. time in there, then naps, and dinner prep. Now that school is in session my evenings are filled with on-line tutoring, school prep, and hopefully just relaxing! My day in a nut-shell; ideally bookended with some prayer and time with the Lord.

(if you've read this far, sorry for the useless info...archiving my life as it happens is not always exciting... cute pictures of children to come:)