When it is all said and done I will have to say and do it all over again... hmm. That is the truth about housework.
So I sit here with 13 hours to go on my project, but I realize now that my schedule was off. I don't really have 13 hours left, I have zero. With church in the a.m. and an all church lunch after that, I don't have time to get anymore cleaning done.
I would be depressed except I got so much accomplished that I am thrilled! I still have the two kids' rooms left and the hall cabinets, but I will get them done in the next few days. I got a great jump start on my Spring Cleaning, and since today is the official first day of Spring I am just on time.
The biggest surprise was that it snowed all day today. So we got a fire going in the fireplace, the kids had hot chocolate, and I made coffee and added hot chocolate to it for myself. The bundled brood were in and out of the house all day, playing in the last cold weather of the season with heavy coats and the mittens that Gramps made for them before he died. Over all it was a good day. And I am five, no six, maybe even seven steps closer to "Better Homes and Gardens" than I was 37 hours ago.
So as I sit here with my feet up next to the roaring fire I am amazed at myself. Not because I got the monumental done, but that I was willing to stop doing the monumental and actually live and love and laugh, and feed the kids from time to time, while I was doing it. That is a huge step for me.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Spring Cleaning 3000 of 4800
LAUNDRY ROOM a success!!!
Now let me be clear here... The Laundry Room services nine people, seven days a week and sometimes 18 hours a day! It is the spot for sundry household supplies (dog shampoo, left over paint, vaporizer, etc...) So when I have victory in The Laundry Room, it is truly a masterpiece of accomplishment!
Interruptions were numerous but pleasureful, as in grand baby came over with her parents. I had just fixed an early dinner, for when the kids started gnawing on my leg during one of my major projects I could point the hungry masses to Taco Soup and Jiffy Corn Bread!
Even with the visit and a few giggles, I got it done!
My husband is now home from his trip with our youth group and I won't get on to the next project until later.
I still have high hopes to get at least one bedroom done before nightfall!
Now let me be clear here... The Laundry Room services nine people, seven days a week and sometimes 18 hours a day! It is the spot for sundry household supplies (dog shampoo, left over paint, vaporizer, etc...) So when I have victory in The Laundry Room, it is truly a masterpiece of accomplishment!
Interruptions were numerous but pleasureful, as in grand baby came over with her parents. I had just fixed an early dinner, for when the kids started gnawing on my leg during one of my major projects I could point the hungry masses to Taco Soup and Jiffy Corn Bread!
Even with the visit and a few giggles, I got it done!
My husband is now home from his trip with our youth group and I won't get on to the next project until later.
I still have high hopes to get at least one bedroom done before nightfall!
Spring Cleaning 2600 of 4800
That freezer closet, well I underestimated it. Don't get me wrong, I GOT it done! But it did take longer than I thought, and to tell you the truth I didn't even set the timer, so I don't know how long it actually took. The kids were watching Sheldon on "channels" (Our kids have called Saturday morning cartoons, "channels" for years. Saturday is the only time they watch television channels. When they first called cartoons "channels" I thought it was so cute I never corrected them. Meg, our oldest, told me the other day that I must tell them the truth. There were some of those "cute" phrases she went to college with and she has never forgiven me. So tell them I must, but not yet.) when I started and I finally finished after "channels" went to Info-mercials. Which I won't let them watch because Matthias has tried to sell me that swiveling vacuum now for months!
Interruptions too many to count:
-Toddler wanted a drink, and then they all stood in line for one
-Same blond headed cutie pulled blond headed sister's blond hair
-Had to deal with the fit of rage from the little man and the melt down from the little lady
-Grown daughter called about a problem, I told her what I thought, which didn't end up being the best thing...
-Called another grown daughter to confess my transgression against her sister (which of course is not biblical, or even very smart), but in truth I was just trying to justify having said the wrong thing... so now I need to do some serious apologizing.
-Got Skyed by my brother, sat down and visited with him and his tribe for a few minutes.
-It started snowing, and the kids wanted to go outside before it melted (it's a North Texas thing) so I had to dig into the back of the coat closet to find hats and mittens etc... so they could go out into the tundra.
BUT! VICTORY IS MINE!
The freezer closet is now ordered and ready for the blankets that are piled in the bottom of my closet because the shelves in the freezer closet were too encumbered to allow for their proper placement.
Not to mention the benefit of being able to open the freezer door! Awe, what a joy!
On the the laundry room!!!
Interruptions too many to count:
-Toddler wanted a drink, and then they all stood in line for one
-Same blond headed cutie pulled blond headed sister's blond hair
-Had to deal with the fit of rage from the little man and the melt down from the little lady
-Grown daughter called about a problem, I told her what I thought, which didn't end up being the best thing...
-Called another grown daughter to confess my transgression against her sister (which of course is not biblical, or even very smart), but in truth I was just trying to justify having said the wrong thing... so now I need to do some serious apologizing.
-Got Skyed by my brother, sat down and visited with him and his tribe for a few minutes.
-It started snowing, and the kids wanted to go outside before it melted (it's a North Texas thing) so I had to dig into the back of the coat closet to find hats and mittens etc... so they could go out into the tundra.
BUT! VICTORY IS MINE!
The freezer closet is now ordered and ready for the blankets that are piled in the bottom of my closet because the shelves in the freezer closet were too encumbered to allow for their proper placement.
Not to mention the benefit of being able to open the freezer door! Awe, what a joy!
On the the laundry room!!!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Time to reflect 1200 of 4800
I think it is important to point out that I started in the master bedroom for good reason. It is always good to begin with the problems closest to us. I can't go around cleaning other's messes until I have my own under control. My mother-in-law taught me years ago that it isn't fair to expect my kid's areas to be clean if mine are still a mess, so I always start with myself. Great insight. Plus, tomorrow when I wake up I will have beauty and accomplishment surrounding me, instead of chaos. Always a good plan.
I dissolved the pile in the corner of the master bedroom and proved once again that we have wall to wall carpet.
I also cleared the dresser top, and found gift cards to the movies from Christmas, pictures of the baby when he was ten days old, and two delicious pieces of chocolate left in the box from Valentines day!
But I decided something at the close of those two endeavours, I have to give up on part of my project. Oh, don't get me wrong I'm not giving up, I am just being honest about the number of hours in the day and number of children still at home. (Oh yeah, I miss counted, I don't have four kids at home I have five :) I will get to the deepest cleaning, i.e., dresser drawers and under the beds, but probably not in every room in these two days. It's alright, I'm okay with it now.
Fixed dinner for the kids, and baked a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Christie and Andrew came over and we enjoyed the evening watching Aladdin with the kids. Got the little ones bathed, and in bed later than usual, Spring Break you know.
Now the big question is "Should I go ahead and tackle that freezer closet?" It is late, but it probably won't take that long.
"Tune in tomorrow to see if Anna got the closet tackled."
I dissolved the pile in the corner of the master bedroom and proved once again that we have wall to wall carpet.
I also cleared the dresser top, and found gift cards to the movies from Christmas, pictures of the baby when he was ten days old, and two delicious pieces of chocolate left in the box from Valentines day!
But I decided something at the close of those two endeavours, I have to give up on part of my project. Oh, don't get me wrong I'm not giving up, I am just being honest about the number of hours in the day and number of children still at home. (Oh yeah, I miss counted, I don't have four kids at home I have five :) I will get to the deepest cleaning, i.e., dresser drawers and under the beds, but probably not in every room in these two days. It's alright, I'm okay with it now.
Fixed dinner for the kids, and baked a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Christie and Andrew came over and we enjoyed the evening watching Aladdin with the kids. Got the little ones bathed, and in bed later than usual, Spring Break you know.
Now the big question is "Should I go ahead and tackle that freezer closet?" It is late, but it probably won't take that long.
"Tune in tomorrow to see if Anna got the closet tackled."
Speed Spring Cleaning 0090 of 4800
-Master bed room desk
This one took me three fifteen minute segments...ouch! But I also cleared out the pile of purses and brief cases and spiral notebooks that had been "neatly" stacked next to it. In the menagerie of notebooks I found my organization notebook for the marathon of three weddings and a baby that I "ran" in four and a half months. (Our second to the oldest daughter was married in March, I gave birth to our third son of ten children, our oldest daughter was married in June, and our third oldest daughter, twin to our second oldest, was married in July!) Along with that I found the purse that actually still held all of my receipts! Someday I will publish that amazing feat and this measly forty eight hours of organizing will look like a snowflake in a blizzard.
Amazingly NO interruptions!
This one took me three fifteen minute segments...ouch! But I also cleared out the pile of purses and brief cases and spiral notebooks that had been "neatly" stacked next to it. In the menagerie of notebooks I found my organization notebook for the marathon of three weddings and a baby that I "ran" in four and a half months. (Our second to the oldest daughter was married in March, I gave birth to our third son of ten children, our oldest daughter was married in June, and our third oldest daughter, twin to our second oldest, was married in July!) Along with that I found the purse that actually still held all of my receipts! Someday I will publish that amazing feat and this measly forty eight hours of organizing will look like a snowflake in a blizzard.
Amazingly NO interruptions!
0045 of 4800 Speed Spring Cleaning
Cleaned off Master bedroom nightstand
Should have gotten much further than I did...
One MAJOR interuption,
Found a little rubberbanded wad of folded papers, was going to toss it, but noticed how neatly it was put together so I opened the rubberband and noticed one of my married daughters handwriting.
Each piece of paper had been carefully torn either at the top or middle or bottom of a page into 2 inch strips. I opened one and read it. It was a prayer of thanksgiving for the Lord's provision in her life. I opened another, and another, I was compelled on by the snippets of her life and the praises that flowed from her innocent heart. One prayer of praise about money for a prom dress, another about a strained relationship with a close friend, another a praise for her youth leader and her youth group. One by one she had folded her praises and tucked them into a black rubberband, they spanned three or four years of simple praises from her heart to the heart of God. The very last one was about her new found relationship with the young man she ended up marrying. I folded them back into place, her teen years all wrapped into a single black rubberband, that simply that quickly. I will give them to her the next time she comes home. I can't throw that little wad away.
Should have gotten much further than I did...
One MAJOR interuption,
Found a little rubberbanded wad of folded papers, was going to toss it, but noticed how neatly it was put together so I opened the rubberband and noticed one of my married daughters handwriting.
Each piece of paper had been carefully torn either at the top or middle or bottom of a page into 2 inch strips. I opened one and read it. It was a prayer of thanksgiving for the Lord's provision in her life. I opened another, and another, I was compelled on by the snippets of her life and the praises that flowed from her innocent heart. One prayer of praise about money for a prom dress, another about a strained relationship with a close friend, another a praise for her youth leader and her youth group. One by one she had folded her praises and tucked them into a black rubberband, they spanned three or four years of simple praises from her heart to the heart of God. The very last one was about her new found relationship with the young man she ended up marrying. I folded them back into place, her teen years all wrapped into a single black rubberband, that simply that quickly. I will give them to her the next time she comes home. I can't throw that little wad away.
0030 of 4800
Fifteen more minutes
-Got his and hers laundry folded, hung and put away.
-Three pairs of shoes put away
-Three sheets folded and put away
-A partially used bag of diapers unpacked and stacked neatly...
One and half interuptions:
23 month old brought to me an "owie" that had to be duly "ooed" and "awed" over. And a quick call for the twelve year old to get him a bandaid.
Then for the next five minutes the talkative 12 year old had to expound on the hilarity of the bandaging.
Normally the masterbed would be "straight enough" at this point. But not today! Today is the day, the corners, the desk, the dresser top and the top of the armour will be purified!
Hurrah for another fifteen minutes down.
-Got his and hers laundry folded, hung and put away.
-Three pairs of shoes put away
-Three sheets folded and put away
-A partially used bag of diapers unpacked and stacked neatly...
One and half interuptions:
23 month old brought to me an "owie" that had to be duly "ooed" and "awed" over. And a quick call for the twelve year old to get him a bandaid.
Then for the next five minutes the talkative 12 year old had to expound on the hilarity of the bandaging.
Normally the masterbed would be "straight enough" at this point. But not today! Today is the day, the corners, the desk, the dresser top and the top of the armour will be purified!
Hurrah for another fifteen minutes down.
First Fifteen Minutes
I am a firm believer that if you break down a project into small bites you can get it done in half the time.
So my first fifteen minutes of my 48 hour goal...
Made masterbed
Sorted smallish mountain of clean laundry in masterbedroom into four piles, mine, his, toddler and the small stash of got put in the wrong room items.
Folded and put away toddler's clothing out of said mountain
Gathered dirty laundry from master closet and bathroom.
Switched over the laundry from darks to lights.
One interuption:
Natalie (age 7) skated into the house on roller blades and presented me with large butcher knife (inherited from grandfather who was a butcher) that was found in backyard. Dutifully thanked her for bringing in the hanious weapon and also dutifully scolded her for bringing it into me on roller blades. "Very dangerous." I said.
So my first fifteen minutes of my 48 hour goal...
Made masterbed
Sorted smallish mountain of clean laundry in masterbedroom into four piles, mine, his, toddler and the small stash of got put in the wrong room items.
Folded and put away toddler's clothing out of said mountain
Gathered dirty laundry from master closet and bathroom.
Switched over the laundry from darks to lights.
One interuption:
Natalie (age 7) skated into the house on roller blades and presented me with large butcher knife (inherited from grandfather who was a butcher) that was found in backyard. Dutifully thanked her for bringing in the hanious weapon and also dutifully scolded her for bringing it into me on roller blades. "Very dangerous." I said.
The Question is....
The question is "Will I get it all done?" When I set these goals, these huge, monumental, at least to my life, monumental goals I usually accomplish them... so I am encouraged. I encourage myself often that way, "Well I have done huge monumental things before, so I can this time too." To see it accomplished before I start, that is my big motivator, always is. I have two days, to get it done. So between meal preparation for the four (of the seven that are usually home, of the ten total children of whom I have given birth) kids that are home with me over Spring Break, and the set backs when the toddler bites Audrey (his four year old sister), yeah... well I think I can get it done.
Project Title: Get the house under control in 48 hours.
-Three of the five bedrooms completely decluttered, dejunked and "Better Homes and Gardens" ready.
-A complete clean sweep of the laundry room and shelves that are laden with old paint cans and dog shampoo (the dog ran away a month ago).
-Plus that freezer closet has got to be completely readied for real use, I have great shelves in there that are totally bogged down with wrapping remnants from Christmas, an old surger that I never learned to use, and boxes of photos, some organized some not. ( I am NOT going to getting into the picture mess today... I will save them for my grandmotherly years... oh wait, I am a grandmother! Okay, later, but not these two days.)
-Plus the hall cabinets with the games in one, the sheets in another and various fabric sorts in the bottom of both.
The goal in short: To wake up Sunday morning with renewed energy and strength for all of the important things I do with my life.
Project Title: Get the house under control in 48 hours.
-Three of the five bedrooms completely decluttered, dejunked and "Better Homes and Gardens" ready.
-A complete clean sweep of the laundry room and shelves that are laden with old paint cans and dog shampoo (the dog ran away a month ago).
-Plus that freezer closet has got to be completely readied for real use, I have great shelves in there that are totally bogged down with wrapping remnants from Christmas, an old surger that I never learned to use, and boxes of photos, some organized some not. ( I am NOT going to getting into the picture mess today... I will save them for my grandmotherly years... oh wait, I am a grandmother! Okay, later, but not these two days.)
-Plus the hall cabinets with the games in one, the sheets in another and various fabric sorts in the bottom of both.
The goal in short: To wake up Sunday morning with renewed energy and strength for all of the important things I do with my life.
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