Sunday, March 29, 2009

Organizing My Life Away...

Looking for a better way...

I love that Eddie Rabbit song "Drivin' My Life Away". One of these days I'm going to download it so I can listen whenever I want! I also love "I Love A Rainy Night".

My organizer came on Wednesday. Not sure what exactly was the straw that broke this camel's back or maybe it was more a convergence of "signs" that it was time to call for help again. Either way, Wednesday morning from 9-1 was it. We tackled the girls' room first. Dug all the way into the deepest darkest corners, drug everything out, purged, cleaned, and organized it all. It looks AWESOME! Initially I didn't want to use her services on the kids' toys because I figured that was something easy that I could do myself. But circumstances aligned and I decided that we might as well go ahead and start there. And now I am so glad that we did. The girls' room is a closed, defined space (unlike the entryway which we did last time) with finite influences on its cleanliness. Being able to get it all done in one fell swoop, start to finish, was great. Now I find myself wandering in there a few times each day, taking in the new serenity of it, and pretending that the rest of my house is clean. C Lee and I spent 4 hours on the girls' room. I am going on 4 days of working in Ryan's room and am not done yet. So definitely much harder on my own. Life and its demands have a way of poking in. The time is not specifically reserved (nor paid for!) and so, while I have been working hard, I have not been working nonstop until the job is done.

I look forward to the day that I can get more spaces in the house done. At this time, I can't afford to bring C Lee back more than once every couple of months. But that's okay. Doing some of it myself is good for me too. A good way to apply what I am learning. Put into practice all those things I know in my head but never get around to actually doing.

The biggest reward has been the kids. They all love the clean room. Bella said that she liked the labels best. Ryan said that it was just so nice and relaxing to be in the clean room. And all of the kids have been playing in there. There is a large floor space to play in now that the beds have been bunked (the process that started it all, one of the contributing "signs" I suppose from a couple weeks ago) and the room has been re-habbed. There are two windows so there is plenty of daylight. It's just a nice play to be. And 4 days later, it is still just as clean as it was when C Lee left. Hopefully we can continue to maintain it.

I have been enjoying having a home for the toys that I find around the house. Now when I find a pirate's treasure coin lost in a corner, I know where to put it. Or when I pull a piece of plastic cake out from under the couch, I know where the food basket is and I know that it only has plastic food inside - nothing else that shouldn't be. I have organized the kids' toys so many times before but it never lasts. Partly because they don't follow the plan and partly because I don't enforce it. It seems different this time. Maybe because they are older. In part because a better, more thorough job was done with the plan. In any case, I love it and hope this time it will be different.

So wish me luck in staying strong and dedicated to the cause of a clean house!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Talking To the Dog...

The following conversation takes place between 9:24 a.m. and 9:26 a.m. on Sunday, March 22, 2009... (insert ominous tick, tock, tick, tock sound from "24" here...)

Darby: (looks at me)

Me: I still think I should retaliate somehow. He took all my purses out of his closet. He probably stole my stash money too. Maybe I'll just take all his sweaters out of my closet. That'll show him. I'll need something more though... maybe threaten to put poison in his food. Just like those old ladies of Arsenic and Old Lace. Hmm... I wonder what I'll look like as an old lady. (as I look in the mirror thoughtfully after putting in my contacts)

Darby: (looks at me)

Me: Maybe I should go for a run this morning. That would make up for all the cookies I ate yesterday that I shouldn't have. Or I could just walk you. Run then walk? I have class tomorrow anyway. I'll skip it and just walk you. What should I do Darby?

Darby: (looks at me)

Me: You don't care what I do as long as I take you for a walk, huh.

Darby: (lies down) SIGH.

Me: Oh is living here so hard? Seems to me you've got a pretty cushy life. You lick the carpet all day long and I didn't even kick you out after you peed on carpet a million times. I'd say you've got it good dog.

Darby: (looks at me)

Me: What?

Darby: (looks at me)

Me: I wonder how long it will take Ron to get home from dropping off the kids. Maybe I should take a shower now. I can run tomorrow in class. Besides, if I run today then I'll never get anything done. I have to make dinner now so it can cook later while we're at baseball. I have to continue the never-ending task of working on my taxes. Mom wants me to go look at a place with her this afternoon and that always takes forever. And the kids need new soccer shoes. But first Bella has to try hers on to see if they still fit.

Darby: (looks at me)

Me: SIGH.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Felisa's Mom

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you

2. What makes mom happy?
(gives me a hug) when I love her

3. What makes mom sad?
when I stay away from her

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
when she tickles me

5. What was your mom like as a child?
I don't know

6. How old is your mom?
95

7. How tall is your mom?
(stretches her arms to measure me) I can't reach the bottom.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
work on scrapbooks and her computer

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
she works and works and works

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
if she was a superstar

11. What is your mom really good at?
typing

12. What is your mom not very good at?
opening things when they are hard to open

13. What does your mom do for her job?
to sell things

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
luna bars

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
when she stays at home

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
a mom - tom and jerry's mom - she's really mad mad mad

17. What do you and your mom do together?
I help her on the computer

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We have the same hair

19. How are you and your mom different?
you're older than me

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
I stay next to her.

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
going shopping

Bella's Mom

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Be good.

2. What makes mom happy?
When we're good.

3. What makes mom sad?
When we're bad.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
by saying something funny.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
you had hair ribbons to match your clothes. grandma told me

6. How old is your mom?
36

7. How tall is your mom?
tall

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
scrapbook

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
work

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Because you are a movie star

11. What is your mom really good at?
printing out pictures

12. What is your mom not very good at?
building

13. What does your mom do for her job?
scrapbook

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
don't know

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
when you're scrapbook is on tv

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
turkey trot racer

17. What do you and your mom do together?
talk

18. How are you and your mom the same?
we are both pretty

19. How are you and your mom different?'
we have different bangs

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
because she's always kissing me

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
family houses

Ryan's Mom

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Don't play rough downstairs.

2. What makes mom happy?
Good jokes and people doing what she says.

3. What makes mom sad?
no comment

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
by telling jokes or puns

5. What was your mom like as a child?
curious and well-behaved

6. How old is your mom?
36

7. How tall is your mom?
um... 5'11"

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
relax

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
the laundry

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
a talent agent came to our house (though I reportedly have no specific talent)

11. What is your mom really good at?
making things - doesn't really matter what - anything

12. What is your mom not very good at?
destroying things (Apparently some people are really good at that!)

13. What does your mom do for her job?

make scrapbooks for other people and sell scrapbook things

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
donuts

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
when she does something heroic (when asked what was the last heroic thing I did - umm, well if you ever do something heroic then I will be proud of you)

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
elmer fudd (because I don't like Daffy, according to him)

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Cub Scouts

18. How are you and your mom the same?
we both like to read and we both read fast

19. How are you and your mom different?
she does not go to school and I do

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
she always says so

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Colorado