Things that went Right Today:
1) Master bathroom remodel underway. Long overdue
2) My Shakeology stuff came from beach body. It really DOES taste good. Yeah!
3) Carpets cleaned. Not so scary to walk in the basement now.
OK I know that one of my New Year's resolutions was to refrain from whining. I may have to break that just for a tiny second here though, because I'm not sure how to discuss the dreaded laundry topic without something of a whine coming through.
Over the years I have been blessed with 9 beautiful, wonderful, fabulous bundles of joy! They are the greatest delights of my life aside from the bundles of laundry that accompany them. Let's say two loads of personal laundry a week each times 11 people. That is 22 loads. Add in 4 loads of sheets and towels and maybe a random load of extra stuff and it's averaging about 27 loads a week at our house. Except wait...you have to add in the clean clothes that get rewashed because they ended up dumped on the floor while a child is deciding what to wear and then get trampled over. And the 25 pairs of underwear that the potty training child went through...today! And the 15 towels required to clean up the major flood caused when the toilet overflowed...again! I won't even mention the puppy generated laundry. That would definitely be a whine if I did that. And the hand towels in the kitchen that everyone insists on using once and then tossing into the hamper. Even though the paper towels are sitting right there on the counter. And the teenagers who wear three outfits in a day sometimes. And the football gear...unmentionable as well. EEWW! And in the interest of full disclosure I must admit the extra loads that happen because I started a load and then forgot about it until it reeked and had to be run again. And my all time personal top pet laundry peeve...the piles of folded clothes that I gave to a child to put away and rather than do that they stuffed them on the closet floor until they melded in with the laundry also being stashed there. Pulling folded clothes out of a dirty laundry bin makes me go wild. It's not pretty. Believe me. You get the picture. Laundry is a huge force to be reckoned with at our house. A constant steady drain on my time and energy.
I have tried to fight it with creativity. In our laundry room rather than just one set of washer/dryers, we installed two stacked high capacity sets side by side. So we have a veritable laundry mat up there. This is wonderful in terms of getting the clothes washed and dried in a more timely fashion. Trouble is though that they still need to be folded and put away, and when I am washing two huge loads at a time I can get behind pretty quickly if I'm not pretty diligent. Then I end up with gigantic mountains of clean clothes in the laundry room that serve to pile guilt upon me every time I walk by and see them and know that I have a half hour of work sitting there that I really should get to...and then an hour, and then...well...depends how long I wait. But at least the family can rummage through the stack for something to wear if they get desperate right? I also gave up sock matching years ago. It was becoming the bane of my existence trying to match up so many different sizes and styles. I could watch a whole episode of daytime TV while trying to match the socks of the week. But the thing is I don't really like TV so...the solution became two big laundry baskets under my folding table. One for dark socks and one for light socks. If anyone needs socks they have to go on a hunt. And occasionally I will offer financial incentives to the kids to go on a folding binge. Not ideal, but it's saved me from a life of soaps! I also have offloaded some of the responsibility to other family members. My husband now does all of his own laundry. Partly because I needed the help, but partly because he got tired of his clothes getting lost in the laundry room chaos and then being "borrowed" and run off with by his sons never to be seen again. He figured to protect his stuff he better intervene. And knew me well enough to know that presenting me with the issue in complaint form was unlikely to go over well. Good decision! When our children turn twelve years old I teach them to do their own wash. Which in theory should release me from a lot of the workload. Um...NOT! See they have tricks that they figure out right away. If they leave the laundry wet in the washer and then leave for school, then in order for me to run a load ...you guessed it...I have to finish the load that is sitting there. And if they just simply elect not to do laundry for extended periods of time than the massive explosion out of the hamper and closet to the floor is likely to get on mom's nerves which occasionally results in her 'helping out". They are smart. So really at age twelve they begin to be taught. I don't think they really fully integrate the lesson until they move out of the house. I hope they do at least and are actually washing 7 pairs of underwear a week? I just try not to think about it. I do also have the children help with putting their clothes away. Even the little ones. But this can often backfire and I find clothes thrown in a corner halfway to their ultimate destination. Or put in the wrong person's dresser. Sigh. We'll keep at it.
Over the holidays the situation became a tad out of hand. We played and had fun, but yesterday the day of reckoning came at last. I HAD to tackle the mound that had been building to epic proportions. It took all day, but I'm proud to say it was accomplished and my laundry room (and conscience) are now clear. I played some music and danced a little. Had kids wander through and chat and even help some when the atmosphere was jovial. Funny how that works isn't it? And as I worked I actually found joy in the task. There can be an odd comfort in repetitive mundane work at times. A rhythm and order to it. The laundry room is peaceful and warm, and there is satisfaction in tasks that can be finished and measured. Additionally there is a sense of happiness that comes from serving the people I love in this simple way. Am I ever going to love doing laundry? Probably not. It's kind of a necessary evil. But I can stop fighting it so hard and realize that whining about it does no good. Keep striving for solutions to streamline the process perhaps. Laundry may be boring, but it is not meaningless. It's a very important job. The clothes themselves have little importance to me, but the people inside them are my whole world. I am thankful today that we are blessed to have plenty of clothes to keep our family warm and dry. So many people in the world do not. That huge pile of laundry that makes me whine is actually a great privilege indeed. And it reminds me how many fantastic people I get to share my life with as well. When the little ones all grow up and move away I will have far less laundry to do. But I suspect I will long for the crazy laundry days and wish I could have it all back to hear my young ones laughing down the hall again. I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts!!!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
My resolutions
Things that went right today:
1) Son missed his flight back to college so we have a few more hours with him.
2) Tropical scented hand lotion. Feels like I'm at the beach on this cold winter day.
3) It's a brand new wonderful year! Here's to 2011!
To create an air of accountability for myself, I've decided to put my personal resolutions for the coming year in print in a public way. I'm counting on my friends to make sure I stay in line. Now the below list is only a starting place. My total list of hopes and dreams is WAY to big to tackle all at once. And some things are too personal to publish. The list will grow and change as the year goes on and boxes get checked off and new goals are added. So this list is more representative than comprehensive, but it's a place to start and a direction to begin walking in right? I would encourage you all to put your resolutions on paper as well. To make them real and alive for you. I've divided my list into three parts
Things to cut OUT in the coming year:
1) FAT...we're switching to 1% milk. The kids are not thrilled, but I am undaunted. It's a small but concrete thing I can do for my family's health.
2) DIAPERS...had the youngest almost potty trained last fall but then we sort of went backwards on it. This is the year! The time is now for this house to be diaper free for the first time in 20 years. Wow! Seriously motivated on this one.
3) SODA...I am not enforcing this one with the kids until I am fully practicing what I preach. This could get rough, because as I've previously admitted to others I am a bit addicted. But between the sugar, salt and caffeine it seems that soda is one of the worst substances you can put into your body. I'd like to keep it out of mine going forward. Better not talk about it anymore though or I may break my resolve on day one. A giant Dr. Pepper sure sounds good right now. Uh oh.
4) WHINING...enough said.
Things to add IN to my life this year:
1) ENTERPRISE...I hope to get my preschool, blog, beachbody coaching and websites all running smoothly throughout this year. These are all things I am excited about doing so I'm finding renewed energy as I'm adding them into my world.
2) TRAVEL...I'm planning to make a trip to Italy this spring to visit a dear friend and Boston this Fall to soak up some American history. Additionally my 18 year old son and I plan to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in the Summer. We had planned to go last year, but that didn't work out for various reasons so we are trying it again this summer. What a great experience that will be to share with him. Hope we can make it to the top!!
3) PERSONAL GROWTH AND FULFILLMENT:
Piano lessons starting next week.
Tennis lessons this Spring (this could be highly entertaining to observers. Let's just say I haven't played in about 25 years. Yikes)
Ballroom dance lessons (yes...I'm serious. Salsa maybe? Why not?)
Joining toastmasters this month to try to get back into public speaking.
Hoping to run a 5 K in the Spring. I "ran" one once before but cheated and walked some. Trying again.
Signing up for karate with my 9 year old son. Hope I don't die. I'll admit I'm a little scared.
Things to RECOMMIT to anew:
1) Connecting daily with my creator through prayer and scripture reading.
2) Bedtime stories with my little ones. They just won't stay little forever.
3) Fitness and health (the dreaded sweat!).
I'm all revved up for the year ahead as I look at this list. I am thankful that my family is healthy and for the myriad of blessings we have that will make the above list possible. I'm also grateful for those of you who take the time to read my crazy ramblings here and encourage me to keep on writing. It is a wonderful outlet for me and I appreciate your friendship and support more than you know. Happy New year!!!
1) Son missed his flight back to college so we have a few more hours with him.
2) Tropical scented hand lotion. Feels like I'm at the beach on this cold winter day.
3) It's a brand new wonderful year! Here's to 2011!
To create an air of accountability for myself, I've decided to put my personal resolutions for the coming year in print in a public way. I'm counting on my friends to make sure I stay in line. Now the below list is only a starting place. My total list of hopes and dreams is WAY to big to tackle all at once. And some things are too personal to publish. The list will grow and change as the year goes on and boxes get checked off and new goals are added. So this list is more representative than comprehensive, but it's a place to start and a direction to begin walking in right? I would encourage you all to put your resolutions on paper as well. To make them real and alive for you. I've divided my list into three parts
Things to cut OUT in the coming year:
1) FAT...we're switching to 1% milk. The kids are not thrilled, but I am undaunted. It's a small but concrete thing I can do for my family's health.
2) DIAPERS...had the youngest almost potty trained last fall but then we sort of went backwards on it. This is the year! The time is now for this house to be diaper free for the first time in 20 years. Wow! Seriously motivated on this one.
3) SODA...I am not enforcing this one with the kids until I am fully practicing what I preach. This could get rough, because as I've previously admitted to others I am a bit addicted. But between the sugar, salt and caffeine it seems that soda is one of the worst substances you can put into your body. I'd like to keep it out of mine going forward. Better not talk about it anymore though or I may break my resolve on day one. A giant Dr. Pepper sure sounds good right now. Uh oh.
4) WHINING...enough said.
Things to add IN to my life this year:
1) ENTERPRISE...I hope to get my preschool, blog, beachbody coaching and websites all running smoothly throughout this year. These are all things I am excited about doing so I'm finding renewed energy as I'm adding them into my world.
2) TRAVEL...I'm planning to make a trip to Italy this spring to visit a dear friend and Boston this Fall to soak up some American history. Additionally my 18 year old son and I plan to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in the Summer. We had planned to go last year, but that didn't work out for various reasons so we are trying it again this summer. What a great experience that will be to share with him. Hope we can make it to the top!!
3) PERSONAL GROWTH AND FULFILLMENT:
Piano lessons starting next week.
Tennis lessons this Spring (this could be highly entertaining to observers. Let's just say I haven't played in about 25 years. Yikes)
Ballroom dance lessons (yes...I'm serious. Salsa maybe? Why not?)
Joining toastmasters this month to try to get back into public speaking.
Hoping to run a 5 K in the Spring. I "ran" one once before but cheated and walked some. Trying again.
Signing up for karate with my 9 year old son. Hope I don't die. I'll admit I'm a little scared.
Things to RECOMMIT to anew:
1) Connecting daily with my creator through prayer and scripture reading.
2) Bedtime stories with my little ones. They just won't stay little forever.
3) Fitness and health (the dreaded sweat!).
I'm all revved up for the year ahead as I look at this list. I am thankful that my family is healthy and for the myriad of blessings we have that will make the above list possible. I'm also grateful for those of you who take the time to read my crazy ramblings here and encourage me to keep on writing. It is a wonderful outlet for me and I appreciate your friendship and support more than you know. Happy New year!!!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Resolutions
Things That Went right Today:
1) Got a lizard for my 9 year old son. This could be interesting. Crickets!!! hmmm
2) Fun time shopping with my daughter and sons
3) Making apple cake for dessert later. Yum!
It's almost a New year which means it's time for New Year's resolutions of course. But what exactly is a resolution? The dictionary offers a rather lengthy explanation, but I found a few points particularly interesting
1) Got a lizard for my 9 year old son. This could be interesting. Crickets!!! hmmm
2) Fun time shopping with my daughter and sons
3) Making apple cake for dessert later. Yum!
It's almost a New year which means it's time for New Year's resolutions of course. But what exactly is a resolution? The dictionary offers a rather lengthy explanation, but I found a few points particularly interesting
From The Webster's online dictionary (excerpts):Definition of RESOLUTION
- something that is resolved resolution to mend my ways> - firmness of resolve
- Synonyms: award, call, conclusion, deliverance,determination, diagnosis, judgment (or judgement),opinion, decision, verdict, courage
I had always thought of resolutions simply as goals for the new year. I suppose they are that at their base, but I think we can make them a richer experience by using the above definitions. It's important not only to set goals, but to understand WHY we are setting them. To solve a problem? Improve a skill? Help others? Until we understand and internalize the long term affects we are striving for, it is difficult to figure out where to start and how to arrive at the ultimate destinations. We need vibrant visions out ahead of us to generate the energy and excitement we need to follow through. "I want to lose ten pounds" is good...but "I want to lose ten pounds so I can fit into my sexy red dress for a Valentine's dance, improve my cholesterol count, and have more energy to play with my 4 year old son"...that's better. More complete. Focused on positive benefits rather than the difficulty of the weight loss process. Take it even further in your mind and really picture yourself dancing at the dance and getting down on the floor playing with the children. The more clear and vital that vision becomes, the more power it will have to change behavior and break through old patterns and habits. We might even set different goals altogether if we take the time to understand what is truly motivating our hearts and spirits currently. What we deeply want and need out of life. Who we most desire to become. It's also very important to make our resolutions realistic and attainable in baby steps. When goals are too long term or gigantic in scope, we are more likely to burn out in the first lap rather than finish the race. So it is wise to break broader outcomes into smaller achievable pieces that we can tackle one at a time. I love checking off the boxes and congratulating myself for many small successes along the way. It helps me keep pressing forward and feeling proud of how far I have come, as opposed to becoming discouraged by the work I still have ahead of me. Ponder the above ideas and how they could apply to your resolutions for the coming year. See if anything new makes sense when considered in a different context. I'm still working on my goals list. Trying to make it manageable. I have a tendency to want to charge in and do everything at once so I have to pace myself.
I'm grateful today for the lessons I have learned from the joys and trials of 2010, and for the hope and anticipation I feel for all the upcoming year could bring for my family. Each new year feels like a bit of a rebirth. An opportunity to start over, reflect on our strengths and blessings and determine where our lives could use some fine tuning. It's a beautiful gift this life we have been given to live. I believe that we should never stop dreaming and reaching to make the next year even more fulfilling and wonderful than the last.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Story Book
Things that went Right Today:
1) Snow flakes falling on Christmas weekend! Beautiful
2) My new watch with Rhinestones from my girls. So glam
3) Bought some domain names. I feel so official.
My three year old son loves to tell stories. They all begin with "Once Upon A time" and are short and oh so sweet. He keeps us all laughing with his crazy tales, complete with priceless inflections and dramatizations. He's quite a little character. One of the favorite gifts I found waiting for me under the Christmas tree yesterday morning didn't cost a thing. It was a handmade book of stories...told by my darling little son and compiled and illustrated by his 12 year old sister as a surprise for me.
A few excerpts:
"Once Upon A Time there were three little Batmans and they still flying."
"Once Upon a Time there was three little chocolates and they went to a game."
"Once Upon a time an apple tree was flying to a bat. The End."
Now to most of you these stories may not sound like much. Certainly not the obvious manifestations of brilliance that I find them to be. But that's only because you did not see the face of the little boy who shared them with me. Countenance all lit up with excitement as he blurted out "Mommy, do you like my stories? I love you!" And you didn't see the pride on that innocent face when I told him they were the most wonderful stories I had ever read. And indeed they were. Because they were straight from his heart with no other purpose than to bring joy to someone else. What better gift could a mother ever receive than that?
I'm thankful today for the storybook that will help me relive these moments years from now when they otherwise would have faded from my memory. This really is the good stuff.
1) Snow flakes falling on Christmas weekend! Beautiful
2) My new watch with Rhinestones from my girls. So glam
3) Bought some domain names. I feel so official.
My three year old son loves to tell stories. They all begin with "Once Upon A time" and are short and oh so sweet. He keeps us all laughing with his crazy tales, complete with priceless inflections and dramatizations. He's quite a little character. One of the favorite gifts I found waiting for me under the Christmas tree yesterday morning didn't cost a thing. It was a handmade book of stories...told by my darling little son and compiled and illustrated by his 12 year old sister as a surprise for me.
A few excerpts:
"Once Upon A Time there were three little Batmans and they still flying."
"Once Upon a Time there was three little chocolates and they went to a game."
"Once Upon a time an apple tree was flying to a bat. The End."
Now to most of you these stories may not sound like much. Certainly not the obvious manifestations of brilliance that I find them to be. But that's only because you did not see the face of the little boy who shared them with me. Countenance all lit up with excitement as he blurted out "Mommy, do you like my stories? I love you!" And you didn't see the pride on that innocent face when I told him they were the most wonderful stories I had ever read. And indeed they were. Because they were straight from his heart with no other purpose than to bring joy to someone else. What better gift could a mother ever receive than that?
I'm thankful today for the storybook that will help me relive these moments years from now when they otherwise would have faded from my memory. This really is the good stuff.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
HGTV
Things That went right today:
1) Got moved over to the new/old house
2) Daughters sweet 16 birthday party tonight
3) Missionary son having success
I am a big fan of HGTV. Candace Olsen is my favorite but I really like them all. I have been known on occasion to watch lengthy marathons of color splash and house hunters. It's fun to take a peek into other people's homes. Get some ideas for decorating. See how creative the designers are, often on a shoestring budget. Most of the things they do I know I could never actually recreate in my own home, but its fun to dream. To see how completely a space can be transformed with some imagination and muscle grease. For the most part it is really a lot of fun.
There is one danger I have discovered though. If I am not careful I can begin to feel discontent. As I see the wonderful features of other people's homes, sometimes mine doesn't look as good by comparison. Things that I don't have begin to seem standard as I see them over and over. Higher ceilings sure are nice. And giant picture windows. New furniture with no pen marks on it. Gorgeous tile back splashes. Granite around the fireplace and on every counter surface. sigh. How come my house doesn't look like that? I begin to want to keep with the Joneses and feel like what I have is not good enough. So I have to be careful about watching too much. If those thoughts creep in I turn it off. Because the truth is I am extraordinarily blessed.
I've moved several times this past year into some kind of odd circumstances. A rental home that had an paltry assortment of furniture and a home that was quite small for the size of my family. We had 6 children sharing one bathroom. It was 'interesting". We just moved a few days ago back into our old home. We have only moved a few of our belongings so far, so we have very little furniture and a small collection of dishes and other amenities. No TV service yet. But yet I am at peace and it feels like home. Why? Because I have everything that matters right here. My family is healthy. We have plenty of food to eat. A roof over our heads. Clothes on our backs. That is more than so many others worldwide can say. We are very fortunate. I have learned over these past few years how little a person actually NEEDS to have a happy life. The basics and a lot of love. That is the secret to happiness. Granite countertops are a nice bonus but certainly not mandatory. So I still plan to watch HGTV. I am learning to keep my home cleaner and more organized and what a difference that makes to the environment here. I am learning how to arrange furniture to make spaces flow better. How to choose more modern colors of paint. How to make old things seem new again with very little money. How to make my home a more beautiful place for my family. And whenever we do have some extra money, I have lots of wonderful ideas for home improvement. But all in due time. My life is full and complete just as it is and I am so thankful to be home again.
1) Got moved over to the new/old house
2) Daughters sweet 16 birthday party tonight
3) Missionary son having success
I am a big fan of HGTV. Candace Olsen is my favorite but I really like them all. I have been known on occasion to watch lengthy marathons of color splash and house hunters. It's fun to take a peek into other people's homes. Get some ideas for decorating. See how creative the designers are, often on a shoestring budget. Most of the things they do I know I could never actually recreate in my own home, but its fun to dream. To see how completely a space can be transformed with some imagination and muscle grease. For the most part it is really a lot of fun.
There is one danger I have discovered though. If I am not careful I can begin to feel discontent. As I see the wonderful features of other people's homes, sometimes mine doesn't look as good by comparison. Things that I don't have begin to seem standard as I see them over and over. Higher ceilings sure are nice. And giant picture windows. New furniture with no pen marks on it. Gorgeous tile back splashes. Granite around the fireplace and on every counter surface. sigh. How come my house doesn't look like that? I begin to want to keep with the Joneses and feel like what I have is not good enough. So I have to be careful about watching too much. If those thoughts creep in I turn it off. Because the truth is I am extraordinarily blessed.
I've moved several times this past year into some kind of odd circumstances. A rental home that had an paltry assortment of furniture and a home that was quite small for the size of my family. We had 6 children sharing one bathroom. It was 'interesting". We just moved a few days ago back into our old home. We have only moved a few of our belongings so far, so we have very little furniture and a small collection of dishes and other amenities. No TV service yet. But yet I am at peace and it feels like home. Why? Because I have everything that matters right here. My family is healthy. We have plenty of food to eat. A roof over our heads. Clothes on our backs. That is more than so many others worldwide can say. We are very fortunate. I have learned over these past few years how little a person actually NEEDS to have a happy life. The basics and a lot of love. That is the secret to happiness. Granite countertops are a nice bonus but certainly not mandatory. So I still plan to watch HGTV. I am learning to keep my home cleaner and more organized and what a difference that makes to the environment here. I am learning how to arrange furniture to make spaces flow better. How to choose more modern colors of paint. How to make old things seem new again with very little money. How to make my home a more beautiful place for my family. And whenever we do have some extra money, I have lots of wonderful ideas for home improvement. But all in due time. My life is full and complete just as it is and I am so thankful to be home again.
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