Me time

It's no secret here that I am a girl who needs her alone time. March has not been so accommodating of that. 

I love that my boys are involved in extracurricular activities -- one in track, one in dance and singing, one in Model UN this year -- but it has me feeling more than a little stretched right now.

This month, with its Mayo Clinic visitors, a kid in driver's ed, and me at the center of a church service for today (which went off without a hitch), has been busy.

So busy that, aside from the new Cosmos, I haven't seen much TV -- even the news. So much that I still have not even downloaded the book group book. So much that I vowed to dye my hair on Thursday, and the box sits on my bathroom counter, as yet unused.

I am ready for some me time -- preferably with a book. We all choose how to spend our time, but with my job , the boys, church, friends and a wet basement, I have had few choices. It's, frankly, been a drag.

March has been cold -- today's high was supposed to be 62, but a stiff breeze and cloudy skies left it feeling colder. We are all frustrated. I am looking forward to a trip tomorrow, the first college visit. Just me and Garrett, in what I hope will be fun and eye-opening and inspiring for him, as I guess all parents hope when they embark on such trips. We 're not going south, but a change of scenery will do me good regardless of the temperature .

March. There's one day left of you, and somehow I have a vague, unsettled feeling that you'll get your licks in until the last possible minute. You have not been pleasant, and I will be glad to be rid of you.

I just hope that whatever you have up your sleeve is something I can handle.

April, come on in. Bring your showers, as long as temps are closer to 60 than 30. I'll take it -- and my camper (and a few good reads) are waiting.

Mine field

March has been a mine field.

When my boys were small, we had several years (5 at least, maybe more) where March was nothing but one runny nose/cold/stomach flu after another. I would have sick kids, each bringing home a different illness, then sharing it with his siblings, so that we had a round-robin of disgusting symptoms coupled with fights over taking medicine and kids so clingy I couldn't go to the bathroom alone.

Fortunately, we are done with that phase, and things have been calm the last few Marches.

But this year. Oh my, when it hit, it hit hard. A friend's mom with a scary diagnosis and a decision to move in with said friend for access to docs here at the Clinic. Temporary. to be sure -- just a couple of months. But it throws things off to have a houseguest for weeks, especially if said guest is maybe not feeling well. Would any of them do it any other way? I think not. But that doesn't make the hard parts less hard.

In the midst of that, the loss of a beloved pet. Because, why not face mortality on 2 fronts, right? Tough days for that family, for sure.

Then, extended family members and the loss of another beloved pet.

Another friend is in a leadership position in an organization that is facing some challenges that are shaping up to be a battle. Unnecessary, unpleasant, and stressful for me on a different level because I am part of the organization.

Extended family in town for tests at Mayo.

Friends of friends here for the same reason, now extending their stay to 2 weeks or more, hoping for answers.

I am trying to be a good friend, to be supportive without being prying or intrusive, to accept whatever information people feel comfortable sharing. But I feel like I am standing in a mine field, and my friends are walking all around me, and every few seconds something else blows up.

And Sunday night, my own explosion. After a long and painful separation, difficult but necessary, I will have the opportunity to reconcile a relationship, exorcise some demons, and provide comfort (I hope) to someone I love.

This morning? A friend I have known for nearly 10 years online lost her dad.

Seriously?

Life is a mine field. We are all, I guess, dodging fireballs and hoping we can navigate our way through with as little damage to ourselves as possible while still providing support to those around us. I hope you and yours are well, if you're reading this, and if you're in a mine field of your own right now, take comfort that you're not alone, and remember Winston Churchill's words, "If you're walking through hell, keep going."

Busy

I'll be back -- I am currently in my basement laundry room, mesmerized by the glowing blue dials of my brand new washer and dryer set.

It's the first new set I've ever had, and it is lovely -- a high efficiency top loading washer (the kind with a giant 5 cubic foot tub and no center agitator) and an equally lovely 7+ cubic foot dryer.

They arrived yesterday and, after 5 hours of plumbing and electrical work, my husband pronounced them ready to use.

We sat in the laundry room for almost an hour as we ran the first load of clothes through it. I am not kidding.

So far, so good. I obsessively researched machines until I was so overwhelmed by the compliments and complaints about every top-loader available I couldn't see straight. Three loads in, I can see the merit in the complaints (twisted clothes? yes, but not terribly, and the compliments (the clothes DO come out practically dry!).

At any rate, they are here, the laundry room is clean (shelves cleared off for the recent church rummage sale, vinyl installed on the concrete pad where the machines sit, floor scrubbed, walls freshly painted), and I am grateful to have my own machines that do not have to be shared with a barracks full of people, and grateful for my husband who is the ultimate handyman.

Life is good.

Lest you think otherwise

Aforementioned retired neighbor is a nice guy. Honestly, he has never complained about my weeds (at least not to my face). Having dealt with the neighbors from hell in California, I can live with this guy.

And I sold out today and used a weed killer. (I know, corn gluten. Whatever.) I had the stuff in the garage and the means to do it. ***Miraculous occurrence ahead*** We moved into this house in 1997. That's 11 years ago. When we bought it the outside spigot on the front of the house had no handle. It had to be turned on and off with a wrench. Rob told me it was no big deal and we bought a replacement spigot the day we closed, in the giant $500 Menard's shopping spree that included paint, drop cloths, and our wonderful Weber kettle grill. I mentioned it last night as I was leaving for a meeting, kind of in a teasing way. Since we already had the evil chemicals I figured I could use them. (And to be frank, there is really no other option. The whole yard is clover, dandelions, Creeping Charlie, and crabgrass.) The container hooks up to the hose, but I hate fiddling with the wrench. Lo and behold, when I got home I discovered my darling husband had installed the new spigot. Never mind that he was congratulating himself as though he had found a cure for cancer or a way to lasting world peace, he did get the job done. LOL

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Here's a recap of my week:

Monday: chaperoned Evan's class trip to the Minnesota Zoo, Evan had soccer in the evening
Tuesday: volunteered at school in the morning, spent the afternoon in the driveway vacuuming and cleaning out the minivan. (It looks amazing!), Garrett had baseball in the evening
Wednesday: volunteered for DFL in morning, tried to clean a little in the house and finish up the car, Evan had soccer in evening
Thursday: volunteered at school in morning, had lunch out with Rob and Spencer, spent the afternoon supervising field day for the K-3rd grades at a park near the school (and got sunburned despite the hat, sunglasses, 50 SPF lotion, and standing in the shade for most of the day), Garrett had baseball in evening
Friday: ran to the library, dollar store and grocery store with Spencer this morning, then had a volunteer thing get canceled (woo hoo!) so I ran to buy a storage thing for food when we camp (the 60 gallon Rubbermaid tote wasn't working so well), and found tires for the camper. Installation was FREE (helLO), so we had them put on and ran to get covers for the tires (the sun is really hard on them). While out we stopped for lemon garlic chicken kabobs at our favorite butcher and tzatziki sauce at a little place nearby. Rob fired up the grill when we got home, I made some rice and some veggie kabobs, and we had a lovely dinner. A quick walk on the shores of Silver Lake helped us wear the boys and the dog out. We still try to practice the physical exhaustion theory of parenting. LOL It works.

So there you have it. A week in the life. It feels good, though -- a less busy week is ahead (not as much volunteering, I hope). It's a good thing because I have lots to do in preparation for the inaugural camping trip of 2008. Hard to believe it's only a week away.

Progress

Rob cleaned the boys' room on Sunday. For almost 7 hours.

Seriously. It was a disaster. Dirty socks strewn behind bookshelves, gloves and mittens stowed carelessly in corners (have I mentioned how many times my kids have had to go to school in mismatched mittens because we could not find ONE pair?), and -- the piece de resistance -- a pile of clothes and a backpack in Spencer's closet on which the dog had peed god knows how long ago. I could smell it but I couldn't find the source. Oh, how thoroughly disgusting.

They hauled out 6 or 8 brown grocery bags stuffed full to the trash and recycling. My laundry (which was mostly caught up prior to the cleaning) ended up being 8 loads. Let me mention that white vinegar does a bang-up job of removing pet odors from clothing and backpacks.

I was sent downstairs to the main floor by my husband who refused to let me berate the children for hours on end (he's a keeper, that one). They fixed drawers that were stuck (now I know why Spencer kept telling me he didn't have any pants to wear. Did he tell me that the drawer was stuck, though? *Sigh*). They found NINE pairs of children's scissors. NINE. And I can't manage to get them to leave the one pair in the phone alcove alone.

And lest you think the little darlings learned any lessons from this flurry of cleaning, they left for last night's baseball game and I went upstairs to put fresh sheets on Spencer's bed and put his no-longer-pee-infused bedspread on, and I found: Legos from 2 storage tubs strewn about near the stairs; Dora's house and her Lego playground, along with most of the furniture (although no people, strangely) in the play area; and a wooden house built by Rob and one of the kids with more furniture and other accessories in the bedroom. To add to the delightful ambience, a travel game of tiny magnetic chess and checker pieces was artfully sprinkled across the carpet.

So I now have a 60 gallon Rubbermaid tote in hiding in the spare bedroom. Argh.

The good news is it is now clean up there, again. And I am reworking the chore charts, considering incentives, and I have consulted the kids' principal for guidance. Let's hope his ideas work.

We went through their clothes today and cleaned out another 60 gallon tote of outgrown stuff. It's in the van ready to be dropped off at church later in the week for the spring rummage sale, along with another 40 gallon tote of cast offs from the closets in the grown-ups' room. And I got out the label maker, oh blessed thing, and made labels for the boys' drawers, to help them stay organized.

We have so much. And I am grateful. But sometimes I think the days of having one outfit for the week and one for Sundays, and corn cob dolls, and small, simple houses, and just what one needed might not have been all bad.

Again?

I have to confess I have not cooked an actual meal this entire week. My parents were here last weekend and I had cooked a few crock pot meals earlier that week, and on Monday I realized the bottom shelf of my refrigerator was crammed with leftovers. There was meat loaf, twice baked potatoes, pizza casserole, chicken breasts and bow tie pasta, cole slaw, pizza, and tons more.

It's all been good but even I am getting sick of the leftovers.

Not enough to actually go to the trouble of cooking something different, though.

Has anyone seen my red cardigan?

It's lost. I don't wear it often, and I need it for a soiree next Saturday night. I have rummaged through my closet and dresser (both of which are over full with clothes I don't wear often enough) and I can't find it. I hate it when my normally organized, tidy world gets a glitch in it. Especially when the cause of the glitch is me. Argh.

Nice weekend with my parents. I got to shop and do nothing with my mom for an afternoon, talk a lot, and see my kids with their grandparents, which always puts a smile on my face.

This week (and for all foreseeable weeks) my schedule is this:

Monday morning: cleaning house/doing laundry
Monday afternoon: volunteering
Tuesday morning: volunteering
Tuesday afternoon: at home
Wednesday morning: volunteering
Wednesday afternoon: at home
Thursday all day: volunteering
Friday: at home

And of course I have grand and glorious plans for getting things done around the house, which has to be accomplished in the relatively small amount of time I actually have at home. Add in any errand running I have, cooking meals, and general maintenance and upkeep on the house (the daily load of laundry, for example) and I have almost no time do to MY stuff. Man, I can't imagine how I'd get anything done if I had a real job. LOL

So, busy, busy, busy. The sun is shining, it's March, people! And I feel good. Plus, less than 2 weeks to Springsteen. Yay!

Sunshine and 21

Yep, 21 degrees right now -- and it feels GREAT! I can definitely feel the difference in the temp, and the sunshine is having its usual impact on my mood and energy level -- there is a vast improvement in both. My little light is a godsend, but there is still something about REAL sunshine that gives me a boost the light can't do.

The boys are all outside right now. I just refereed a squabble over whether someone was "TI" (time in) or "TO" (time out). Good lord, I think I understand why half the world is at war. Boys don't talk about anything -- a misunderstanding escalates in seconds to violence and bloodshed. I think the world would be more peaceful if more women were in charge, simply because of our insatiable need to question, analyze, and discuss things. The boys shoot first and ask questions later. Sheesh.

Some cleaning and tidying is on my agenda today, along with laundry and trying to muck out this room. My world headquarters is kind of a dump right now and I have reached the point where some cleaning and picking up has to be done in order for me to function in here. In addition, my folks are coming for Evan's birthday this week (Yay!) and I like things to be in order when my born-organized mother is in the house.

Okay, that's not terribly interesting, I guess, but it's what I've got today. Happy weekend, everybody!

Long day

I was a very productive little school volunteer today. I filed *months* (I am not exaggerating) worth of papers in Garrett's classroom, checked off homework, got the slips listing unfinished work written up and stapled to the packet of papers for the kids to bring home, cut about 200 3-inch pieces of yarn in the kindergarten workroom, filed more work for the kindergarten teacher, supervised 12 kinders writing sentences, put together the kindergarten book orders, and I watched an incredible pep rally featuring song parodies, skits, and a STOMP-style drum piece featuring trash can lids for cymbals (and everything was written, organized and performed by students).

I also contacted a DFL candidate out there who may be in need of my media consulting services -- something I love to do -- helping people get more comfortable in front of the camera, putting together talking points, rehearsing questions and answers to maximize the sound bites, coaching on speaking style and such. Totally fun stuff for me.

And there was a middle school meeting. For parents of incoming middle school students. That would be me. Wow. Garrett has already indicated he wants to try band next year (he has chosen the French horn) and the meeting gave me a lot of information and made me feel more confident about the educational choices we've made over the years. I really despise the entire middle school philosophy -- I think it is pure stupidity to take kids at possibly the most vulnerable point in their life, dump them into a school with 1,200 students, and expect them to navigate the physical and emotional stuff they're going through in addition to the drama inherent in that age group and the social pressure that is inevitable as kids figure out who they want to be. So the middle school option we went with minimizes the negative aspects of a bad system and makes the most of the good stuff.

Whew. Busy, but good. Heading now into a school weekend for Rob. The kids and I will go to a family game night at church tomorrow night, we have no real plans for Saturday, and I hope Sunday will be a relaxing family day.

I am looking forward to a selfish afternoon tomorrow, playing in the scrap room and hanging out. I may post here, I may not. If I don't, I wish you all a lovely weekend. (It's supposed to get above freezing here -- it is sad that to Minnesotans right now that sounds warm. Argh.)

Ciao.

Newsflash: The VA doesn't always suck

1:45 PM -- Spencer gets on the bus to school.
1:46 PM -- I get in the PT Cruiser and hit the road.
2:20 PM -- I arrive at the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis. My appointment is scheduled for 2:20.
2:22 PM -- I check in at the Podiatry desk and tell her I am running to the ladies' room.
2:24 PM -- I come back from the ladies' room to find a nurse waiting for me. She escorts me to an exam room and tells me to take off my shoes and socks. I do so and realize I forgot to bring my book. I have spent up to 40 minutes here waiting for a doc in the past.
2:27 PM -- The doc comes in and (miracle of miracles) produces the x-rays from my clinic here.
2:28 PM -- The doc looks at the x-rays, confirms what my civilian doc said, and tells me he will cast my feet right then for custom orthotics. The same orthotics that, in the civilian world would cost $521, are FREE to me as a veteran. He casts my feet, discusses shoe brands with me, shows me what the orthotics will look like, and informs me that I can have a pair every 6 months. They last 5 years or more. He says Aleve and Motrin (up to 2400 mg per day) are fine to use for pain relief, and he gives me little clear silicone arch supports to use in sandals this summer. He suggests several simple exercises and stretches to do to keep the ligaments loose, and tells me he will see me in 3 months to see how things are going. If the inserts are comfortable he will put them on permanent hold so I can order new inserts when I need them without having to be recast.
2:45 PM -- I am in my car with the x-rays (won't my clinic be surprised that I can be trusted to hand carry records!) and on my way home with a new lease on life.

I feel SO much better. Not once did the doc say anything about my weight. He asked if we wear shoes in the house. When I told him no, he said that would have to change and that was a large part of it. No support when trucking up and down stairs hauling laundry, standing in the kitchen for hours on end baking and canning, vacuuming, or doing the thousands of other tasks that make up my life. Does my weight make a difference? I am sure it does. But it isn't the root cause and it didn't even merit a mention from the doc. Whew.

Thanks again to all of you who have emailed, called, sent cards, brought meals (oh my goodness, Tracy, when you send that lasagna recipe can I share it here? It was SO good!) and all the other things that made a dreary few weeks a little bit better.

The only thing that could have improved the doc appointment? If he would have recommended Clarks. No such luck. *Sigh*

Frantic Friday

The dog had a vet appointment at 9 this morning because she's been limping. It's an infected nail bed. Got her antibiotics and $70 later we were out of there.

Drop dog at home, race to Dr.'s office with all 3 boys where we all get flu shots. I went first. It hardly hurt at all. Seriously, like a mosquito bite. Garrett did fine (which is unlike him), then Evan, who tensed up his whole arm. I told him to relax, but did Dan, the nurse who is nice but whose IQ is not quite as high as his shoe size, wait for a second or two until he relaxed? No. So Evan is in tears because it hurt so bad. Argh. On to Spencer, who *screamed* while getting his shot. After I had told him it hardly hurt at all. Bad Mama.

Big boys dropped at school. Home with Spence for a while to try to feel better; then off to the salon for a hair cut. It looks FAB. Love it. A few minutes at home, then the boys (who have early dismissal today) will be home and we will all go run errands (drop off some bills, mail others, fuel up the car) and get some groceries.

Once we have food we will pick up Garrett's friend for a sleepover.

Rob is at school, so far I am feeling fine with the flu shot thing, and I am hoping the boys will all hang out for the evening and I can play in the scrap room.

Not a bad day, just busy. And I wonder why when I looked in the mirror in the salon I had bags under my eyes. Go figure. Just another glamorous day in my life.

Ahhhhhhhhh ......

that is my contented sigh as I settle in for the evening. Things are mostly put back in their places. Laundry is once again moving through the endless assembly line. The kids are playing the Wii, Rob is at the Y getting a little exercise and catching up on class reading, and I am congratulating myself on making it through the weekend.

The boys and I spent about an hour putting away summer clothes, sorting out clothes that are outgrown, and pulling out the winter stuff. Spencer got a little annoyed having to try on a thousand pairs of pants but the good news is I really only need to buy him one pair of jeans and he is set for winter.

Tonight I am making these for dinner (without the cut-out faces) and we are eating them on a blanket in the family room with some fresh veggies and dip while we watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition. The kids love to do this, and it is such a nice quiet way to end the weekend/start the week.

I have lots of stuff set aside for next week's sale at church, plenty of projects to keep me busy at home during the week, and I am volunteering at school Monday morning to take down the Book Fair. Each week I will also volunteer Tuesday morning in Evan's class, and Thursday afternoon in Spencer's class. I'll talk to Garrett's teacher this week to see how/when I can help her, and I will hope that I will still have a few hours to myself in the afternoons. LOL I am most grateful, though, that I have the ability to spend that kind of time in the classroom and be an active participant and helper to their teachers. Certainly not everyone has the ability to do that.

Have a good week.

Fall is in the air

We camped this weekend and were most grateful to have a furnace. It got down to 32 degrees Fahrenheit Saturday morning!

We attended the Minnesota Renaissance Festival on Saturday, where little Miss Pippa was the star of the day. People loved her. So did a fawn pug puppy named Dieter. LOL She was unimpressed.

We're back home now, and I have tackled "Mount Washmore" as FlyLady calls it. I hope to be done tomorrow evening. It is BAD.

And I thought I would update on my progress on the list (okay, and add a few things) from last week:

-copy recipes onto index cards and place in album
-paint back of scrap shelves with magnetic paint
-finish door jambs on main floor
-stain trim in basement
-hang suspended ceiling and install tiles in basement bath
-sort and organize photos
-sort and organize family history stuff
-sew bathrobes for kids
-sew table skirts for scrap room
-finish sweatshirt for Mom
-finish sweatshirt for Nancy
-choose photos, have them printed and laminated to create border for hallway
-mail envelope to Sally with Henry's paperwork
-print family group sheets for Aunt Ida to have them proofed and corrected
-write thank you notes for the Ohio trip
-make cards for Sally for her birthday
-add trim to baking cabinet
-sand / paint baking cabinet before obtaining solid surface top
-stain hot tub
-tear up hallway carpet
-remove tile from entry and bath
-stain arbor
-stain front door trim
-stain back door trim
-hang wood blind in family room
-paint hallway
-finish surf painting for kids' room
-finish bedroom curtains
-work on decorating idea book

Okay, it doesn't look like a lot, but remember I had to pack for camping and I babysat some friends' kids, and I DID manage to get enough evidence together to prove Rob is eligible for membership in a special group of a genealogical society in Ohio. Which isn't a big deal except it gives me access to more resources and if our kids or other descendants want to join later they will only have to document their link to us. So.

Yeah, I am off to do laundry and get my kids to finish their homework, then it's grading math papers and calling potential volunteers for the book fair. Have a good week, all!

Cleaning ... AGAIN.

Yes, I know you are probably all sick and tired of my ranting about cleanliness. Hell, I'M tired of it. But here I am, once again, in a cleaning frenzy.

My friend Sarah posted awhile ago about clean rooms. She is right -- sometimes it does get to be a sort of twisted contest -- "I can find THIS many things to do with my family instead of cleaning our house and thus I am the worst housekeeper." As Bitch, Ph. D. said, "Pity me."

Except I don't. I don't care, really, how anyone else lives. And unless they live in absolute filth (read: animal excrement, piles of dirty dishes attracting bugs and vermin, toilet bowls and refrigerators that look like 100 year old science experiments), I don't mind being at their house. Someone else's mess, someone else's dust, someone else's clutter, is not really a problem for me. But if you live in a mess I blame only you.

And logically I blame myself when I live in a mess. Even though there are 4 other human beings and a pug in my household. So I do all that I can to keep it neat. But here is where I have a problem. I have tried to explain this a thousand times and I have just quit since a woman had the nerve to tell me, "People are more important than things." Well, DUH. I mean, thanks, ya snippy little bitch, I NEVER would have placed my husband and children above my kitchen floors on the priority list if you hadn't said that to me. Honestly, I am still burning over that one and it's been a year. Have I mentioned I am a champion grudge holder?

Anyway. What I was trying to explain to this woman (along with a bunch of others) at the time was that if my house isn't clean I am not a good mom. She misunderstood. I don't mean that if your house isn't spotless you are not a good mom. For goodness' sake, no mom who lives in reality can have an always clean house. What I meant was that if my house is dirty, I am unhappy, and if I am unhappy, I am not a good mom.

Yes, I realize my standards are pretty high. I grew up in an immaculate house. My mom worked full time outside of the home in a CPA's office. From January through April 15 she probably worked 70 hours a week. But the house was always clean. It wasn't fancy, but things were put away. Laundry was done. The bathroom was clean. She was the only one who cleaned -- my dad was a throwback to the 50's -- and it always got done.

I have spent about 10 hours cleaning my kids' room and playroom this week. We cleaned the playroom Tuesday night. And yes, part of the problem is that my kids, like so many others, simply have too many toys. They do. And I have to own that I am part of that problem. But honestly, they have a place for each toy or type of toy, they have closets and bins and drawers, and still everything was mixed up. And the Happy Meal toys were all over. We don't eat at McD's all that often, yet here are all these toys. Are they reproducing up there? Are the toys having sex in my kids' room at night, making more useless little toys? I don't know, but the school is getting a 2 1/2 gallon Ziploc bag of little toys for prizes or whatever.

Four garbage bags have come out of there. My kids will draw a picture and then save it forever. Or they'll draw 10 almost identical pictures and save them all. Notebooks full. I have a paper sack full of 4T clothes for the Goodwill. I have not yet sorted through the summer clothes and added winter clothes back into the mix. I am not emotionally ready for that. But I will be able to get to that next week.

I have approximately 15 loads of laundry that need to be done now. My kids are constantly complaining they don't have clothes (or pajamas, or socks -- whatever). Imagine their surprise when I started pulling mountains of clothes out from behind beds, shelves and dressers. From inside the closet behind the dress up box came another mountain. Oh -- and when I emptied their drawers to fold and organize clothes to make it easier for them to put clothes away I discovered socks and underwear in the same drawer as T-shirts, swimming trunks, and sweatsuits. In another drawer was a pile of papers, a stack of baseball cards, a few dozen assorted Legos, and rocks. A plastic grocery bag full of rocks. Not beautiful, extraordinary rocks. Not rocks gathered from exotic, far away locales. Just rocks from the backyard landscaping. Granite, mostly. Just rocks. What, dear reader, am I supposed to do with this?

I guess the bottom line for me is this: I like a neat house. I think it makes a home feel peaceful and welcoming when it is tidy. I think it makes family life run more smoothly when things are in their place, when you can find what you need, when you can count on the keys being hung on the key rack by the door (or whatever). It may not be that way for everyone, but it is that way for me. I don't apologize for being a neat freak. It is who I am.

So yes, I DO get distressed over my kids' room. I probably get a little too freaked out over it. But today I conquered it. It is clean, the drawers are neat, the bookshelves are relatively organized ... it is a pleasure to be up there. So much so that the nightly bedtime story ritual (which I have sorely missed) will be reinstated this evening. Right after the kids pick up their room.

Yeah, yeah, I know. *Sigh*

Treasures and housecleaning

These were in the box my grandma sent yesterday. Amazing, huh? The first is my great-grandfather Walter. He was born in February 1884. The second is my grandma Sally at age 2 in 1925. The third is her mother, Edith at about age 16 (1899), the last is Walter again (Edith's husband, my great-grandfather), around 1920 in the workshop of his granite monument company. Awesome.

The boys and I are trying frantically to get the house in order before my dad arrives this evening. We are always thrilled to have him but with the camping lately the housework has suffered. And since we haven't got much of a system down for packing/unpacking/storage, the house was full of huge Rubbermaid containers of camping food and there is still a cooler of drinks in my kitchen. We are getting there, though, and Dad is bringing the Porta-Potti down for the camper as well as some awesome nesting mixing bowls and dishes (place settings for 6) so I will have plenty of dishes to feed 12. Very cool.

The A/C guy is coming this afternoon for the annual check-up and I am going to try to get an estimate to have a tree pulled from the back yard, a hair appointment, a nail appointment, and something fixed for dinner since Evan has baseball at 5:30.

Oh -- and it appears I have the ashes thing under control. The crematorium in Arizona faxed a Transit authorization to Rob at work. I can UPS the cremains and the paperwork to the cemetery in Wisconsin. They will take care of placing him in the family plot and my grandma will cover the bill. Grandma will sign the form requesting a free marker from the government (he is eligible because he was a WWII veteran) and pay the $60 fee for setting the marker when it comes in. Much less of a hassle than I anticipated.

A day in the life

10 a.m. Evan to the school admin building for a GATE test he missed during the year.

10:30 a.m. everyone to a park to meet Spencer's preschool class

11:30 a.m. home to dust the living room, unload and reload the dishwasher, get the boys' baseball uniforms into the washer, 27-fling-boogie the car, try to get through the massive pile of mail and random paper that has swallowed the counters in my kitchen. Remove unnecessary accessories from top of computer desk. Dust desk. Leave accessories all over desk.

12:10 p.m. discover that Shout does not work as advertised on the grass stains Garrett makes on baseball pants. Put clothes (stains and all) into dryer. Put baseball shirts into wash with other dark laundry. Get recycling sorted for pickup tomorrow. Call Garrett's friend's mom to find out if he can swim and is he allowed to go to the pool with us this afternoon. Yes. Yay.

1:30 p.m. Start rice in steamer for dinner. Gather swim stuff; kids change into suits and load stuff in car. Call Mom to find out if a sewing class offered locally is advertising the item she mentioned she wanted on recent visit. It is. Call sewing center to register for class. Panic after discovering said class is set for a Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. Decide to worry about child care later.

1:45 p.m. Leave to pick up Garrett's friend.

2:00 p.m. Arrive at pool with 4 little boys. Insist they all stay together as they go through the boys' locker room. Rush through to poolside to discover one of boys. Alone. Ummmm? Buddy system? Hel-LOoooo. Wait through lifeguard's hourly break which lasts approximately 5 minutes but seems like a lifetime. Sit in sun, cook, and watch children while trying to read Newsweek. Count heads obsessively. Wonder why it is always one of YOUR kids that is not visible. Thank your lucky stars it is one of your kids, not the extra. Shudder in horror at having to tell parents, "Sorry, I lost him." Count heads again. Move to shade because holy man it is hot out. Count heads again. Read trashy Newsweek article about trashy Princess Diana book coming out. Count heads again. Think about going to bookstore to buy trashy book the day it is released. Feel slightly ashamed, then shrug and decide to go with it and slough off the shame. Count heads again.

3:00 p.m. Get everyone rounded up and out of pool. Wait approximately an eternity while everyone puts on their shoes. Wonder how on earth it can take that long to put on shoes that don't lace up. Run into old friend from book group. Think, why do I always run into people I haven't seen in years when I am sunburned and my hair is crazy and .... oh forget it. Who cares anyway? Get kids into van. Argue with kid about sitiing in front seat. No. I said no. Because it is a 3 minute drive home and you have already argued with me for at least that long. Argh. Drive home. Hit a red at the ONE stoplight between pool and home; sit and wait, thinking, I could be home .... now. Or now. Or now. Light turns green. Go.

3:10 p.m. Arrive home. New entertainment center from a friend is sitting outside house. Wonder how on earth I can move that inside. Get kids into house. Garrett and friend descend to basement to play the Wii. Run down and put baseball shirts into dryer. Remove baseball pants from dryer. Sort another load of darks and put in washer. Sit down at computer to gear up for the remainder of the day.

Still to come ...

*feeding four boys dinner (thank goodness for Orange Chicken from Trader Joe's yum.)
*getting Evan to baseball at 5.
*getting Garrett and friend to baseball at another field, also at 5.
*putting accessories back on top of desk
*taking a shower to remove the layers of sweat that have accumulated
*moving entertainment center down to family room
*more laundry
*get kids home from baseball, bathed and in bed
*play on the Wii. Goal: to reach level 15 on ToeJam & Earl.
*collapse into bed, thankful that there is only 1 more night alone before reinforcements arrive.

Ahhh, the drama of the stay-at-home mom. Notice how very little I am actually home. LOL

One crazy day

I cleaned my fridge today. And yes, seriously, that was about all I got done in the house. It was BAD.

Then I showered, got Spence some lunch, and took him to school.

Then I ran back home to get the sharing bag for school, which he forgot in the kitchen. I dropped it off and went to the grocery store.

I filled up a cart, had to leave it at the front of the store and get ANOTHER cart, added several things to that, and checked out.

$270.00. Whoa.

Then I went home to drop off groceries, realizing on the way that
A) there was no way I would have time to put the cold groceries in the fridge and freezer before getting Spence from school at 3:15,
B) the dog had not been outside of her kennel all day (that is what I get for having a pug, the lazy little schmuck),
C) I had to be at school at 3:35 to pick up Garrett and Evan so I could get Evan and Spence to dance pictures, AND
D) Evan and Spencer still needed black dress socks and belts for their dance costumes.

So I called my friend Laura, who is a neighbor and has 3 lovely daughters. Emma came over for me, walked Pippa, and then put away all the cold groceries for me while I ran to get Spence, etc. etc. etc. Totally worth the $15 I paid her.

I got Spence on time, picked up the big boys, ran to KMart for the belts and socks, got to dance, wrote a check for $80 for the pictures (which turned out WAY cute), and took a deep breath and came home.

My house is a mess but I am going to tackle it tonight and I really am looking forward to having family here this weekend.

Oh -- and I am SO glad today is about done. LOL