Updates, routines and more

I didn't intend to go more than two weeks without blogging, but somehow life got in the way. Nothing dramatic, just busy. Here are a few updates:

1) This weekend just passed was the nicest weekend I've had in a while. Two weekends ago O was sick (fever and vomiting) and I didn't leave the house all weekend. I DID get a lot of housework and a bit of decluttering done (more on that later) but I was very tired (fighting off the virus myself perhaps?) and overall it was not a fun one. Last weekend my mood was pretty awful, thanks PMS. I rallied a bit on Sunday afternoon but for most of the weekend I was in a "everything sucks" mood. This weekend I was cheerful, full of energy, and had some fun as well as getting things done. Trying to savour feeling like this!

Walking along the beach did help my mood last weekend- grateful we have beaches like this close by.

2) Kids extra-curriculars. E continues to love rockclimbing and we haven't heard "I don't want to go" at all since we started, which is great. She's also getting stronger, and can do the whole 90 minutes without getting too exhausted. O has been playing soccer for a few weeks now, and is starting to get into it. The first time he trained he loved it, then he was not so sure (he fell over during his first game and got a bit spooked), but this last Saturday Al took him to his game and he got out on the field more confidently. So we are hoping he starts to really enjoy it, as its a lovely club and we think soccer suits his personality. But at only 5 its also fine if he wants to try other things after he gives this a good go.

Bouldering

O at his first soccer game

3) E has started to read graphic novels independently! We had previously read kids novels together, and she still enjoys me reading her picture books alongside O, but she wasn't so keen to read on her own. However, she's started to get into Babysitters Club graphic novels, her friends at school are also reading them (so funny its back in vogue), On the weekend I bought her one when we went on a girls shopping trip together, and she ended finishing it in one day! I'm loving her being this age, she has a little more independence (can go to the bathroom in restaurants on her own or play in our huge front yard out of sight, and now read books on her own), and yet she's still young enough to snuggle up together and want to hang out with me.

4) We've updated our afternoon routine. During my moody weekend the week before last, I decided that the kids needed to do more chores, and less time on screens. Their behaviour and attitude hadn't been great, and we were seeing signs of addiction. So I drew up a new routine for after school, and stuck it to the fridge at their eye height. I also bought a clock for the lounge room so they can monitor the times themselves. From 2.30 - 3.30, the first hour after school, they need to take their school shoes off and put them by the door, unpack their bags, have an afternoon snack, and do their homework. Then they have one hour of screen time from 3.30-4.30. Then from 4.30-6 they have free play, which includes at least some time outside. 6-6.30 includes setting the table for dinner, dinner, and clearing the table. They have some more quiet play and then tidy up their toys, before bath, reading and bedtime routine. E gets an extra 30 minutes of quiet reading/playing while I put O to bed, then its her turn. This is our second week and its going really well. The kids don't complain about less screen time, and they are having more fun playing. Best of all they are starting to do their chores on their own, which means less work for us parents. It is slightly more disruptive to me working from home, but that's only two afternoons a week, and overall the kids are pretty independent, so I can still get a fair bit done. Pleased to be making some progress.

5) I've been decluttering! This has been on my goal list for a few years, without much progress. I'm just doing small areas one at a time, but I've now done a few and its adding up to a calmer home. In the past month I've decluttered our pantry, the plastic container cupboard, under the bathroom sink, the medicine cabinet, the kids toy shelves in the play area, and a miscellaneous cupboard (seriously - you've never seen such a mess of wrapping paper, bags, vacuum cleaner, and all kinds of random stuff). I'm just going to do 1-2 areas every week or two, and make slow progress over the year.

The pantry. Look how much space we have!

Toy/game shelves

The miscellaneous cupboard- planning to put in a shelf too for more storage

6) I'm trying to work out how to improve my email situation at work. Whenever its a particularly busy time at work, like right now, my emails get out of control! I just receive so many, and I'm too busy to process them in a systematic way (well, I tell myself that). So instead of processing my email and getting my tasks into Trello, I end up with a half processed email, doing some tasks straight from email, other tasks lurking in the depths, and a general feeling of stress. I think I need to come up with a way of dealing with this efficiently and effectively, any ideas are welcome! I know the best solution is just "receive less email" but I'm not sure how much control I have over that. Some, maybe? But not a lot. Sigh.

OK that's all for now. Hope everyone's week has started well!