Laundry Tip

Posting this because a friend said I should! 

Most of us hate folding laundry.  It seems so tedious and time consuming.  A couple of years ago, I read something that suggested setting a timer for 5 minutes and going around your house and cleaning up the clutter and throwing it into a laundry basket.  It got me thinking about time. 

How long does it take to wash the dishes?  How long does it take to clean the bathroom?  How long does it take for me to vacuum?  How long does it take to fold a basket full of laundry?

How long does it take for me to fold a basket of laundry?  8 minutes or LESS!  I timed myself one time and it took only 8 minutes.  I was fascinated.  So now I constantly try to beat my 8 minutes.  I can do it in 6.  I can fold towels in just 4 minutes if I'm really focused, but a mixed basked of laundry I try to finish in less than 8! 

Now, it's folded.  Who wants to put it all away?  I have 4 children, and I sort of despise this part.  Everytime I open one of their dressers I want to clean it and organize it.  So, I started getting my boys to race each other.  I stack their clothes in piles by drawer.  All the socks and underwear in one pile.  The pj's in one pile,  The shirts in one, and finally pants and shorts in another.  I used to hand them the pile, but now they can get it on their own and they race to see who puts all of their clothes away first. 

I sort my own clothes the same way because it makes the put away much less annoying! 

I've heard if you can make it a game, it won't seem as terrible.  I kind of think it's true!  :)

Where has the time gone?

Poof!  Just like that the summer was here and gone and we are into fall already!

Things have changed.  Oh, so much has changed.  I have a new job and the girls attend a day care.  The house was put up for sale again and we have had several showings and an open house.  I've painted and painted and cleaned.  I've cleaned some more and purged some here and there.  Currently, I am not really sure what's left or where it's all located!  Fall Fest at our church has come and gone, and now I'm trying to get back into the groove that I never really had to begin with! 

I told a friend of mine that I haven't written on here in months.  Oh, that is true!

Back to teaching; back to trying to find time to get everything done!

Tonight my husband asked me to make this chicken dish.  I told him if we ever go to the grocery store again and buy some chicken, I could make it! 

I'm not any busier than most people I suppose.  The nice thing is that our time isn't focused on baseball, football, soccer and dance lessons.  I suppose soon enough.  Right now, it's all the stuff that Matt and I are in that occupy our time.

Matt and I celebrated 11 years of marriage a little over a week ago.  To celebrate we had a little getaway to Indy.  We toured some wineries and ended up at the JW Marriot.  Oh, it's beautiful.  We had a corner room that overlooked the state park and some of the museums downtown.  I would love to have the same room again sometime.  It was absolutely gorgeous!  Breathtaking! 
I seriously could have sat down on the ground and looked out the window for hours.  I enjoyed that room with that view so much!  It was a great little getaway just for the two of us.
5 wineries and 2 margaritas took us until 10:30 p.m. or so.  Unfortunately that wasn't late enough to hit the dance clubs so we stayed in and watched television while eating our chocolate baby grand piano!  You really do need to check out that hotel!!!!! 

Boot Camp and Sunburns

I have five more sessions of a 20-session boot camp.  I can't believe I have made it this far week after week.  I go work out M, W, and Sat. It's really the hardest this I've ever done.  It is thrilling, but painstaking!  The teacher is amazing!  She is very encouraging.  I think she does a great job at pushing us a bit further each time.  She is complimentary, and she'll make sure that we've got the proper form and all.  It is a very good class.  I just can't believe how hard it is!  This girl has gained some muscle!

One thing that I keep thinking about tonight is how much sunburn is going to feel tomorrow at boot camp.  I took all 4 kids swimming today at the City Pool.  We met some of our friends there.  We stayed for nearly 4 hours.  I could not believe how well Lucy behaved today!  She wasn't as well behaved tonight, but she was really good at the pool.  She didn't want to leave!  All of my kids were good.

I applied sun screen to them before we left for the pool.  I put some on my face and shoulders.  I reapplied sun screen around snack time which was about half way through, but I really could have used some sun screen on MY back.  Oh my!  One thing that's a bit encouraging is that I will probably not get another sunburn all summer long. 

I just hope that I can wait to start peeling until Sunday.  I've got a wedding to attend this Saturday!

Lucy celebrated her 4th birthday on Sunday.  I made a  homemade cake with homemade icing.  I bought black icing and was able to make a "Hello Kitty" on the top of it.  I used Laffy Taffy for the nose (just a teeny bit) and I used a pink one to make a bow for her.  It looked pretty cute.

Lucy got some great gifts, but she SCREAMED when she opened up a big Hello Kitty backpack.  It's super cute!  She absolutely loves it!

Rejoice

I am rejoicing because my 7th grade religion class has finished and performed the Living Stations of the Cross!  Yesterday was a great day!  We practiced, and I worried.  Now it's over!  It seems that most of my energy was focused on the Stations for the majority of the last month.  I can breathe easier.
They did a fantastic job by the way!  Many compliments were given and some said it was quite beautiful.  Our Deacon said it was the most beautiful stations he had ever seen!  What a compliment!  Great job 7th grade.

The students are all on Spring Break next week.  So this mom intends on cleaning up some things that have been neglected in order to cut and paint swords and shields, etc.  :)

Looking forward to Palm Sunday and Easter.  God Bless YOU! 

8 weeks or so of cRaZY!

So, Natalie continues to have a double ear-infection.  She's on her 4th round of antibiotics.  If it doesn't clear up, we will be looking at tubes.  It makes me a little sad, but we have to do whatever is best for her.  I just wish she would get better.

We've had many rounds of sickness of various types.  Last week and the week before was thorow up.  Landon had a fever a few weeks ago.  I had a cough that kept me up at night.  I had to sleep in a chair for a few days.  Tonight, Matt's not feeling well.

We were trying to sell our home to buy a house out at Lake Shores.  That fell through.  Someone else gets to enjoy that big, open kitchen.  :'(

I was suddenly faced with a decision about whether or not to put in for a full time job.  And after much prayer, I decided to hold out.  Quickly learned that the position was filled before I even had a chance.  Some said, oh that has to be a relief.  Honestly, I was numb.  I had prayed so much about it, that I was physically exhausted.  And honestly, somewhat disappointed. 

Another opportunity came to fruition, only to go to the informal interview and be turned away.  Uhhh, yeah.  That really happened to me.  I still can't believe this particular situation.  I am trying to work through this as it cannot be remedied quickly.

And then Sunday, a lovely couple sat down near me and my children and talked about how she was a stay at home mom for nearly 15 years.  And went back to college to get a Master's after 20 years.  She's happy and feels very blessed and that she is living out God's plan, not her plan, but God's plan.  It was just what I need to hear!  Reaffirming my feelings about returning to work and again felt like God was answering a prayer.  What a God send!  I told them so!  God knew what he was doing when prompting them to sit with us! 

I am looking forward to Easter!  I am looking forward to Natalie's Birthday!  I am looking forward to turning another year older!  I am looking forward to better weather and afternoons outside!  I am looking forward to Daffodils and NEW life!   

A 7 year old's Questions

Our son, who is in 1st grade, has been asking for Ipods, Ipads, cell phones, Nintendo DS3, Nintendo DSi, and the like.  We just keep saying no!  We don't have a tablet.  We recently got a Wii.  We don't have cable, but we have a lot of videos and DVD's.  (And while I type, I am sure that someone could laugh at the video ownership.)  Anyway, WHEN?  That's his question, every time this conversation comes up.  WHEN?    (NEVER!!!!) 

The fact is that I just don't have any desire to give him ANY of these things!  I am afraid they'll lead to brain drain!  HAHAHA!   (Do I sound like my mom?!)

One of our friends' son has a cell phone at the age of 12.  Landon thinks that he should be able to have one in 5 years!  REALLY!   . . .  NOOOOOO!

It's truly unreal how children today are plugged in.  Unfortuantely for parents, we still hear those
pain- staking words,  "I'm BORED!"  

Letting Go!

There are a few things that I need to let go.  I can't seem to, haven't done it in years and now I'm starting to make my self a bit paranoid, like maybe I need counseling or something.  The truth is, I am afraid that most people wouldn't understand why I hold on anyway.  These things don't make me unhappy really; they just tend to occupy my mind.  That's what is now becoming frustrating.  My mind could be and needs to be occupied with something else, something better. 

In an effort to let go once and for all, I thought I'd write about it here.  Unfortunately, it feels like I am just hiding it.  I was hopeful that I would feel some sort of resolve to the issue and instead, feel that maybe I can't let go because I am still hanging on to what I used to be.  Is there harm in that, is there harm in trying to tuck away those bits so that someday the person that you used to be may return.  She wasn't so awful, she was just so childless!  And I guess that won't work, because I'll never be childless again.  Even when they grow up and move out, my children will still be apart of me. 

So now, as I type it is clear that I am going to have to set my mind to letting these things go and giving it to God.  "Lord, help me to live in the now, to serve you and my family.  Help me to be the woman and mother you want me to be.  Amen."