The beginning of the school year always leaves me in a fluster ... I can't imagine working full time and trying to do all these "beginning of the year" activities AND keep up with the house and kids life. sheesh, talk about super moms! I just spent an hour "finding" my kitchen after a really busy week ... and I was semi-caught up before that hour. I spent another hour today cleaning the living room too. And I spent about three hours bitching about Girl Scouts with the Queen of GS. Not the most productive day, but it is what it is.
And now our dog is barking outside. Ug. Well, my life is crazy and I do not seem to be keeping up very well. That is where I am in the grand scheme of things right now.
but its all good. the girls and Bill and I are enjoying eachother and learning and growing together.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Sew, Exactly What Have I Created?
In less than a month I have created the following items for the girls and their dolls. The scary thing is that I have more projects on the cutting board. I have many wonderful ideas of things to make still. This freedom to design my own is addictive!
2 blue t-shirt dresses
2 yellow t-shirt dresses
green pants and shirt for Abby
Red rain coat for Abby
Blue daisy dress for Ivy
Yellow apron for Ivy
Pantaloons for Laura
Pantaloons for Ivy
red rain coat for Barbara
Black t-shirt dress
13 items and no patterns. This is what I like to do now. ....who'd ever a-thunk!!
2 blue t-shirt dresses
2 yellow t-shirt dresses
green pants and shirt for Abby
Red rain coat for Abby
Blue daisy dress for Ivy
Yellow apron for Ivy
Pantaloons for Laura
Pantaloons for Ivy
red rain coat for Barbara
Black t-shirt dress
13 items and no patterns. This is what I like to do now. ....who'd ever a-thunk!!
From T-Shirt to Dress
The girls LOVE to wear Bill's t-shirts, and he has a ton of them (thanks in part to my grandfather, who gleans free UofM t-shirts at all the sporting events he attends - which is a lot!) One day, when the girls had no pajamas to wear, I got the idea of making one of the t-shirts into a nightgown for them. I had no idea what I was going to do, but I loved the concept.
Well, one day a few weeks ago I snagged two blue t-shirts from Bill and created my first masterpiece! The girls love them (they are easy to wear) and actually wear them as dresses. I have since made 3 more dresses (each one a different style) and really enjoy this! eeekkkk!!
The sewing on all the dresses is, ummm, primitive at best, but I have learned a bit about sewing, and actually am getting better as each project is attempted. My last one involved quite a bit of cutting and re-sewing, and t-shirt fabric is not easy to work with because it rolls over and is hard to line up properly. BUT, I love the looks of the finished garment, and am going to attempt to sew on out of regular fabric this fall!
I am actually really enjoying this creative sewing venture. No patterns, no rules, just my imagination and vision to guide me.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Oh Martha!!
I ran across this list of things Martha says I should do every day:
1. Make the Bed: Tidiness begets tidiness. A crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more orderly, which makes it less likely that you'll let other things -- such as clothes and papers -- pile up around it. (This has never worked in my house. And, really, I like a loosely fluffed bed anyway. I just do not like a crisply made bed when I lay down to sleep.)
2. Manage Clutter: Whenever you leave a room, take a quick look around for anything that isn't where it should be. Pick it up and put it where it belongs. Insist that everyone in the household do the same.(Obviously Martha does not have two young kids living with her. OK, and me!)
3. Sort the Mail: Take a few minutes to open, read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside. Keep a trash bin near your sorting area for junk mail. Drop other mail into one of four in-boxes: personal correspondence, bills, catalogs, and filing. (I am actually fairly good at this one. As long as it is ME that brings in the mail. Then there is mail that is addressed to Bill ... it just sits around unopened for ever. Or opened and dumped on the counter.)
4. Clean as You Cook: Instead of filling the sink with pots and dishes, wash them or put them in the dishwasher as you prepare a meal. (But, then you burn your food you are cooking. This really does not work for me.)
5. Wipe Up Spills While They're Fresh: Whether it's tomato sauce on the cooktop or makeup on the bathroom counter, almost anything is faster and easier to remove if you attend to it immediately. (I really try. I do!!)
6. Sweep the Kitchen Floor: Every evening once you've finished washing up after dinner, sweep the floor. This will keep tough-to-clean dirt and grime from building up, which will make the weekly mopping much quicker. (Duh - obviously she does not have a shedding pooch around that simply necessitates this action! I'd say I sweep 6 days a week. Occasionally I miss a day due to business and such.)
So ... why is my house soooo crazy? Oh yea, clutter. Lucy.....
1. Make the Bed: Tidiness begets tidiness. A crisply made bed makes the whole room seem more orderly, which makes it less likely that you'll let other things -- such as clothes and papers -- pile up around it. (This has never worked in my house. And, really, I like a loosely fluffed bed anyway. I just do not like a crisply made bed when I lay down to sleep.)
2. Manage Clutter: Whenever you leave a room, take a quick look around for anything that isn't where it should be. Pick it up and put it where it belongs. Insist that everyone in the household do the same.(Obviously Martha does not have two young kids living with her. OK, and me!)
3. Sort the Mail: Take a few minutes to open, read, and sort mail as soon as you bring it inside. Keep a trash bin near your sorting area for junk mail. Drop other mail into one of four in-boxes: personal correspondence, bills, catalogs, and filing. (I am actually fairly good at this one. As long as it is ME that brings in the mail. Then there is mail that is addressed to Bill ... it just sits around unopened for ever. Or opened and dumped on the counter.)
4. Clean as You Cook: Instead of filling the sink with pots and dishes, wash them or put them in the dishwasher as you prepare a meal. (But, then you burn your food you are cooking. This really does not work for me.)
5. Wipe Up Spills While They're Fresh: Whether it's tomato sauce on the cooktop or makeup on the bathroom counter, almost anything is faster and easier to remove if you attend to it immediately. (I really try. I do!!)
6. Sweep the Kitchen Floor: Every evening once you've finished washing up after dinner, sweep the floor. This will keep tough-to-clean dirt and grime from building up, which will make the weekly mopping much quicker. (Duh - obviously she does not have a shedding pooch around that simply necessitates this action! I'd say I sweep 6 days a week. Occasionally I miss a day due to business and such.)
So ... why is my house soooo crazy? Oh yea, clutter. Lucy.....
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Time Consuming
I have been spending a ton of time this past week planning learning activities for the kids. Tons of time. Too much time, probably. And I have little to show for it. grumph!
So I shall continue - hopefully with a printer that works soon. That may help the process along some, since some of my ideas involve printing out stuff. I'd like to do a lapbook or two with the girls. I also want to do something - not sure what - with Lauren and her ravenous reading habit. We're talking entire books, complete with some heavy content, in 24-48 hours. Is she really grasping the content when she zooms through them so quickly? (most likely not really)
So, here I sit, still ... again ... even more, searching and planning. It is time consuming I say!
And then there is all this cleaning I have mentally committed myself to this summer. groan groan groan! I really hate cleaning, and it seems that I do not much else but that since I became a stay-at-home mom. Why is that? Is it because I have not much else to "occupy" my time and therefore feel productive? Yes, it is something along those lines. Oh well.
And finally, my idea to have the girls prepare their own meals this summer is surely time consuming! I just spent 30 minutes talking them through slicing an apple and trimming off some bruised parts. Thirty minutes for Two apples! I could have done that in 2 minutes, but that is not the point, is it? again, groan :) but with a positive spin.
me and my bright ideas
So I shall continue - hopefully with a printer that works soon. That may help the process along some, since some of my ideas involve printing out stuff. I'd like to do a lapbook or two with the girls. I also want to do something - not sure what - with Lauren and her ravenous reading habit. We're talking entire books, complete with some heavy content, in 24-48 hours. Is she really grasping the content when she zooms through them so quickly? (most likely not really)
So, here I sit, still ... again ... even more, searching and planning. It is time consuming I say!
And then there is all this cleaning I have mentally committed myself to this summer. groan groan groan! I really hate cleaning, and it seems that I do not much else but that since I became a stay-at-home mom. Why is that? Is it because I have not much else to "occupy" my time and therefore feel productive? Yes, it is something along those lines. Oh well.
And finally, my idea to have the girls prepare their own meals this summer is surely time consuming! I just spent 30 minutes talking them through slicing an apple and trimming off some bruised parts. Thirty minutes for Two apples! I could have done that in 2 minutes, but that is not the point, is it? again, groan :) but with a positive spin.
me and my bright ideas
Monday, June 29, 2009
Changes to my "Lucy Plan"
I have made some progress on my intense-cleaning plan, but I most defiantly have been derailed by the end of school, summer vacation, and my (almost over) job. However, this week is my last week to work as the job ends June 30th, so I have a modified plan in motion. So far it has worked well. ...but it has been only one day!
My new plan involves the kids. Together we are going to clean their rooms and areas where they significantly contribute to the overall mess and clutter of the house. This means that we are spending 30 mins each morning before we do anything else working on an agreed upon area.
Two days ago I sat down with them while they were happily munching a snack (and it might have even been candy, but my memory is fuzzy on the exact details) and told them that we were going to spend 30 mins each morning cleaning and doing chores before we did anything else. They were receptive to the idea - Hallelujah! I then wrote down a list for each girl, dictated by them, on what part of their room they wanted to work on and in what order. I reminded them last night too, so that they would not feel ambushed this morning. So far so good. We'll see how day 3 & 4 go!
Today Annika cleaned up her bookcase. I know, it is not much of an effort, but it is a start! It took her about 20 mins to dust and straighten out the books. We also cleaned up the area in front of it. (and right now both kids came to me and said they were hungry ... because they have been working for an hour cleaning. yea, right! They did work, but to be hungry already? less than 2 hrs after a large nutritious breakfast?) Lauren wanted to tackle her chest of drawers, and that took her quite a long time, but in her defence, I was helping Annika first. And we pulled out the chest and vacuumed behind it ... which she did herself and felt quite proud of her accomplishments. Again, we'll see how this lasts.
As for me ... I was able to do my 30 mins in our room before the kids even woke up. But I do need to continue on with the mudroom. It has been so long that most of my earlier work has been negated already. And then my desk area is slowly cluttering up too. But hopefully after this job is done I will not have as many odds and ends to keep track of.
Onward Ho, Lucy!
My new plan involves the kids. Together we are going to clean their rooms and areas where they significantly contribute to the overall mess and clutter of the house. This means that we are spending 30 mins each morning before we do anything else working on an agreed upon area.
Two days ago I sat down with them while they were happily munching a snack (and it might have even been candy, but my memory is fuzzy on the exact details) and told them that we were going to spend 30 mins each morning cleaning and doing chores before we did anything else. They were receptive to the idea - Hallelujah! I then wrote down a list for each girl, dictated by them, on what part of their room they wanted to work on and in what order. I reminded them last night too, so that they would not feel ambushed this morning. So far so good. We'll see how day 3 & 4 go!
Today Annika cleaned up her bookcase. I know, it is not much of an effort, but it is a start! It took her about 20 mins to dust and straighten out the books. We also cleaned up the area in front of it. (and right now both kids came to me and said they were hungry ... because they have been working for an hour cleaning. yea, right! They did work, but to be hungry already? less than 2 hrs after a large nutritious breakfast?) Lauren wanted to tackle her chest of drawers, and that took her quite a long time, but in her defence, I was helping Annika first. And we pulled out the chest and vacuumed behind it ... which she did herself and felt quite proud of her accomplishments. Again, we'll see how this lasts.
As for me ... I was able to do my 30 mins in our room before the kids even woke up. But I do need to continue on with the mudroom. It has been so long that most of my earlier work has been negated already. And then my desk area is slowly cluttering up too. But hopefully after this job is done I will not have as many odds and ends to keep track of.
Onward Ho, Lucy!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
L O N G Week
I am at the tail-end of my current temporary job; being grant based they cannot pay me for any work done past June 30th. So I have been frantically shoving things in each and every day. This week I have been working at the local county food distribution site for emergency and monthly government commodity foods. I also am working at the food bank one day.
Working at these places and seeing the hundreds of families and individuals that are in need of assistance to survive is rather disturbing on a deep level. You never realize how many people are just barely surviving financially. And, sadly, I know we have not peaked yet; there will be many more in the coming months as GM shuts down so many of its plants, and thus suppliers and other support businesses, and then those who service the (former) workers all loose their jobs too.
Anyway, *I* have been working - and for that I am thankful. But I have been so very very busy that the rest of my life is falling apart! I have so much to catch up on. This gives me even more respect and admiration for working mothers and families where both parents work full time. The sacrifices and changes I have to make in our current lifestyle are pretty major. One of those changes is the amount of time I spend with the girls has been much less, and defiantly more hurried.
I will be glad when this job is over, and I can relax a bit and enjoy the summer. However, I do hope to hear from my job interview soon. It would be nice to get that job!!
Working at these places and seeing the hundreds of families and individuals that are in need of assistance to survive is rather disturbing on a deep level. You never realize how many people are just barely surviving financially. And, sadly, I know we have not peaked yet; there will be many more in the coming months as GM shuts down so many of its plants, and thus suppliers and other support businesses, and then those who service the (former) workers all loose their jobs too.
Anyway, *I* have been working - and for that I am thankful. But I have been so very very busy that the rest of my life is falling apart! I have so much to catch up on. This gives me even more respect and admiration for working mothers and families where both parents work full time. The sacrifices and changes I have to make in our current lifestyle are pretty major. One of those changes is the amount of time I spend with the girls has been much less, and defiantly more hurried.
I will be glad when this job is over, and I can relax a bit and enjoy the summer. However, I do hope to hear from my job interview soon. It would be nice to get that job!!
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