#1. I loved hearing doctors and nurses toss compliments in my direction about how well we were handling things or how calm and relaxed I always seemed to be.
#2. The truth is I was calm and relaxed. I only had one thing on my plate - to be with my daughter and enjoy the days I had with her.
#3. I do not feel calm and relaxed all the time. In fact, I have felt more overwhelmed in this last month home than I ever did in the hospital. With a million things on my plate, I was falling apart at the seams.
#4. I went and had coffee by myself to brainstorm what needed to be changed and I had an epiphany. I should treat my life like I would my classroom. I would never walk into the class unprepared and without a plan.
#5. I got inspiration here, here, and here.
#6. Follow these steps if you to want to start your day like a champ and get a little more organized. I debated on using a larger board so that I could add a clock, months, dates, and weekday names. But then I remembered that Parker is not even three, and working on morning, afternoon, evening tasks is more appropriate. Not to mention that this is really a schedule to keep myself on task. Okay, so here are the steps. First, buy some supplies (a foam poster board, velcro strips, and brads). Next, go to your local paint store and grab whatever colors of paint chips you are into. I am into green. Cut. Laminate for a semi-permanent schedule or not, it is up to you. Decorate your board. Stick velcro on the board as well as on the back of your paint chips. Add pictures with brads to help your non-readers "read" the board. I cut out pictures from old teaching materials I had laying around. Last, write out your schedule with a dry erase marker. Done and organized in the length of your favorite TV show.
