Yesterday I finished month #1 and this leads me to month #2 that starts today. I'm already scared of this one as I have committed to be off of my computer during any waking hours of my kids. This means no checking email when my kids are playing outside, no seeing how people are living on facebook while making breakfast, no writing blogs while Story plays beauty shop with my hair. No computer time while my kids are awake. This means I should be able to clean my house more, read more, talk to my friends on the phone more, write an actual letter to someone, read to Story, play checkers with the kids more, study my bible more, memorize scripture better, and soak up the sun while the kids play.
NO COMPUTER WHILE MY KIDS ARE AWAKE.
That's my goal for February. I can do it, I know I can. The four kids God has put here with me are way more important that facebook statuses, blogging, and twittering during the day. It's gonna be hard. I mean dang hard. I'm gonna wanna cheat, I just know it. I can do it. I can do it. I can do it!
Anyone want to join me??? Come on, all the cool kids are doing it!
You go girl! However, I won’t be joining you. It would be a little hard to edit the novel if I couldn’t be on the computer. 😉 you can do it!
Jamie, how do you always hit on the same area that God is pushing on with me?? Seriously, you’ve got a gift! First it was Hello Morning, which I would say I’m giving myself a C in, I need to go to bed earlier. Now it’s that I spend entirely too much time on the computer. I don’t know that I can do none at all when Sammy is awake, but I’ll commit to cutting WAY down…..You go!
Rachel we can do it!!! ha. I just put Story down for a raced to my computer!! ha. thought of so many emails to send while I was cleaning house today and hopefully mymind can remember them all now. I got a lot done this morning too!
i’m doing it with you too!
yippee Jamie!
Jamie,
As I sigh a deep sigh, Im on board with you this month! (I should preface with this: I’m one of those girls who start several projets or hobbies, only to loose interest within a few short weeks: I wanted to play the dulcimer- epic fail! I wanted to learn how to sow, well Im still on this one but its slow! I wanted to read five new books, never finished a one!) So, I do this with hesitation as someone who never finishes what they start!
I read your blog about becomming a better mommy in 2012 and it inspired me. While I only have a 2 year old and a baby due in May, my life isnt nearly as crazy as yours, but my kids deserve MORE of me!!! I failed miserably this morning as I hit the snooze button at 6:30/needless to say, my child woke me up this morning! “Dang it, I’ve already messed up on the first day of the month,” were my exact thoughts! I need MORE discipline!!
So this month, Im going to get up before my child every morning (Except Saturday) and also no computer while she’s awake.
I’ll need lots of encouragment, but I know that I will receive great blessings from this adventure!
Amy girl you can do it! One thing I’ve learned is as moms we tend to beat ourselves up a lot about stuff, but when trying to create disciplines we have got to show ourselves some grace. 🙂 Tomorrow is a new day with new mercies and new grace. Believe me, this month I had many days where I snoozed one too many times and it shortened my time with God in the morning, or cut it out all together. Grace to you and grace to me. Start again tomorrow, and when the mornings are bad, I try and take a time out and re-focus and re-evaluate so that the rest of my day is better.
Thanks for sharing, and together we can do this!!!
Oh wow. Jamie this is super convicting. That seems so. much. harder. than waking up early before the kids and I was convinced that one was going to kill me. Yikes! Ok, I want to join you in this. I know that it would free me up to be more productive and love my family better. Give me a day or two to gear up and I will join you on Monday. Ahhhh! I’m going to need some serious encouragement on this one!
I’ll try it! And it will be hard because Julia doesn’t talk to me yet, and I feel like I get most of my adult interaction during the day through Facebook. But I’m on board!!
Computer time while my kids are awake is what I’m giving up for Lent. Actually, I started this week, so I was pretty excited to see that you’re doing it too. It’s all part of me trying to be more present, which is hard but important. (And now I hear little feet upstairs, so I’ll have to stop here!)
Nope. I’m not ready to do that yet. My husband and I have started doing a fast at the beginning of the year as a way of giving first-fruits to God. Last year was very challenging and rewarding as it was a bunch of things for 40 days (this year was much shorter due to personal things happening). We did manage to do no tv or escape novels and that already helped a lot with being more in the moment. And I had to read my Bible before I could open the computer and that’s as far as I got.
But … way to go!