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I can't remember a time that my brain did not run on a school calendar. In fact, this calendar is so engrained in my head that I think of August 1st as my "Happy New Year" more than January 1st. After having what felt like a very short summer break this year, I will go back to work tomorrow morning. In past years, this would mean that my July 31st would be spend cleaning like a mad woman, convincing our girls that if we could just get the house organized before the first of August, it would never get out of hand during the school year and we would at least appear to have our lives together. It makes me laugh now...this absurd perspective. The summer of 2023 has been different. Over the month of July, we have worked on a manageable list of tasks that has really made a difference in how our home feels. We've painted & completely redone three different spaces in this short time. We've switched out a few light fixtures, decluttered several rooms, and have worked hard to set up some sustainable systems that will hopefully carry us through the school year. Last night, I sat down and adjusted our "master house project list" and came up with a new manageable task list that we should be able to focus on during August, September, and October...even with the busyness of the school year upon us.
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We have twelve more weeks of 2021. We're over 3/4 the way through this year. Let me be really frank with you tonight, readers: 2020 was ROUGH, but for me...2021 hasn't been much easier. As a public school administrator, the pandemic has been difficult to navigate. Virtual or in-person? Masks or no masks? Visitors in the school or no visitors allowed? So. Many. Decisions. Some students stayed home for several months and came back in the building with wider learning gaps that they had left us with. Some students came back to school with anxiety that they had not had before. Some students have quarantined two, three, or four times (or six -- like our oldest daughter). This summer, it almost felt like things were getting "back to normal" and I think I breathed a sigh of relief a little prematurely. The other school district leaders and myself started talking about the school year as if we were going to open normally. We had hopes that things would go on like they have always gone on. And then...the virus ramped up again in early-August and we were back in the boat we were in over the last 18 months. Here's the truth: I have felt like I was treading water since school started on August 23rd. I have not been able to keep up with anything at home and due to some changes in my responsibilities at work, I'm barely able to keep my head above water there. My office has been a mess. My paperwork is getting done just a day or two before the deadline (I really prefer to be EARLY). I'm not able to give myself to my staff like I like to. I've been on the struggle bus, folks! And unfortunately, when one area of our lives is chaotic, it throws the rest of our lives off-balance. What other areas? Home organization (don't even get me started on LAUNDRY), Staying physically healthy, Sticking to a budget, Focusing on spiritual growth, Being a good wife, Being a good mom. All. The. Things. ANYway -- so this weekend, I decided to sit down and make a plan for our next twelve weeks. I thought it was crazy and neurotic and a little over-the-top, but then I shared it with a few people who actually thought it was kind of helpful.
For those of you that are a little more like me -- grab the document and let's try to get our homes under control over the last quarter of 2021.
Now remember -- tomorrow actually starts WEEK 2, but you should be able to catch up by squeezing Week 1 and Week 2's content into this coming week. High hopes for a peaceful holiday season from the farmhouse, Hannah ❤️🏡❤️ |
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