The Chuppies: Getting Rid of Herbert and Bootcamp at the Chuppies

The theme for this week is:

Back to the Basics Bootcamp

And the goal of this week is getting rid of Halfway Herbert...
because he's been living here for quite a while now.

On Sunday afternoon, my husband and I called a family meeting...
(after we'd had a little meeting of our own).

We've started to notice a developing pattern in our household:

--wrappers left on counters
--dishes in the sink not the dishwasher
--toothpaste globs in the bathroom
--wadded up wet towels crammed over towel bars
--accumulating shoe piles
--traveling cups and markers left in places-not-their-home
--dead batteries dumped in with good ones
--an overflowing stair-basket of "I'll-put-it-away-later-items"

And it's not just the Chuppies...it's me too.

--"lick and a promise" cleaning
--skipped-ironing accumulating
--rushed times in God's Word
--emails lost or missed
--dust you can write your name in
--too many missed-work-out-days
--market trips without a meal plan list

I'm all for keeping the right priorities.
On the whole, I'd rather invest in field trips and water-color-paintings and Popsicles and little hearts I love.
But--there's a balance--
And it's time to get back to the basics.

Time to re-read Halfway Herbert--

I love this book for children (and adults) by Francis Chan. Herbert is a boy (who happens to look very much like one of ours).
Herbert does everything halfway...
He never puts his whole heart into anything.
He never really tries if something feels like work.
He never finishes a job that he starts.
And there are consequences to Herbert's halfway-ness.
But he learns that there are blessings when he learns to:

Love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your mind.

Matthew 22:37

So...this week we're going back to the basics.

For the Chuppies this means:
--Relearning chore expectations
--Completing responsibilities all the way
--Responding the first time asked
--Offering to help without being asked
--Returning to our family task motto:
Quickly, completely, and with a good attitude...

For me this means:
--Teaching expectations for chores required
--Checking up to see that responsibilities are fulfilled:
If you expect it, check it...
--Not doing tasks that the kids should be doing themselves
--Being faithful in my own responsibilities
--Making solid time with God a non-negotiable
--Working hard, being diligent, and not giving in to excuses or distractions
--Heading back to the treadmill
--Reporting back to my husband...so thankful for how involved and encouraging he is

Whatever you do,

work heartily,

as for the Lord

and not for men.

~Colossians 3:23