A real life peek.

I am not quite ready for bed, thanks to that heavenly afternoon nap. 

Instead, I am looking through all the photos I took today, of Easter Part II, and trying to decide which pic I am going to submit for my manual assignment (due tomorrow).

My mind is also taking me to my to do list that will get started on first thing in the morning.  Monday is clean house day around these parts, it used to be Saturday (“Saturday is a special day…”) so the house would be ready for the Sabbath.  But then, thanks to a wise sister-in-law, I was converted to the “Clean House Monday” religion (of sorts).

Really, it doesn’t make much sense for me to get my house in tip-top condition, only to have everyone home, messing it up, for me to do it all over again on Monday.

Pain in the butt.

Don’t get me wrong, the house is tidy, just not immaculate.  We are ready for Sunday, and we do rest and take it easy, so Monday is the day when I bring it all out.

Just to give you an idea as to the condition of my house right this second:

- Lasagna pan is soaking in the sink, the dishes we ate on, in the adjoining sink.  The dishwasher needs to be emptied.

- A few errant drops of juice are stuck to the floor in the kitchen, I can find them just fine with my bare feet, but my eyes are a different story.  The steam mop will get them tomorrow.

- The loft is in need of a good vacuuming, Peyton + Cheez Its = mess!

- I have one load of towels to fold.  We had plenty for our baths last night.

- Various shoes need to be reunited with the proper owners.

- Works of art, created by my three little artists, need to be sorted, tagged,  and filed away.

I am so thankful for this weekend, that I was able to relax, and that Merrill was actually able to enjoy it with us!

We’ll get on to this mental list tomorrow..

Clean House Monday..

I was so excited to get to it this morning.

Last week was my birthday, and I got yet another awesome gift.

I am in love!!

Some people might think I am weird, but I am really normal, to myself at least.

Last year, I got the Dyson.

Changed my life.

Some people might think that’s an awful gift.  Not me…

I am all about cleanliness, I get it from my mom.  (She’s a little OCD, you can’t dispute it mom..  you made me the way I am.)

As I hinted, researched, and hinted some more, Merrill admitted to me that he was looking for just what I wanted.

A Shark floor steamer.

(See..  I am kinda weird!)

Yes, it gets weirder as I am the one who went and picked it up..  I also had a coupon to go towards the purchase (I am in love with coupons..), and it was one of the best gifts I received.

(I have many more yet to play with..)

But today, I was in heaven.

I filled-up the extra large water tank twice, even though I only needed to once, and steamed away.

It was fun.

(Now are you convinced that I am weird?)

I would have eaten off my bathroom floor, it is that clean.

But we are teaching our children about the importance of family mealtime..  that would have been a bad example.

Because I felt like it..

It was like any other Monday...
Cleaning the house.
Finishing laundry..
Then I went to the basement.
Arggh.. the disorganization!! I had had enough.
I went to IKEA.



I had been planning on going, just waiting for the right time. I had purchased my bins long ago, planned out the way this was going to be fixed, I just needed to get there.
So I went, today. After feeding the kids lunch, making them all go potty, snagging some books, water bottles, and treats and tunes for the road.
Little to no planning (which is unlike me) and three kids in tow.
It went better than an un-planned trip to IKEA with three kiddos would imaginably go.
They each were allowed to pick out one toy from the bins.
Lynn got a white "mouse", a rat, really, but she thinks that word is gross.
Ashley picked out a heart with hands, creepy/cute, but hilarious to Peyton, especially when Ashley high-fives it.
And everyone helped Peyton to pick out a dog. It is her fascination lately, and she makes them say, "meeeowwww...".
All in all, it got done.



Hopefully I can get it all put together soon, fight the disorganization at last.

No Mercy..

This is my DI pile.. well, part of it.
There is no mercy in my house when it comes to what we are holding on to.
The spring cleaning bug has bitten, hard, and I have been in the mood for a month plus. Many projects, cleaning, organizing, and painting. We've been busy around here!
My largest (and hardest..) under-taking was going through all of my little girls clothes (from 0 months-5 girls) and giving or throwing away many items.
Flashbacks came heavy and hit hard.
I then organized it all...
It was hard going through Peyton's next size.. these are the clothes Lynn wore when I was pregnant with Ash.. there's my body clock.. ticking away.. telling me what I should really be doing right now, gestating..
I am trying to put it all aside.
Took apart the changing table (first time it has ever been taken apart and packed away.. it's always been up in the nursery, waiting for the arrival of the next little one.). I am planning on painting the nursery. Peyton needs a big girl room, and if I am really done having babies, I need the reminders, the things that make me long for another little one, out of sight.

It's over!!!!

My headache is still a ragin'.. I thought it would be gone.. but I think it's hormones.
Yesterday was the Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts.. I was slightly stressed, as all the prep did not work out the way Christie and I thought it would.. there were a few small miracles though! I also had the Arrow of Light Ceremony to perform. It is the highest award (equivalent to the Boy Scouts Eagle) in Cub Scouting.. that equals a big deal.. I was slightly worried about that. I am told it was good..
I started my day of with a chocolate nutrition bar (aka fudge brownie from Paradise Cafe and Bakery.. go there.. yum!) and glass of milk.. a good start to any busy Saturday. I had Peyton, who wanted to live on my hip, so I did things that required only one hand. I suddenly got the urge to deep clean the kitchen, the WHOLE KITCHEN.. that was nice.. took my mind off the stress to come.
So here we are.. Sunday night, living with a headache, but excited to start the day tomorrow.. re-decorate the scrap room :)
We ate stir fry for lunch.. I am sure the chicken breasts came from a chicken that answered to the name "Mindy" when she was alive ;)...
Funnies from the girls to come tomorrow..

Hard Day's Work..

I seriously thought I had it pretty rough today.. Clean House Monday.. then Mer got called into work with no time to shovel, at least a little.
Two trucks came in, loaded with furniture (the carpet is now laid on the second and third floors) to unload and get to where it needed to be.
Not done as easy as said, though.
The phone isn't all hooked up, and you need to have that to have an elevator!
No elevator to move furniture up to the second and third floors.
Ouch!
Some of the heavier stuff, needed to be placed somewhere else, temporarily.
Many guys worked very hard today!!
I was ready to quit shoveling 7 inches of the heaviest snow yet this winter.. my house still isn't completely done..
I would so rather be scrapbooking! (That was the mantra playing in my head ALL DAY..)

Birthday Celebrations..

Had a little Birthday breakfast yesterday with my "sisters".. I didn't post pics yesterday because.. well, I'll explain that one in a minute..
Went to Jaclyn's and Hallie had decorated, just for me!!
We had oranges, OJ, this yummy berry/waffle dish, with Cool Whip.. yum! Brooke was sweet enough to remember my aversion to blueberries, and put them in half, so I wouldn't ahve to endure them..
Second course was french toast, ala Jacks.. yummmm...
We got to sit and chat while the kids played.. and Peyton slept..
Hallie is the best niece and cousin ever!! The girls didn't quite want to come home with me when it was all over, well, nap time for Pey at least.. and Lynn begged to stay. We have been trying to teach her to not invite herself.. but Sophie soon asked Jaclyn, who said yes and granted my little girl's wish. I love how Sophie and Lynn love each other.. there was once a day when the two rarely got along, most of that was a communication breakdown, really just a bink in Lynnie-Lou's mouth :).. now they rarely want to be apart when they are together.
We gotta plan another day for Sophs to come play Jacks..
So Ashley caught wind of this plan, and immediately asked to stay too.. which they were generous enough to take on BOTH of my crazy girls.
So what was I to do with an afternoon with just one child to parent? Scrapbook? Clean? Craft? Nap? Hmmmm...
When it all came down to it, I cleaned..
That vacuum has me hooked!
I moved all the furniture in the basement, all except the TV armoire, and sucked-up all the gross stuff.. sooo fun! So clean house Monday almost was completed.. still have the upstairs to vacuum..
I got a little carried away, and before I knew it, Merrill was home with the girls.
Thanks Jaclyn, Brooke, and Hallie!! It was an awesome day yesterday!!
Thanks to everyone for birthday wishes sent via e-mail and Facebook.. phone calls too!!
More fun to come today!

Happy (early) Birthday to ME!!

The UPS guy came by today..
I nearly kissed him.
Then, I backed off, what happens when you assume?
This most exciting package might not be for me.
I looked at the label:
All American Trampoline
For Darlene maybe? She was entertaining the thought of getting one for herself, instead of over-hauling her central vac system..
I called Mer.. he was at another hotel's grand opening.. No answer..
I would have to hold myself back from ripping open the box and playing with it..
So I played Barbies with the girls instead.. their plot line kept me distracted for a while.. other Kelly dolls moving into our mansion because "their houses burned and their parents are dead", it was Ashley's development.
Called him again..
"I have been waiting for this phone call all day.." he says.. "Of course it's yours!! Happy Birthday, a little early!"
Thanks Mer!! Thanks too, to D & D and their birthday contribution to my fun gift..
Off to vacuum some more.. :)
Happy Birthday indeed... I've never looked forward to clean house Monday so much!

Three days...

So.. that cold that was in my house before Christmas.. the one I was avoiding so well.. I got it.
It hit me Saturday, and it hasn't been pretty.
Lynn got some variation of it, Ashley has it too, so we have been home bound for the last two days.
I am seriously not good for much. My head is quite foggy. I wish I could scrap!! But I know if I did, I'd just tear it all apart once I can see clearly again.. so I am behind in the 4 a week thing.. Let me enlighten you on what I have learned while being useless..
Snuggling up to my sweetie, always makes me feel better..
If I had broken that wish bone and come out victor, I would have wished that this would go away, never to return.. but really, Ash won, Lynn was broken hearted..
And the best way to spend a Monday, is playing..
I did get the house cleaned, re-acquainted myself with my hellacious non-sucking vacuum (just a week to go Mer ;)..).. got tons of laundry done, and managed to get a shower in before Merrill came home!
In Peyton's "I don't want to sleep unless you are holding me in a way that I can sleep but you can't" phase last night, I learned that watching Travel Channel's "Deep Fried Delights" and "Best Steakhouses" is a very bad idea.. can you say, hungry?
I ended-up taking Pey out for a drive after midnight, trying to get her to zonk.. it was short-lived. Let's hope it was a one night event :)
Sleeping with her on the couch, not so good.. she is a wild woman!! Yoga did't quite cure my back and neck today.

Thou shalt not covet..

..oh, but how I am..
I talked to Christie today on the phone.. normal, everyday kinda talk. I was telling her how I was doing pretty well on my "clean house Monday", trying to get that trend going again.. a goal for the year.. I told her I was almost done.. just dreading the vacuuming.. it was time for the kids to get out, I was getting Ash and Pey all ready to go when the phone rings again.. it was Christie.
"Don't go out in this, I'll get Lynn.. It's still snowing and I was going to go and get my kids.."
What a sweetie, eh?!
So Pey and Ash were standing by the window, waiting.. (I have another cute story about this, another time, perhaps?) Here's where my pic for the day fits in perfectly..When Christie shows up.. another sweet member of her family carried, yes CARRIED my ill shodden (that means shoes on the feet were not fitting for the white stuff falling from the sky and sticking to the cold ground..) child from the Kindergarten door to the cross walk.. thanks Hailey!!
But, it doesn't end there..
Christie was getting, what I thought to be my child, who I was prepared to carry up the driveway and into the house, because I had not gotten around to shoveling (see clean house Monday doesn't include the out of doors unless time permits..) but no.. she had in hand her most awesome and incredible DYSON!! She let me borrow her most awesome, most suck-y, eye-opening experience vacuum! Let me tell you...
I am trying to not be a covet-er.. the ten commandments are awesome..
I vacuumed my house.. most rooms twice. It was horrific, yet strangely satisfying at the same time, to see all the crap that my non-sucky vacuum leaves behind in it's non-sucky job..
I was sufficiently disgusted. And that was just my craft room.. berber carpet.. where does all of that stuff hide in berber carpet?
Thanks Christie!! You made my day, and I promise, I will give you back your vacuum tomorrow.. first thing!
And Mer.. you saw just what I want.. ;) 15 more days?!

Shadows...

So here I am, solo for bedtime, again... trying to convince Ash that her shadow, and the shadows of inanimate objects, are NOT out to get her...
All this drama while trying to get homework done and everything else ready for our crazy, not long enough Wednesday...
We had a blast today with our buddy Nathan (or Nat-an, as only Ash can say...). That kid is so stinkin' fun! Always making us laugh. Lynn didn't want to go to Kindergarten, that's how fun he is. It didn't help when mom showed up to drop off her cookie sheets for crafternoon... She really was determined to stay with Grammy here... I got her off, not very happy, but that all changed when she saw her friend Elle...
I didn't want to get my chores done today, playing with Nathan and Ash was far too tempting... we played some wild games of Candyland, and a Grandma W. classic, "find the stick of gum I hid so well" game that Nathan loves to play when he's here... but I eventually got them done... not as much as I should have; Peyton is being the vacuum, I should really clean the floors better...
But hey! I did manage to get groceries done today!

This and That...

Peyton's first 4th... well, this really was the 5th...Apparently, Ash thought that the "Build A Bear" dress was entirely appropriate attire for herself...I have been playing catch-up and clean-up ever since Saturday. Yesterday I spent the day cleaning and doing laundry. I got to my millionth and one load yesterday, and shhh!!! I have been doing laundry since Saturday... yes, that includes Sunday... DON"T TELL MOM!!!
My house was in need of a good scrubbing. I did not take a picture of the state of my kitchen sink at the risk of ruining many people's keyboards with the expulsion of their own vomit.. it was bad.
The only thing that could possibly meet the nastiness of my sink, was this yeasty smell emanating from my refrigerator area... I could smell it every time I shut the door. So I investigated... nothing in there that would possibly be that old... shut the door. I can still smell it. So I resembled a bloodhound, for just a minute or two, sniffing around the outside of my fridge. Did something spill underneath it? I sniff some more, only to find there is liquid underneath the little tray in my water and ice dispenser area. Some sweet child who must have assumed that there was also a drain connected to the bottom of that area, poured their left over milk (?) from breakfast in there. With it being so warm, and not house cleaning day, it sat, and grew, and stunk. It was insanely gross. It took a Lysol bath overnight.
I have to say what incredible friends and family I have!!! I have received so much help, support, and encouragement, even when I didn't think I needed it.
Thanks to all, and thanks to Christie for teaching me new fun things, making my girls some way cute clips (I'll post pics later...) AND cinnamon rolls... I love ya! Thanks to our "other Grandma"or "Mama", Kathy, Brooke's mom... she made Peyton this precious hooded towel and a dress, smocked, and an identical one on a doll... so sweet!
THANK YOU ALL!!!
Now I am off to finish laundry, last 2 loads... and get groceries done...

Am I nesting already???
Today I got this crazy impulse to clean EVERYTHING.
I mean, I usually clean the house every week, but today... I vacuumed everywhere, moving beds and couches, removing the cushions, taking everything out of the closets and cleaning them too...
Even the whole kitchen. The cupboards inside and out!
Every stitch of laundry, sheets too, washed, dried, and put away.
Either I am nesting or this Sudafed has another side-affect!