Debbies Digest: Yearly Goals Update for March

I resolved not to make resolutions but to make yearly goals and to update them the first of each month. This was supposed to be up yesterday.

The positive steps I have made with my goals so far are highlighted in red, the goals that I still have to work on are highlighted in green.

Personal Goals: 

Spiritual

Be more consistent with my personal devotions.

Our church started a year long challenge to read through the Bible. I am right where I am supposed to be. Today I read Joshua 6-8. We are using Daily Walk from Walk Thru the Bible.

Health and Fitness

Exercise more, more often and consistently. I would like to be much more fit by the end of 2011.

I have been doing at least 4 days a week. Last week I did 6 days and so far I have done 2 days this week.

Eat better and loose weight.

Drinking water has increased. Some days I get in the 64 oz. and some days only 48. If I want to get in the 64 I have to start before breakfast.
I have been eating more fruit and veggies and I have begun to track my eating and Weight Watchers points.
You can see my weight loss on my ticker at the top of the page and/or my graph at the bottom of the page.

Educational

Read some books on homeschooling and other educational topics.

Finish Reading:

Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling - Still Working on it
Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. Still can't find my book... hubby borrowed it and since then we can't find it. I don't know if he gave it back and I misplaced it or if he still has it.
I am reading Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens by Paul David Tripp
I am also reading Promises, Promises. It is written by a number of wives of prominent spiritual leaders. You can see the book in my Shelfari list on the left. I could not find the book on Amazon.

Work on my own writing projects.

Work a little each week on the History Unit study projects I was working on or the E-book on Homeschool Organizing I was writing. Have been putting this on my weekly goals for Goal Planning Monday and most weeks I have been successful. I really want to get these finished so I can get them onto a website and for sale.

Personal/Leisure

Spend one afternoon at least every other week doing scrapbooking.

First set aside time to clean off my table so I can scrapbook and then make time to actually scrapbook... do both before we start back to school on Thursday the 6th of January.
Last week I covered journals instead of scrapbooking. I hope to scrapbook this week... maybe today!!!

Read some books for pleasure.

I am now reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time. I am on chapter 20. Done
I am now reading Somewhere a Song by Judith Pella.

Continue blogging and remember it is supposed to be for fun and for the records for my family.

Write more consistently on my blog at least 3 posts a week.

I want to join back in on some memes that are favorites... see my Memes tab at the top. I am back to doing my Blast From The Past, so join up if you want.
I want to start back to doing the Blog Cruise questions with my fellow Crew Mates at TOS. I have done a few of these.
I blogged every day in Feb.thanks to a challenge a friend set up on Facebook.
I joined Mrs. Whites The Christian Home blog carnival once. I wanted to do it last week to but forgot to submit my blog post. I hope to submit one or two posts for next week.

Homeschool Goals:

Be more consistent on recording daily in our school log.

Doing much better with this. I caught up where I needed to and have been consistent the past week or so and have not missed a day.

Be consistent with reviewing the boys daily assigned work and making sure they complete everything assigned to them and then put the stuff away in the folders/notebooks where it belongs.

I am doing much better on this, thus the boys have started to get more done and in a more timely manner. They know I will check. I made a promise to do my part if the boys would do their part.My part is to fill the workboxes and stay off my computer during school, thus I am getting more reading done, too. School is going a little better now. They actually got 11 or 12 out of 12 workboxes done yesterday and were finished around 2:30 except for exercise... they were waiting for me to finish my workout. I need to see if I can fit mine in earlier so I don't hold them up.I also told them they could not "work" on their computer during read aloud time today if they did not get all 12 workboxes done. That seemed to motivate them. This morning I need to check their writing... which they had not done earlier but both said they were going to do after dinner... before I turn on their computers.

Complete the TOS Homeschool Crew Review Year.

Second year going well. Much less pressure and less reviews. Review are more spread out and thus more manageable. I have one review due on the 15th of March and one on the 1st of April.

Family/Relationship Goals:

Healthier Eating -more fruits and vegetables as a family... especially the boys. The boys are doing a little better on this. I keep encouraging them to make healthier choices.

Exercise at home

Keep the boys working out on the Wii Fit or get them started on the Biggest Loser for the Wii... at least 30 min. a day Mon. - Friday. They are still not as consistent as I am but Nathan lost some weight the last 2 weeks. I am not sure how Christopher is doing. I need to check his Mee and see.

More singing as a family

Work on new song for special music. We were practicing because we are supposed to sing ths coming Sunday but we have sick people in the house. Rachel, who sings soprano, had a Dr, appointment yesterday about her thyroid and while there he looked at her throat and ears and gave her an antibiotic and some prescription cough medicine. I don't know if she will be able to sing on Sunday or not and we can't sing without her.
I would like to find some other places for us to use our singing talents to serve the Lord. Have not done this.

Family evening read-aloud time more consistently. Needs work. We started reading Terrestria Chronicles book 1. We had devotions one night a couple weeks ago and then everybody started getting sick. We have not done it since.

This is hubby's responsibility. I need to encourage him though. We have not been consistent in this area. I forget what book of the Bible we were reading and we are reading Terrestria Chronicles book 2 but should be further than that.

Get back to evening read aloud time with the boys.

I have not been doing it. I think we are still on Little House in the Big Woods. Make it a priority at least 3 nights a week. I talked to both boys and they want to... now I just need to make it a priority. I will have to remember to add this to next weeks goals... that will get me going on it.

Get back to meal planning because meals are more varied and we will have the ingredients shopped for ahead of time.

I planned February meals. No one else planned their meals. I have not planned March meals yet. I need to do that.

Spend more time with my dear husband

Nope... we have not spent much time together and if we do spend time together it is watching a movie not talking. Hubby said we may go out for lunch on Friday after my Ladies Bible Study.

Spend time once a week with one of my kids, just mom and one of the kids having lunch in my bedroom alone and then doing whatever the child wants to do. Usually a combo of eating, talking and playing board games and/or computer games. Goal is one child a week, so they all get one afternoon with mom a month.

Start with my youngest and schedule it on the calendar so I can keep track of who is next for their turn. We can add time on the Wii together now. Did my day with Christopher, Nathan and Jessica. This week is Rachel's turn... if she feels up to it... we may have to wait until next week.

So, that is my update. I am very pleased with how I am doing. Just a few things more to work on.