Preparing for the Lord's Day

Here is a list of things that I do during the week in preparation for the LORD's Day:

1. Wash dark church clothes with tights (my girls wear tights in the wintertime, and socks for summer), put away one pair of tights for each of my girls..
2. Gather church shoes & put in a special place.
3. Wash whites with socks & put away one pair for each of my boys.
4. Pack diaper bag & make wet wipes if necessary. I try to pack the diaper bag with the following items: change of clothes for baby, change of clothes for the one who's potty training, diapers, 2 pull-ups, wet wipes, books for baby, snack for baby, 3 drink cups if fellowship Sunday, water & snack for mom for low blood sugar (if pregnant), allergy medicine for child w/milk allergy if fellowship Sunday, bags for stinky diapers, diaper rash cream, mini baby powder, towel & receiving blanket (if nursing).
   
5. Press dresses, shirts, and pants to make ready for Sunday.
6. On the first & third Sundays we have fellowship meals, therefore one hot dish & one cold dish or dessert needs to be made (I generally make something that my daughter with the milk allergy can eat). Usually this is done on Saturday & the hot dish is put in the crockpot.
7. Gather Bibles, pens, sharpened pencils, & notebooks; put these items in Dad's briefcase.
8. Saturday evenings ALL the children get showers or baths.
9. Sunday mornings, after I have dressed, I fix the girls hair, & get them dressed after breakfast, which is usually cold cereal. The boys get themselves dressed and when we are ready to go, they help the little girls with their coats and get them in the van.
10. I try to take a shower or bath during the day on Saturday so my hair can dry naturally.

The goal is not only to get to church on time, but to have a peaceful morning getting ready as well. When we are well prepared, our LORD's Day morning is much more relaxed and goes more smoothly.

To Do List for each day...

These lists are still in progress, however these tasks are done in addition to the basic to-do list....
And if you are wondering, I try to accomplish these tasks, I don't ALWAYS get everything done, these are my GOALS. If I do what is on the lists, I can expect my house to be clean and somewhat organized.

MONDAY

• Wash dark-colored church clothes and tights (in the wintertime).
• Wash hubby's jeans and work clothes.
• Wash my dark-colored dresses.
• Gather church shoes together and hide (put in special place, so they don't get lost).
• Pay online bills for the week.
• Prepare Assignments for Shurley Grammar for the week.
• Make a Menu Plan and post for Menu Plan Monday.
  

TUESDAY

• Wash whites and hide 1 pair socks per child for church.
• Wash boys' dark-colored clothes & jeans.
• Wash girls' dark-colored dresses & shirts.

WEDNESDAY

• Wash dark-colored towels.
  
• Wash dark-colored sheets.
• Wash girls' light-colored dresses and shirts.

THURSDAY

• Wash light-colored towels.
• Wash light-colored sheets.
• Wash my light-colored dresses & shirts.

FRIDAY

• Wash boys' light-colored clothing.
• Wash ALL remaining whites.
• Scrub toilets, sinks, showers and bathtub.
  

SATURDAY

• Prepare Sunday meal.
• Mop kitchen & bathrooms.
• Straighten shelves in all rooms.
• Dust.
• Straighten & vacuum bedrooms (children do their own bedroom & I vacuum).
• Go grocery shopping if necessary.
• Give kitchen a good cleaning (countertops, etc.)
• Vacuum stairwells.
• Wipe appliances.
• Take 15 minutes to clean on office.
• Bathe children for church.
• Lay out church clothes.
• Make muffins or lay out breakfast items for breakfast on Sunday.

Again, these lists are still in progress. I don't always get everything done, but I try. I am motivated by trying to beat the timer...I set it for twenty minutes for a somewhat challenging job, if I don't get it done in that time and I am almost finished, I will set it for 5-10 more minutes.

Basic To Do List

These tasks I am usually able to complete everyday, with the exception of being able to get 2-4 loads of laundry done, that is not always possible. This list would also fall under my shortened to-do list.

• Read Bible.
  
• Unload dishwasher (children).
• Load & run dishwasher.
• Homeschool.
• Wash 2-4 loads of laundry.
• Fold laundry & put away.
• Quick as a flash, floor pick up. (children)
• Sweep kitchen floor.
• Vacuum carpeted floors, if needed.
• Dinner Prep & Clean up.