Wild week…

Wow, this has been a busy week.  I am fighting overwhelm and in need of a slow down.  A break would be nice too… we will see about that…

Monday morning I took Kiahna to her third day of preschool.  Dropped Jadon off at his preschool, and went to get groceries, and eat breakfast with my sil, Judy.  Went back and picked up J & K at their preschools, came home and put away the groceries… decided to go to a roller skating party that night.  Then decided that since I was going to travel to the city with the stores that are not WALMART, I should really get swim suits for James and Zach… so that led me to pick up Leah, Lucas, and Zach from school… drive to the city… shop for 2 hours, eat dinner in the drive through, and then go to the skating party.

Why that was a bad idea?  Shopping. 5 kids. 1 adult. agenda. bad idea.  Jadon, who hasn’t been to a mall in years I am guessing, didn’t know how to act.  Thought it was great fun to run around and play.  Got in trouble.  Didn’t like that. 

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I knew it was a bad idea, but i still did it… we needed swim suits.  We were going to the city.  You can’t do that every day when you live where we do!  We are leaving for Florida in almost three weeks.  Swim suits are the one thing we had to have. 

Sanity.  Yeah, that is optional.

The skating ended up being lots of fun.

A HUGE bright spot and blessing this week, was to come home and find that an angel had made a bunch of meals and felt that she was to bring them to US!!  I am so touched by God’s continual lavish love on us… and this amazing community that listens to His voice and takes care of those in need around them.

Tuesday, began with Leah’s alarm clock waking Jadon and Kiahna and NOT LEAH!  It was 6:30 and they were up and I was not pleased.  Then Kiahna decided to lock herself in the bathroom and was holding the push button lock so that no one could get in.  Just in case you are wondering, this is not a good way to start a day…

I decided I really needed to participate in the Tackle it Tuesday carnival again.  It has been so long since I did that, and my house was screaming for my attention.  So, I began to tackle, but never got to the part where I actually get to post about it… oh well.

I did clean out my closet, and get rid of a whole garbage sack of clothes…

I totally think that Fly Lady has the corner on how to keep things under control.. now if only I could get myself to stop deleting their e-mails, and stop being a fly-baby after, oh, what, 6 or 7 years of attempting this route? 

In 15 minutes I had weeded through my half of the closet, and in another 15 I had things thrown away, and bagged up to give away… room put back in order, even swept and dusted!

I tackled Jadon and Lucas’ room too…

Before: 

During:

After:

Took out two large stacks of outgrown-not being worn clothes… checked for shorts to wear in Florida…

 

…folded tons of laundry… went through mounds of clutter… swept some… dusted some… found the kitchen counter… lost it again… shined the sink…

SO THANKFUL to have a meal from the freezer to pop in!  WHOO HOO!!!

Left to take Lucas to a bb game that he was to play during 1/2 time of the JV game.  From there we went to a 4-H meeting… and J & K got high on ice cream and homeade bars… uhg. 

Came home, put them to bed, and sat down to write on my blog… only to find that Kiahna had again gotten out of bed and locked the bathroom door again!!  Holding the lock so that the key wouldn’t work.  Can I say, this is not a good way to end a day either. 

Today, did the preschool round again.  Kiahna cried for me this time when I left.  The teacher said that she cried for an hour after I left.  I hate that.  But, she also said that she thinks Kiahna is doing very well for only 4 days into this… and that the crying wasn’t a tempter tantrum, just loud crying. 

I went and volunteered in Lucas’ class while they were at preschool today.  I realized this morning that we hadn’t studied his spelling words yet this week.  Another sign we are too busy!  I got to grade the tests while I was there… yeah.  Bad, Bad, Bad. 

While I was at the school, Zach and I met with the guidance counselor to go over his schedule for next year.  It is overwhelming to hear them talk about his senior year, and know full well how fast it will all go. 

Swept out my van, letting them eat in there, snack in there, do homework in there on Monday night… DISASTER!!

Is there any doubt why I am exhausted?

Tonight Zach has AAU bb games….. when my dad said he was going to go, I decided I was going to stay home.  I am finding myself in that place of overwhelm that I just want to cry for no reason… a rest will be good for me tonight… and J & K can get to bed early…

They were playing in the mud this afternoon… it is 50 degrees and sunny… well the sun is gone now, and it looks like it could rain, but it was sunny earlier… and I have muddy clothes to tend to.  And Zach got to go out and clean up the toilet paper, since the snow is melted now… he was pleased about that.

  

We are enjoying, yet another frozen meal tonight… I am putting kids to bed early… after we study spelling words of course, and read… and then I think I will take a long, hot bath, and try to relax.  Wish me luck.

Pam

Tackle it Tuesday #15

One of the things that I realized on my little mini retreat was that I had lost something.  I had lost a place in my house where I could go to retreat daily... children and their clutter had invaded every area of my home.  And my bedroom had become, once again, a catch all for everything... wedding stuff, Christmas stuff, hair styling stuff, clean clothes that needed put away, decorations that were out of season... FlyLady is right about that, it is hard to rest in a mess. 

So, I decided to clean my room.  Yes.  My room was as bad as the kids.  Then I decided to switch out the uncomfortable rocking chair with a recliner from the basement.  I bought a new lampshade for an old lamp, that was also in the basement, and wa-lah...  I now have my retreat place...

BEFORE:

 

AFTER:

Oh, and I also bought two bottles of bubble bath!

In order to avoid being dubbed "super-mom", I'll keep the rest of my tackle to myself!  ;)

Pam

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Tackle it Tuesday #14

Just to quench all comments that I am super mom this week!!  LOL!!  I'll start by telling you the things I DIDN'T do today!  For real this time!!

I DIDN'T...

• finish the laundry.
• use the vacuum
• dust anything
• clean any bathrooms
• rake any leaves
• wash any windows
• etc, etc, etc...

What I DID do is,

• TAKE A REAL NAP!!!

Yes, yes, you heard it here... I took a nap.  A real, turn off the phones, take off your shoes, pull up the covers, sleep like a rock, drool on your pillow... nap!!

After the nice comments telling me that I deserved one, I thought I would just do it!

Actually, I was extremely tired, not even sure why??

But, it felt really good! 

J & K both napped too!  WHOO HOO!!!

The remainder of the day went like this...

• kids off to school
• took camera to post office to mail to repair shop.*
• ate breakfast with my sil Judy.
• VOTED
• Cleaned up kitchen disaster. (including mopping the floor... K was trying to get her own juice.  ;)
• made lunch
• read books to J & K.
• NAP
• Worked on my cabinets again!!  (see old Tackle it Tuesday posts for details)
• made dinner
• drove to get Z at bb practice
• ate dinner
• worked on homework with Lucas.
• put kids to bed.
• and folded about 5 loads of laundry in the middle of it all.

*My camera is headed to a repair shop, in Connecticut!  It is under warranty with Sony.  I felt like I was shipping my favorite toy off to strangers, not knowing what in the world they will do with it!  I paid for insurance and delivery confirmation... it should be back in 7-10 days... in the mean-time... I have instructed all children to do only boring-non-picture-worthy things...

I worked on sanding the bottom portion of my cabinets.  The tops are done.  The doors and drawers are done.  I just have to do the rest. 

Here is a picture of the progress (not taken today, obviously)

I am painting them, and then trying to give them a distressed look... if you really want to know more, look in the old posts for Tackle it Tuesday, or ask!

So, there you go... at least I did some things on my procrastination list!  The list is dwindling!!  WHOO HOO!!!

Pam

Tackle it Tuesday

I’d better hurry… Tuesday is just about over!! 

As you saw earlier today, there was this strange finding in my laundry room this morning...  Well, it is after 10 pm… but guess what… it’s back again… and you know, I think I could grow accustomed to having it around… it’s kinda pretty, in a concrety sort of way…

Sadly, I confess… it isn’t done… there is a partial load in the hamper.. a load in the dryer and washer… adn I just pulled that basket in the left corner out before I sat down to type this…  But!  All of the hampers are empty!  I suppose they must wear clothing tomorrow and ruin all my wonderful accomplishments??  Yeah, your probably right…

I also, not only washed it all… but it is all (ya know, minus what I already confessed) put away too!!

Before: 

After:

Those clothes on the end of the table don’t count by the way.. they belong to two teen age boys who are lucky that I get it that far for them!! 

Oh, and guess what I found when I cleaned off all those clothes that live on this table?  A perfectly useable ping-pong table!  Who would have thought?  A floor and a table, all in one day!

Oh I can also strike these off my list for the day…

Babysitting my cousin’s girls all day.

Cooking dinner.

Working on my sister’s wedding picture project.

Working on another secret wedding project!

Carving Pumpkins.

Cleaning floor after carving pumpkins… twice.

Can I go to bed now??

Thanks.

Pam

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Tackle it Tuesday…CLR

I while back, 5 Minutes for mom, announced that there would be a special Tackle it Tuesday for this date.  If you sent them an e-mail you could receive a free bottle of the cleaning product CLR Bath and Kitchen Cleaner.  Then you would use it in your Tackle it Tuesday post, and enter then to win another prize, which is $100!!  So, hey!  I’m all for free and prizes!!  So, here we go!!

We were all puzzled at the UPS truck showing up one day last week… and the mysterious package ends up being a brand-new bottle of CLR Bath and Kitchen Cleaner!  WHOOHOO!!  (talk about a let down!)

I normally use a harsh, abrasive, powder cleaner to scrub my sinks and tubs.  One of the things that I don’t care for in that is that it is really hard to get all the residue off.  I don’t like giving my kids baths in what could very well contain cleaning supply, but, I do.

So, it was nice to think that when I use this product on the tub I won’t have that. 

I used it on the kitchen sink one day, and didn’t take pictures.  I really thought it did a nice job.  Any better than a powder?  Not really, but it did rinse off better and I didn’t have to keep going back and rerinsing.   I also liked the smell of it.  It wasn’t overwhelming like many other cleaning supplies.

The whole family kicked in and worked on the house on Saturday.  Leah began the bathroom and was thrilled to get to take before and after pictures of the tub.  I just wasn’t clear to her that the pictures couldn’t be blurry… so I don’t have many before shots…

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I was happy with the results.  I did re-do it after Leah.  I am not sure she left it set the few minutes the bottles says you should.  The scum came of quite easily with a scratchy sponge.

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As for other Tackle it Tuesday events around the house.  My van was acting up, so we spent the morning in town.  First, Kiahna & I went out to breakfast with a friend who picked us up from the mechanic.  Then the mechanic called to say that it wouldn’t be done for awhile.  So then I called my dad who was on his way into eat breakfast out, and he picked us up from one restaurant and took us to another… then took us to pick up Jadon… then back home.

I didn’t eat at both places!!  I didn’t even have coffee at both places!

So, I’ve made dinner.

I left my planner in the van and had to go to my own blog to remind myself what to make for dinner!!  (that would be a good one for NOT ME MONDAY!!)

I’ve folded a little laundry.

It’s getting close to the kids coming home.

I have been working on something for my sister, for her wedding.  I’ll do a separate post for that!

I don’t feel like I did much today.

Oh well!

Pam

Tackle it Tuesday #11

Ready to be impressed??

Wanna know what I did today??

I took some time to take care of myself.

I did make dinner early this morning.  (before the kids even left for school, not recommended… the don’t appreciate the onion smell at that time of day, unless it is with their eggs, which it wasn’t!)

Then after that I took some time to process the things that have been going on with Kiahna and preschool.  I wrote this post.  And I did some more blog searching.  I went to read a blog by Alicia @ Experiencing each moment.  I shot her an e-mail to ask her to explain to me what Sensory Processing Disorder is. 

Last night I received an comment on here from Nancy @ Olive Leaf Ministries Blog.  Seems she has written a book.  It is called, Freedom, Healing for parents of disabled children.  Hardly seems like coincidence to me.

I am not saying that what Kiahna has, or even Jadon, is permanent life long disability.  I don’t know that.  I am not diagnosing.  I am just saying that I feel that if this is what is going on, and in my mind it is, God is already speaking to me about how much HE has me covered in all of this.  How HE is here with me, no matter what I go through.  Does that amaze you like it does me?

I had a friend over to play with Kiahna while Jadon was at preschool.   I was very encouraged at their interaction.

After lunch, I went to get a massage! 

Came home and took a bath.

Talked on the phone a little.

Did some homework with Leah and Lucas.

Stuck dinner in the oven.

(the timer just went off)

Mom is bringing Jadon and Kiahna home soon.  (thanks to mom again!)

We will go to the football game that Zach is playing in after dinner.

So there you go.  I tackled a day off!! 

I’m proud of me!

Pam

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Tackle It Tuesday #10

Does breathing count as a tackle?  I say some days it does.  Some days are just good to survive.  Some days it takes effort to breathe.  I have tackled some things, besides breathing.  But, it has been a challenge.  I have had to push myself.  I don’t like to have to push myself.  I like things to be easy.  Don’t you? 

In actuality.  The amount of things that need to be done around here can just make me stop breathing!  And the weight of the responsibility of it! 

I have officially declared myself a FLY LADY failure and a drop out.   I think it all began when I decided to have all her e-mails sent directly to my “deleted items” file.  Yeah, not recommended if you really want to stick with something!

You know how FLY LADY says, to take Baby Steps, and you can do anything for 15 minutes… yeah… whatever.  I lose.  I can’t seem to get it.  I let things just go and go until I just can’t stand them any more!  See… I am a forever CHAOS liver. 

Procrastinator.

Shamelessly, looking to my blog for inspiration to finish, start, or even attempt a project!

In my mind I go back and forth with this inner battle.  Weighing out if the mess, or the cleaning and them messing it up again bothers me more!  If I can just be content to live in a mess… then I am a much happier person.  The problem is that I can only contain that desire to have things clean for so long… and then I explode.  And then I feel overwhelmed.  And then I run around like a mad woman trying to catch up with a project that will never be caught up with…

Although I did figure and by the year 2024, Kiahna should be in college… and then maybe I’ll get caught up… maybe.  I was thinking about taking a computer break until I got caught up… that's how I figured out that it would be 2024 until I had any hope of ever catching up, so I decided to forget that idea!

And then maybe I don’t want to be caught up.  I don’t want to care about cleaning and such so much that I miss all the fun and all the moments! 

And again… that only goes so far… and then I just can’t take the madness any more…

Yes, I am a mad woman. 

So my list of things that I have accomplished today…

• Cleaned, scrubbed, disinfected, on my hands and knees, I just can’t take it any more… all three bathrooms.
• Took Jadon to get 2 cavities filled.
• Returned and checked out library books.
• swept out the van at the car wash.
• bought groceries at Wal-Mart.
• Put groceries away.
• read books to J and K before their naps.
• Sorted the mail.

It’s all so exciting.  Sorry I didn’t take pictures today!!

Pam

PS.  I am planning to fire the laundry girl… she is severely behind on doing our laundry… and I am just sick of digging though the dirty clothes to find something, not so dirty, to wear… shheesh.  I guess I’ll go work on that now.  ;)

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Tackle it Tuesday #9

This week I’ve been tackling all over the place!  Starting with the progress on the kitchen cabinet project… 

Before, 5 Tackles ago:

After, TODAY:

The other 2/3 of the kitchen is still in progress… but this section is DONE!!  DONE!!  DONE!!  YIPPEE!!!!  DONE!! 

My brother in law painted our handles and hinges for me…

Before:                                               After:

I am extremely pleased with the progress, and with the results!

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Then I tackled this drawer in the bathroom:

Before:

After:

The final straw, making this drawer unbearable, came when little rubber bands got dumped all over it!

What did the Family Circus call that 6th (?)… “notme”?  Notme did that.

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This morning I decided that I was going to do Jadon’s birthday with my family. TONIGHT… along with one of my other nephew’s and my sister.  They were planning to have the party and I was going to wait and celebrate his with the end of October birthdays.  Well… Zach, supposedly, assumably, isn’t playing in the game tonight.  So, I guess going there to watch the back of his head and missing the party is a little silly.  Don’t ask me why he’s not playing… it’s not his thumb… and he has no other physically injury… grrrr… teenagers…  not gonna miss this!

So I threw together this cake for Jadon…

Jadon is now officially… a handful.  (well, on Sunday)

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Add to that some laundry folding, and walking around the track at the school for an hour for a PTO fundraiser…  why am I blogging instead of napping… oh yes, I’m just crazy that way.

My shoes for my sister's wedding came in the mail today!!  I won them on E-Bay!!  Who knew!!!   $23, never worn, dyed Truffle Shoes, size 6.5, from David's Bridal!

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Pam

Tackle It Tuesday #7

Well, I didn’t have many high expectations of Tackle it Tuesday today.   I figured that the way things have been going for me, I should have low expectations and not plan to get much accomplished.  Turns out it was a good plan.  I got more done than I thought I would!

After dishes, bathroom detail, and bed making… laundry was calling…  it never ceases to amaze me with it’s abundance…

This is my progress for the day…

After I had all the laundry folded I could, I decided I would tackle a couple other neglected areas of the basement…

The basement kitchen… used for… gathering clutter… clothes that need boxed and given away, mailed, or stored.  Clothes that people have left at our house.  Unmatched socks.  Trash.  Toys.  Easy to just stick them there and move on to other areas of the house.

And this area.  Where the kids play their video games.  Always in need of clean up.

And… I did it!

The things that were here are now mostly here.

Boxes to mail.  Bags of things to give away.  Things to return.  Now they are all on their way!!

And the TV area… now has mom’s cleaning touch. 

I still wanted to list some thing for sale on e-bay.  That didn't happen.

And I didn't work on my kitchen cabinets, but I did that last Friday for awhile.  See the last editon of "Your Gonna Miss This... Moment" for details on how that all went!

This is what my kitchen looks like right now... cupboard doors off both sides now.

My brother-in-law took all the handles and hinges and is painting them for me!

See old editions of Tackle it Tuesday for more on my kitchen! 

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength"  --Phil. 4:13

Pam

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