Month Four Review
One-third of the year complete. Two-thirds to go. This month was a big one for me. I saw a lot of goals come to fruition (or at least the beginnings of what is to come). I also saw that I'm still having a hard time with former habits that are hard to break. But I'm improving and that's worth continuing to push toward being better.
So how did it go in April?
Goals for 2014:
1 - Send an email/letter/card to a different person every week encouraging them, praising them and thanking them. This one is fun!
2 - Go to Orff Level 2 in Summer of 2014 at SMU. All signed up for the course and ready to start it in two months!
3 - Signed the letter to attend SMU Master's Program, set up my email account and preparing for my music history and theory tests by studying. Can't wait to start classes in August!
4 - Read a lot this month:
So how did it go in April?
Goals for 2014:
1 - Send an email/letter/card to a different person every week encouraging them, praising them and thanking them. This one is fun!
2 - Go to Orff Level 2 in Summer of 2014 at SMU. All signed up for the course and ready to start it in two months!
3 - Signed the letter to attend SMU Master's Program, set up my email account and preparing for my music history and theory tests by studying. Can't wait to start classes in August!
4 - Read a lot this month:
Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer
How to Talk so Kids Can Learn by Adele Faber
One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer
On Chapter 7 of "A History of Music"
Started the book "The Happiness Project"
Almost finished with "Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy" - only 35% left
5 - Spent just over $150. Much better this month. I did buy the girls an outfit each this month which totaled almost $60. They are growing like weeds and spring clothes are soon upon us. Will be hitting some great sales in May for the summer and hoping to be very wise about how it is spent.
6 - Not doing chores for pay. Girls are doing them because they should do them. I wasn't sure what I felt about trying it for pay; thinking maybe as they get older, but for now, they need to do them to contribute to the family without pay.
Although they are getting a quarter for every time that I say "Darn it." It's become something that Julia says constantly and I never noticed how much I say it. (It's with 'rn' at the end - not an 'mn') Wanting to stop the habit. This week I've only had to pay 50 cents so that's good!
7 - Worked out every day this month except for one. Loving the P90x3 workouts. Great mix of strength, cardio and stretching. Went for a few runs this month as well. One run was 1.5 miles long - pure running/no walking. Felt so very great. My arms are getting so strong and I have a 4-pack/almost 6-pack abs which I've never had my whole life.
8 - Got more info on a trip to Arkansas. Not sure if we'll do it, but fun to look into!
9 - Have saved $906 so far. Much more than needed at this point as the total goal for the year is $1378. My goal is to have $1500 saved by August.
10 - Kindness Advent in December. A few months away ;)
11 - Bathroom, ugly bathroom. Shall remain this way for a little while. However, I did build 12 American Girl Doll beds with a lot of my Dad's help (should say that my Dad built the beds with a little of my help), used my first Rustoleum spray for the first time ever to redo a large easel, a doll bed and to create a life-size American Girl Doll box for the party. Learning some new skills!
12 - Attending the Women's Spring Retreat. Still planning to sign up for a summer bible study, but very excited about the "Wide Awake" retreat on May 16-17!
13 - We all had a meal together one night. My mom cooked a delicious meal, but we didn't do our usual meal planning for the month. It was just too crazy to fit it in. So I can't really count it as I didn't do anything.
14 - Prayer is going well. Making time and a space to do it is key. Tony Horton (P90x3) has a great saying that "A 30 minute workout is only 2% of your day." I'm sure he's not the only one that has realized this, but for me mentally, it's a great thing to realize as it puts in perspective that 30 minutes is not a long block to find. We all have 30 minutes somewhere in our day to spare and to put towards our spiritual health. I can find 2% of my day to pray, read the Bible and spend time with God.
15 - Learn one new song on the piano each month.
One of my piano students asked if I'd ever heard the song "Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin. She said she really likes it and asked if I could play it for her. So it became my song this month. I've had to practice it quite a bit. Can't say that I really have the last section down, but the first two sections sounds great! (If I do say so myself)
Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer
How to Talk so Kids Can Learn by Adele Faber
One in a Million by Priscilla Shirer
On Chapter 7 of "A History of Music"
Started the book "The Happiness Project"
Almost finished with "Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy" - only 35% left
5 - Spent just over $150. Much better this month. I did buy the girls an outfit each this month which totaled almost $60. They are growing like weeds and spring clothes are soon upon us. Will be hitting some great sales in May for the summer and hoping to be very wise about how it is spent.
6 - Not doing chores for pay. Girls are doing them because they should do them. I wasn't sure what I felt about trying it for pay; thinking maybe as they get older, but for now, they need to do them to contribute to the family without pay.
Although they are getting a quarter for every time that I say "Darn it." It's become something that Julia says constantly and I never noticed how much I say it. (It's with 'rn' at the end - not an 'mn') Wanting to stop the habit. This week I've only had to pay 50 cents so that's good!
7 - Worked out every day this month except for one. Loving the P90x3 workouts. Great mix of strength, cardio and stretching. Went for a few runs this month as well. One run was 1.5 miles long - pure running/no walking. Felt so very great. My arms are getting so strong and I have a 4-pack/almost 6-pack abs which I've never had my whole life.
8 - Got more info on a trip to Arkansas. Not sure if we'll do it, but fun to look into!
9 - Have saved $906 so far. Much more than needed at this point as the total goal for the year is $1378. My goal is to have $1500 saved by August.
10 - Kindness Advent in December. A few months away ;)
11 - Bathroom, ugly bathroom. Shall remain this way for a little while. However, I did build 12 American Girl Doll beds with a lot of my Dad's help (should say that my Dad built the beds with a little of my help), used my first Rustoleum spray for the first time ever to redo a large easel, a doll bed and to create a life-size American Girl Doll box for the party. Learning some new skills!
12 - Attending the Women's Spring Retreat. Still planning to sign up for a summer bible study, but very excited about the "Wide Awake" retreat on May 16-17!
13 - We all had a meal together one night. My mom cooked a delicious meal, but we didn't do our usual meal planning for the month. It was just too crazy to fit it in. So I can't really count it as I didn't do anything.
14 - Prayer is going well. Making time and a space to do it is key. Tony Horton (P90x3) has a great saying that "A 30 minute workout is only 2% of your day." I'm sure he's not the only one that has realized this, but for me mentally, it's a great thing to realize as it puts in perspective that 30 minutes is not a long block to find. We all have 30 minutes somewhere in our day to spare and to put towards our spiritual health. I can find 2% of my day to pray, read the Bible and spend time with God.
15 - Learn one new song on the piano each month.
One of my piano students asked if I'd ever heard the song "Maple Leaf Rag" by Scott Joplin. She said she really likes it and asked if I could play it for her. So it became my song this month. I've had to practice it quite a bit. Can't say that I really have the last section down, but the first two sections sounds great! (If I do say so myself)
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