To-Do

I've already mentioned that I don't do New Year's Resolutions, yet I can't help but get caught in the turbine of newness at this time of year. Everywhere I turn is a "fresh" or "new" idea for making things better, more organized, updated, etc.

I just can't help myself. I get hooked every year. It goes with the territory when we're faced with a new menu plan after Christmas and New Year's Day, and getting into the groove of a new school semester. It just seems that all aspects of life should be thrown onto the drawing board for reconsideration.

So far, I've cleaned all of our "good" dishes and serving pieces, along with the glass cabinets/doors in our kitchen, to make them all shiny and beautiful again. After that, I tackled the pantry in preparation for yesterday's trip to Costco.

In between a few jobs, I've worked on the attic in small "bites", but I'm not really ready to go all-out in there just yet.

Today, while Caelyn and Craig Grayson did our grocery shopping, I thoroughly cleaned the refrigerator. I have two words for that experience:

Science Experiment

In the process, I salvaged just enough leftovers to make Clean-Out-The-Refrigerator Beef Pot Pie.

Everything else was either pitched into the trash or put into the freezer for future consideration (like leftover glaze from Sunday's cinnamon rolls).

This week has been a relaxed process of easing back into a daily school schedule. For now, the children are working on music, and together we're making our list of reflections on 2011.

Today I finished planning our new menu.

Up next will be the following tasks, if I can make the most of the rest of the week:

* Thank-you notes

* New chore lists

* New daily schedules

* Outline/plan for my new breakfast series

* Part 2 of "Why We Homeschool"

* Lesson Plans

Right now, though, I'd love to just get the sheets back onto my bed!

Clean-Out-The-Refrigerator Beef Pot Pie, just before going into the oven