Friday, April 30, 2010

Attempted in April: 4 Challenges

Warmer weather and sunshine have invigorated me this month and helped me have more of a "can do" attitude.  So I decided to dive in to several online challenges.  While I was at it, I connected with a friend on Facebook and we decided to add one more.  Here's the rundown of endeavors:

1. The Great Outdoor Challenge

For this challenge, my kids and I were supposed to spend time outdoors every day and take photos.  I decided to post most of the pictures on my Facebook page, but here is one shot from last week:

This week we've been outdoors most days but have not snapped any photos.

2. Make Week

Trying turn off the T.V. last week was a helpful experiment. I don't watch any T.V. on a regular basis myself, so this was more of a parenting challenge.  Megan at SortaCrunchy shared very similar conclusions about how dependent we have become on an electronic device for dealing with children.

Our family made it for two and a half days without T.V. until I relented.  My daughters were not feeling well and could not play outside, so we let them watch some videos while they rested.  And then it was back to our old habits of letting kids watch videos while I make dinner, shower, etc. 

3. Project: Spring Green

My goal was to get my garden started.  Well, it's about halfway ready and no seeds have been planted yet. But we will finish planting soon.  Yes, we will!

4.  Early Dinner Prep

My friend and I were lamenting how wretched it is to start preparing dinner at 5 p.m. with cranky kids (and Mama).  So I asked her if she wanted to check in later in the week.  Our goal: to see if we could both make and eat dinner earlier.

On my third night of trying, we finally succeeded in sitting down to eat before 6:00 p.m.  It was wonderful!  There was also the sweetness of knowing that a friend of mine who has similar struggles to my own was tackling this issue with me.

An even bigger challenge for me is to turn a singular triumph into a habit. I'm not seeking to become a supermama.  But by God's grace, I believe long-term change is possible.  And on the way greater fruitfulness, I have found it sure is nice to get a little encouragement from my friends.

An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up.
Proverbs 12:25 


 

6 comments:

Unknown said...

We planted seeds. No we are waiting for them to grow. Stopping from Mom Loop!

One More Equals Four said...

Girl, the fact that you were even up to trying the challenges is impressive! It is nice to get supper prep underway early. Sometimes I even do my chopping, premixing, etc. in the morning jsut to help the afternoon go smoother. Sounds like you are doing a great job...and, yes, sometimes the T.V. is just survival!

Lea @ CiCis Corner said...

Kudos! to you! It is admirable that you have such desire to see needs and tackle them. Looks like it is working and you are to be commended for your efforts. Blessings to you as your continue forth!

Ashley Pichea [PicheaPlace.com] said...

Way to accomplish some goals! I have found that taking one step at a time towards a new habit (i.e. eating dinner earlier) is much easier than trying to "start from scratch"! Congrats!

secondofwett said...

Those are wonderful goals you have. The most early dinner prep I ever do is putting something in my crock pot in the morning! Isn't it great to have a friend to help you work on a goal together! You are really fortunate!

bashtree said...

Those are some great goals! I did Make Week too, and I have to say how surprised I am by not having the tv on. I thought I would miss it, but really, I didn't!