organizing in the fast lane

Day 3 of the organizing magic is to create motivation [- or panic?] It's called "Party your way to order and beauty" and the idea is that I need a goal, so I should throw a party (or at least have someone over for a coffee & muffin.)

I think my life is already a party, and my motivation level is very high, so I read Day 4 which encouraged me to examine the things in my home that make me annoyed. Once the pain points are identified, I can take steps to change them. So I was annoyed with the mountain of laundry that stood in between me and the well-dressed person I'd like to be. I immediately started a massive attack on the mountain, employing 2 washers, 2 dryers and the laundry line as my perfect weapons.

With annoyance well in hand, I decided to go ahead with Day 5 "Learn the Secrets." It was very inspirational to read about "saving steps" and "Do it Now," but our favorite part (I read this part to the kids) was the concept of "ooze." The idea is that things like to ooze out from where they belong and into the open where they compromise the peace of our homes. My boys, in particular, latched onto this delightful description and proceeded to point out ooze here and there (I suspect it's just because they enjoy saying the word ooze, but that's fine, as long as they're noticing and tidying!)

"Do it Now" is a powerful tool, and I am amazed at how much was accomplished today. In the midst of the cleaning/laundry tasks, I managed to fill 6 bags for donation and put them in the back of the van. Then later in the afternoon, while Robyn started dinner, I ran out with Russell and we dropped off the donation bags, his paperwork at TWOS, the overdue library book (I'd been meaning to get around to that,) and our old rocker at our neighbors. (she is thrilled :-)

I'm rather exhausted, but well-dressed and happy to be able to fall into my freshly made bed.

baby birds

This was the view a few days ago. (I can't take a picture myself because my camera can't zoom enough.)

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/resources/washtenaw_audubon/bird1_010.jpg/view.html

The baby birds are even bigger now. They should be leaving the nest this weekend if our calculations are correct.

on organizing

I've been trying to get organized for about 13 years - seems to me that Robyn was a baby when I began this journey - and now the end is in sight! I found a book on my Mom's shelf called Organizing Magic, 40 days to a well-ordered home and life. http://messies.com/products/books/organizing_magic_40_days_to_a_wellordered_home_and_life_1/
Where was this book 13 years ago? Instead of 13 years of painfully slow progress, I could have spent a mere 40 days! All these years I could have been living the dream!!

No matter, the past is the past, but the future is bright indeed. Only 38 days, and I will finally have the well-ordered home and life I've been striving for! I'm committed to faithfully follow the plan in this book and I'll post the progress. Today I did day 1 and 2 which included a vision statement for what I'd like our home to be, and a list of things to stop, start or continue doing.

Here's the abbreviated version:

Home
Happy place to be;
Open to welcome those whom God brings our way to share His love;
Model Christ-like behavior to family and friends;
Excellence in all our activities.

Stop: leaving papers in random piles, leaving laundry in piles
Start: Monday laundry and Tuesday filing
Continue: clean counters every evening, delicious meals

haiku for spring

flowers and children
blossoming in the garden,
celebrating spring!

budding gardeners

The gregarious gardeners!

They spent hours on Monday cleaning out the weed filled flowerbed. It was delightful to hear them singing while working and doing such a thorough job! So we decided that they would have jurisdiction over this flowerbed for the summer. Yesterday they chose the flowers (I may have gone slightly overboard - they have 108 plants!)

Today they are planting - yes, they are wearing toques and winter jackets! Brrr...

Our baby robins have hatched! It's the most delightful thing to watch their little heads with beaks wide open eagerly receiving food from their mom. What a treat to witness this close up!

fear of filing?

I wonder if there is a long scientific name for the fear of filing. I was trying to think of good things about filing, and all I could come up with is...

1. when you're finished, papers should be easier to find.
2. a day of filing makes a day with the flu look attractive.

Today I am going to plug away at this torturous chore, 15 minutes at a time.

I think the reason I dislike this job so much is that it requires about 60 decisions per minute, some with long reaching consequences (oops, I threw the paycheque in the trash - don't ask) and I prefer to only make decisions that are reversible. :-)

about the theft deterrent

I told Peter that I blogged about our Tempo's new theft deterrent system, and he pointed out that the word "Tempo" is a theft deterrent. So I guess it's not such an advantage after all.

tempo theft deterrent

Our tempo has been developing some quirks. She's old and tired, but I love her. This week she developed a new theft deterrent - which I suppose is good since her door locks are not functioning.

She doesn't always like to start with simply the key in the ignition. So, if at 5:15am you're out enjoying the brisk morning air and can't get her to start, you first have to lift the hood and adjust some cables with a wrench. If that doesn't work, you could ask an early morning gentleman walking his dog to give you a hand, and when he applies muscle power, then she'll start. Then, at 6:15am if she won't start again, pretend you're a strong man and haul on the cables, and she starts... no problem. I'm quite sure she's safe from theft now. ;-)

what good can the flu do?

top ten:

10. I feel SO thankful for running water!
9. everyone appreciates how great they feel when they're not sick.
8. all doorknobs & light switches are disinfected.
7. all bedding has been washed.
6. walls have been washed.
5. floors have been washed.
4. children have been washed.
3. the medicine cupboard is restocked.
2. I've been in prayer all day... and all night. ;-)
1. lots of snuggle on the couch time with my littlest ones!

the flu flew through...

I hope we're through with this flu.

Last Tuesday, we decided to go to the park to play for an hour or so. We hadn't been there long when Tara threw up on the slide and sand (no previous indication of sickness.) So we went home and she slept the rest of the day and night and was fine after that. I thought nothing of it - perhaps something she ate.

Then Russell was sick on Thursday, no puking, just stomach-ache and headache and slept lots. Again, I thought nothing of this - perhaps tired.

On Sunday, Stephen threw up on the dinner table, then slept all night and was fine yesterday. Also thought nothing of it - prior to the incident, he'd eaten candy and drank a cream soda, so I thought that upset his tummy. (so cute, after he was done, he said, "Mommy, you were right, I shouldn't have eaten so much candy!)

Last night, Robyn threw up on Oma's carpet, then several more times in a bucket at home through the night. She's had a sleepy, sickly day today. In my sleepy fog, cleaning up in the night, I noticed the pattern (maybe we are actually dealing with a flu bug here) and proceeded to disinfect all light switches and doorhandles.

Most awful, last night Katy puked all over her bed, bedding, stuffed animals, pillows, and sister! Poor Tara had to have a shower at 11pm while I stripped the beds and hand washed the stuffed toys and calmed Katy. They both found other places to sleep, but Katy was up nearly every hour throwing up. Today she is wiped right out.

Greg seems to have the same thing as Russell. He is pale, achey, and tired, but not actually throwing up. We've rescheduled the PAT's for him because he is in no shape to write them today.

I am trying to get lots of rest and drink LOTS of water and hopefully stay healthy - I have a lot of laundry to do!!

Peter was telling me about the effect your environment has on you, so I decided to improve my surroundings by cutting tulips from our flowerbed and putting them in a vase on the kitchen table. It is amazing how that small detail is making me very happy today! :-)

what a week-end!

Today I can finally breathe again! The week-end was a wonderful whirlwind! Friday, I painted the ceiling at Jacquie's house, then quickly changed at home and went out for supper with Peter at the restaurant where Miguel works - delicious dinner!! I dropped Peter off at home and picked up Robyn to go to a math workshop, then left a few minutes early to meet our late evening company (the young ones who can stay up all night,) got to bed at 1ish, then up at 6, delivered papers, home to get Robyn, back to the math workshop all day, then run home to drop her off and pick up Peter to go to the "Amazing Race" at our church, run/drive all over Edmonton like crazy people (we had a blast!) and then home again to find all the kids still awake and hungry, so fed them and tucked them in, fell into bed at 11:30, up at 6 to do papers, home and asleep at 8 am, at 8:30 my precious family brought breakfast in bed, with coffee :-) and at 10 we went to church where I taught 19 grade 2s in Sunday school, then off to my brother's for lunch to celebrate Mother's Day! Later that afternoon, we went home and I slept for 2 hours. It took a while to wake up, so supper was very late. Just as we were finishing supper, Stephen said, "Mommy, my throat hurts," and proceeded to throw up on the table, so he had a bath, I did some laundry, disinfected the kitchen, and tucked him in bed. We visited briefly with our lovely visitors from the neighborhood, then I put the rest of the kids to bed and went to bed myself - Peter was tinkering with his '78 vette (his 2nd mid-life crisis - his first was the '73 camaro - he figures if he starts early, he can have many ;-) At 12:30am, Peter woke me up... sooo happy! After much fiddling, he got the car to start! And it runs well! It was great to share that exciting moment with him!

Today has been a rather low-energy day, and remembering the week-end, I think I know why!

hearty hamburgers...

Such a sweetie - she made our hamburgers - every one shaped in a heart! I think we'll keep her. :-)

Last night Peter & I went out for Korean food with Alice. It was so delicious! There were sprouts and kim chi as side dishes. Peter had (Dolsot Bibim bap) which was meat, vegetables, egg and rice in a hot stone bowl. The chapche (spelling?) I had was so good! If we ever have the chance to visit Korea, we will enjoy the food!

Tonight I'm making pizza - a family favorite - but just for variety, one of the pizzas will be vegetarian with basil pesto sauce and peppers (from my new cookbook.) The others are meat, cheese and hawaiian of course.

The kids are really motoring on their schoolwork these days. The end is in sight! We are really looking forward to a relaxing summer, especially after last years reno summer. :-)

happy procrastination

Today my precious Tara brought me a dandelion! I wore it behind my ear till it wilted. Such a cheery yellow flower. Feels like summer. :-)

I'm actually blogging because I'm procrastinating on the filing that I have to do. My filing system is abstract-random, and currently consists of many boxes of varying sizes and shapes containing papers ranging from very important (I know our mortgage renewal info is in there somewhere) to things we can live without (last year's flyers.) Maybe posting this true confession will motivate me to greatness (or at least guilt me into making some progress on this sadly neglected task of mine.)

sunny sunday

What a gorgeous day! I think the nice weather put ants in the pants of almost all 9 boys in my grade 2 Sunday school class! They were very restless today - good thing I've taught most of them for 4 years and love them dearly.

We spontaneously dropped in on Peter's folks for the afternoon (his Dad's birthday :-) and spent a lovely afternoon visiting outside on the patio. Katy collected ladybugs. She didn't even ask to bring them home... whew. (There were at least a dozen!)

Afterwards, Peter & I cooked dinner together. What a meal! Chicken wrapped asparagus with Greek salad and fresh whole wheat rolls on the side - YUM! Thank you to Julia for The Dinner Fix cookbook (http://www.cookingfortherushed.com/) for my birthday... we are enjoying the meals immensely! I felt so gourmet serving this beautiful and delicious meal! (The kids weren't fond of the salad, but I loved it!!)

Our current dinner entertainment is a robin's nest in the tree just outside the dining room window. We watched her build her nest and now we watch her sit on it, leaving occasionally to get food. We are really looking forward to the baby birds!

wet, worms and wonderful

It has rained all day. Schoolwork by the fireside was a perfect solution for this dreary morning. Then this afternoon 4 of the kids were at the Nature Centre for a pond study field trip. The word drenched comes to mind. I'm glad I didn't bother to style my hair this morning - and I only walked them to and from the parking lot. Greg's shoes may take days to dry.

Yesterday Katy adopted a pet worm and made it a home in a baby food jar. Today, after much active playing with Donald the worm, she suddenly has 2! (the new one is Julia) Soon they will have to be released into the flowerbed, or we may be having a funeral.

Robyn is finished her schoolwork for the year! She celebrated by rearranging her room and cleaning it for summer. What a wonderful girl!

this is such fun!

I am excited to easily be able to stay in touch with family and friends.