Real-Life Routine

What is life like in the Griffith house on a 
weekly basis?




Being an artistic type, routine is a necessary framework and yet must be flexible.  I will go insane doing the same tasks day-in/day-out without variation.  So I follow a loose routine, in which my children know what is coming next, but not always at the exact same time everyday.  For example, we school at home Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings.  I always start with Bible Time and Bible memorization.  We are always memorizing a Psalm and reviewing a Psalm we've previously memorized.  We also memorize other multiverse passages.  I start with just reading the passages/Psalms over and over and then leave out words and see if they can fill them in.  They eventually start chiming in and reciting with me, as I read the passage.  We read chapter books and practice violin and do our three R's in the morning.

Afternoons are for play, exercise and projects.  We get outdoors as much as possible (unless it's the hot months, then we get out in the morning and save desk work for the afternoon.)  I also maintain Soli Deo Gloria Music Studio teaching vocal students a few days a week. 


My favorite day - Flexible Fridays are for play-dates, field trips, the science center, strawberry picking, shopping, library....whatever mood hits us, well, me... but my children love getting out of the house.  They even love the mall and the grocery store!


I cook all meals from scratch, using many recipes from Mollie Katzen's "Moosewood" vegetarian cookbooks and Sally Fallon's principles found in her book "Nourishing Traditions."  Other staples include an ample supply of yogurt and granola, made regularly, and I am now learning about bone soup stocks to have on hand.  Something is always brewing on the stove!


 
I have regular cleaning and laundry scheduled into my routine so the weekends can be as free as possible.  Again, it's flexible as life unfolds unexpectedly.  And usually I have a few mounds of laundry waiting to folded and put away for indefinite periods of time....


Rob and I stay as faithful as possible to our date nights once a week and enjoy a little extra sleep on Saturday morning, letting the kids manage the DVD player and actually have boxed cereal for breakfast.  A real treat!


Sunday, ah Blessed Sunday, the Lord's Day.....I do as little as possible - not because of legal reasons, just because I need restoration.  I read, stay off the internet as much as possible, do no housework beyond the necessary dishes.  Even evening supper is snacky, and the adults fend for themselves. 



One element I desperately need in my life is downtime.   If I don't have time to air out my brain with "seemingly" nothing pressing against me, I start to come apart at the seams.  I have not found the balance of productivity and downtime - especially as life ebbs and flows.  It remains spontaneous or necessary....

Lastly, I am not good at serious multitasking.  I have a difficult time being interrupted in the middle of a task to switch gears into resolving a different demand.  I also notice that my greatest stress results from keeping a schedule outside the home:  getting places on time, keeping appointments, and making commitments in any way outside the home.  This is, unfortunately, necessary in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, however, I do struggle with my time management and attitude when it comes to crunch time.  Therefore, those trials are my opportunity to cling to Christ in all my imperfections and need for stress-free transitions.  And to grow and learn in this area, hopefully getting better at planning ahead and letting go of that which is not perfect.







Children need not only quality time but quantity time and I love playing with them on the floor and at the table and letting them join me in my daily activities as well.  I am always convicted that I can do more with and for them, God helping me.




Flexible and growing.  Changing and letting go.  
Life is full for us women.  Life is uncertain for us women.  Many blind spots keep me where I am, and yet, in spite of myself, God continues to reveal Himself and sanctify me for His Glory.  I am currently working on being content in the midst of incomplete tasks and "unbuttoned endings."   Soli Deo Gloria!







 












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