New Unit.

Steve and I are under contract for a new unit. 

You can see it here. 

Our plan is to rent it out for the next 10 years and then move back to Adelaide and live in it. 

Around that time, we will be in semi retirement and Joseph will be the only dependent child too. 

I keep looking around our house and seeing how much stuff we all have. Obviously, a lot of it is because we have a big family but there is also a lot of stuff that is just clutter. I keep on thinking, when we move back to Adelaide, we won't have space for clutter so I need to simplify now and get rid of all the excess and also make our house look appealing for when it is time to sell it. 

Simplifying will make our lives easier too and less stressful and everyone likes to live in an appealing place so now is the time to get it all done. . 

I have a plan to work room by room and declutter and organise each one. This month, I am starting of with the little boys room. 

They need new curtains, the walls painted and probably the floor done too. I can do the curtains and Steve can do the floor and paint it. They also need to have all toys moved out of their room and clothes all reorganised. 

When their room is finished I will show you all before and after photos and then we will start on a new room. 

Daily Decalogue of Pope John XXIII

I found this last night when I was going through my mothers rule lists. I have printed it out and will be reading it each morning and then reflecting each night on how well I did with it.

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.
2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.
3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.
4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.
5. Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.
6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.
7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and it my feelings are hurt, I will make sure no one notices.
8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.
9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.
10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

A mothers rule of life.

I have lots of posts on here about the book, A Mothers rule of life. If you are interested, you can read them here.

We have had three weeks of term 4 here so far and school has been mediocre at its best. I start out well on Mondays and we get a lot done. As the week goes on I start  to not put in as much effort. 

Up until today, I kept going to church for a prayer hour each Friday morning and when I thought about my week and what I wasn't happy with from it, I always thought, I haven't put as much effort into home school as I should have. 

This morning Sam wasn't home to look after Christopher and Joseph so I went and had my prayer hour last night. I had a conviction. Since making the decision to send Christopher to school next year, I haven't been as dedicated and have lacked in motivation to give him a good education. I believe God wants me to continue home schooling right up until the end of the year so I have to do it with the dedication that I was before we decided to send him back. I decided that I need to get a new mothers rule written up and put it into action. 

This weekend, I am going to prioritize and work out what is important and what isn't. Right up the top, I have diabetes care, speech therapy for Christopher and physiotherapy for Joseph. Speech therapy has been neglected all term and needs to become a higher priority.  This week was the first week that I took Joseph to do his exercises everyday. I think the physio is what is going to make a big difference to him in the long run so that needs to be a high priority. 

Next week, I will let you all know how I have gone with our first week of a new rule. 

Therese.