Cloudy Rainy/Snowy Winter Days

After getting all the morning chores done, the children get started on their school work.  Some mornings the clouds roll in and makes the barometric pressure fall.  The fall in the barometric pressure is a cue to both my husband and I that we need to prepare for the inevitable achiness that accompanies this type of weather.

Our mornings take a little bit different turn in cases like this.  We stay in bed a little longer, until the pain meds start to help.  The kids get moving on their chores, make coffee for us (what a wonderful blessing that is!) and get showers if they want to.  The morning starts out so much more "low key" due to our achiness.  Why?  Because we have to roll with the flow.  The expectations we have of ourselves need to be loosened and given grace when there are physical ailments.  These are days that we try our best to work through what we have to do.

Many times we end up doing an abbreviated day of school with just Bible Reading, Bible Copy Work, Language Arts, Math & Science.  This will take us up to noon, if not just a little after lunch.  We use the rest of the day for games, reading or other projects.  What a wonderful restful time to just relax and be together. 

Last Saturday we did something different in our Christmas Clean up than we've usually done in years past.  We brought all the Christmas bins downstairs and lined them up in the entry way with their lids off.  We emptied all the unwanted undesired things out of them before putting away the things we love.

We ended up with lots of extra room in each bin for clearance 75%+ off sales and Summer yard sale finds.  If I don't love something, I've decided, in 2012 I'll be purging it from my home.  Everything that comes through the door is something that is loved.  All unloved, doesn't fit, old, stained, chipped and just too much work to maintain will be given away or thrown away.  It is time to simplify!  For so many years clutter has taken up so much of my home.  Even though I've had it under control for a while, there were so many things in the attic that were just thrown up there after we moved in here.  Well, in a few years my hubby will be able to retire and I don't want to deal with having to lug the clutter along to where ever we move.  I don't love clutter, so it's time to get rid of it. 

Rainy, snowy winter days are wonderful to get things like decluttering done.  When we're stuck in the house with nothing better to do, decluttering is a good thing.  This is blessing my family as well as myself.  I feel so much lighter when I see that trash bag leave the house!  :)