This morning TJ and I went to MOPs at Crossroads.  This is our third week there and I have met so many wonderful ladies.  I get so much encouragement from meeting with these ladies every other week.

  I have really embraced this staying at home thing - at least from the perspective of being on some sort of schedule.  

  Mondays are preschool days - I take TJ to preschool, come home and have some time to myself (Bible Study, play online time, laundry folding time :) )  Then in the afternoon we have lunch and if he is tired enough, TJ takes a nap.  Jordyn gets home at 3:45 so the deal is he gets to get up when Sissy gets home.

  Tuesdays are stay at home days - these are usually lounge around in pajama days.  Painting or playdoughing done by TJ.  Chores for me.  Whee.

 Wednesdays are preschool and bible study days.  I head off to bible study at church after dropping TJ off.  We are studying Beth Moore's Seeking A Heart Like His - a study on David.  The afternoon looks the same as Monday, except that Jordyn gets home around 2:15 so nap doesn't usually happen.

 Thursdays are MOPs/stay at home days - if you are getting the jist - afternoons are always the same.

 Fridays are preschool days again.  

So as long as we don't have any other stuff going on, this is what the week looks like.  I like being in a smaller house where TJ can play in the front room with me or I can hear and talk to him down the hallway in his room. It's easier to keep the front room picked up (which I need to do today) and vacuumed.  I try to vacuum at least twice a week since the dogs keep the carpet filled with hair.  

I never thought I would be comfortable staying at home - maybe because I feel like I won't have anything to entertain TJ - but he is old enough to entertain himself while I do chores - or blog.  LOL.  I like our schedule and right now I am in danger of losing it, if I don't find enough piano students.  I have 3 now, my neighbor starting soon and 2 prospective students from MOPs.  With that and AVON I think I should be on my way to being okay.  I can buy soap and shampoo and makeup from AVON thus saving us money for other things.  

FlyLady Mission today is to shine the sink in the kids bathroom.  Score - I did that the other day.  So instead I will gather up toys in the front room, put them in a basket for each kid and vacuum.  Have a blessed afternoon.  I know I will.

Mid-October

Here I am sitting at home with TJ and realize I have a bit of time to actually write a blog for a bit. Not necessarily for anyone to read but more for me to get my thoughts down as we go about our day.

I am struggling with keeping the house clean, not that this is anything new. Last week at bible study I felt God telling me that I need to get the house under control, not for me but for the love of my family. So for the past few weeks I have been trying to keep the front room picked up and the dishes done. I end up vacuuming every few days because we bought a new Shark vacuum and I LOVE it. Every time I empty it, a small dog comes out.

I am trying to use FlyLady and it goes okay for a few days and then I forget and pick up after a few days. In fact, after I am done I should go and do today and yesterday's mission. This gives me a goal every day. So here are my daily small goals. Let's see if I meet them each day - maybe that's why I'm writing this now. As a way to keep myself accountable. If someone reads it, then I have to get my stuff done. LOL.

Here's my list:

1. Dishes done and kitchen cleaned up

2. Front room straightened

3. Laundry going in all stages - washer, dryer, folding, putting away

The kids each are responsible for putting away their own laundry. Jordyn actually starts her own wash and then I put the dry clothes in a pile on her bed for her to fold and put away.

4. FlyLady zone

5. Pilates for at least 15 minutes.

So let's see how I do. A lot of these are things normal people do, but I have had a very hard time feeling the need and drive to do them. 5 things a day - that's all I have to do. I can do it right? Right!

Today I have laundry going and I have done pilates for 30 minutes. Time to get the front room straightened. OMG - TJ just came in after making himself a jelly only sandwich. He is telling me it is his lunch, but when he is done he will not be ready to take a nap. Oh, you are so wrong Mister Man.

I could go on and on today because this makes me feel like I am talking with an actual person. But alas, I must attend to my duties. Tata for now. Thanks for the ear.

Santa comes early

Sunday's for us have turned into a day of family time in the morning and fellowship/learning in the evening. Yesterday, I had to traipse into work for a 7 am meeting in the snow. Yuck. Came home, took a nap and then played with the kids and cooked with Jason. We have decided that Motown-ish (Al Green, The Temptations, etc.) music has to be some of the best ever and we enjoyed listening to it while we cooked for group together. Around 5 we headed off to the McCormick's where we had a great time of fellowship and discussion about what it means to "Walk in the light". We were discussing 1 John 1-2:10 or 11, not sure which. We reconfirmed how important it is to be in community with other believers in order to walk in the light. That way people can call us on mistakes we may or may not see. Of course, you then have to let go of your pride and listen to them.

So, once we get home, we discover a plastic bag with presents outside of the garage. Odd right. It's only the middle of November, not only that, they were from Santa. So Jason and I decide it would be okay to let them have the kids open their gifts and were then trying to decide how to explain why Santa brought gifts this early. However, Jordyn did it for us. It snowed yesterday, as I mentioned earlier. So according to Jordyn - Santa came because he got confused. He saw that it was snowing and thought it meant it was Christmas and dropped off some presents by mistake. Gotta love 7 year old logic.

Hope all is well!!!

Wendy

a little morning snooze?

This morning Jordyn got up and crawled in bed to snuggle. We set her alarm clock early so she has a chance to snuggle before the day starts. Well, this morning she said she didn't feel well and so I kept her home from school. I was trying to get her to go back to sleep which she didn't really want to do. So I came up with a new game - who can get back to sleep first. Heehee. . . only we never know who the game b/c we are all asleep. It was great.

TJ jammin' out at our friends Don and Kelly's house

This is the train set that we got for TJ from Grandma and Grandpa. He LOVES it!!!

A blog for the Nurtons?

So I have decided that it's high time we create a blog for our family. I know many of you would like to know all that is going on with our family so this seemed like the best way.

Here is the update for the Nurtons as of October 2009

Jason -
Jason is now the only reading teacher at Webber Middle School here in Fort Collins. He just finished coaching football for the season, and of course, I keep forgetting the outcome of wins vs. losses. I'll update as soon as I find out. He is continuing his games club after school. For those of you who don't know - a few years ago he started an after school game club at Webber. They play games such as Stronghold Crusader which is a strategy based game. You build your castle, army, etc and then go attack others. He loves getting to be nerdy with the kids his "own age". He has also been meeting with 3 other guys and learning more about God and living in Christ.

Wendy -
I am currently staying at home with TJ. Just hanging out, enjoying the time with my little guy. I have never been much of a neat freak so keeping the house up is a struggle for me, but I am working on it. I just got a job with Toys R Us and will be starting that in November for the Holiday season. I am also playing piano for "Once Upon a Mattress" at Frederick High School. My good friend Kevin is the choral teacher there and he asked me to play for him. I am starting my piano studio back up and have 2 students right now. In the Spring, I plan on returning to CSU for a Masters in Choral Education. I am also attending a bible study with several ladies in our house church. We are about to take on the book of John and learn more about who Christ was and how we can be more like Him.

Jordyn -
Jordyn is 7 years old now and in 2nd grade. She is excelling at most aspects of school - especially reading and math. She is reading above her grade level and is taking on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone right now. She is very involved in Girl Scouts and loves to play with her friends.

TJ -
TJ is 2 1/2 now and is quite the handful. He gets into EVERYTHING. Just today I walked into the kitchen and he had a knife and was trying to cut an apple. He is very different from Jordyn and keeps me on my toes daily. He loves to play on Daddy's drums and play on the piano. He loves Caillou and Thomas the train.

We recently made the change from attending a large church to being a part of a house church. We are learning a lot and loving the close relationships we have become a part of. Years ago we were part of a Sunday School class taught by our good friend Kelly Wheat. He talked about living life together and how we are to not only see one another on Sundays and talk for a few minutes, but get to know one another by being a part of each others lives. That really spoke to Jason and I and is our focus right now. I have felt much more community and the ability to speak truth in love once you know a person well enough.

Hopefully we will continue to keep this post up. I am looking forward to sharing what we are learning in Christ and hearing what he is sharing in your lives.

Wendy