The Festival of Colors--Welcoming Spring!

We took the family to the Holi-Festival of Colors at the Krishna Temple to welcome the Spring Season. See my family blog for more info on the festival. Anyway, it was really fun and exciting and I decided there is so much to be grateful for. So many wonderful things in this season to experience. I am suddenly reminded that life is good. I am now so excited for a new season. So here are some things I am so looking forward to this Spring:

• Beautiful Flowers, especially Tulips
• Spending Spring Break with the kids
• All the beautiful colors
• Rain
• Spring Cleaning
• Planting a garden
• Warm, but not too hot weather
• Riding with the car windows down--letting my hair blow in the wind
• Running outside, instead of on the treadmill
• Fresh Strawberries
• Wearing sandals
• Going to the kids' Track Meets

I already feel refreshed and renewed! I am so looking forward to a clean, fresh start. Because technically, isn't every day a clean, fresh start? Spring just makes it that much more obvious!

March 26, 2009

Why is it women tend to feel guilty? About small things, big things, silly things, un-deserved as well as deserved things. I feel like such an inadequate mom lately. I get frustrated with my kids easily. I tend to hold a grudge so after I become angered, I just KEEP getting angrier until I feel I could explode. I have always admired that about my husband. Even if he gets mad at the kids, yells at them or gets upset with them, he is great at turning around and giving them a big kiss or "I love you." Not me. It just festers inside me the rest of the day. Even if I want to get rid of it, I can't. I just can't seem to move on. Until the next day. Each day is a new one. A fresh start. But somehow I always tend to lose it fairly early. I just want those days to be mine. MINE. For keeps. Mine to enjoy and love and laugh. Not be angry or frustrated or upset. My kids often say, "You're mad at me!" And I say "No, I'm not mad, just frustrated." So Peyton will say, "What's the difference?" That's a good question. What is the difference? Why once I'm on the edge, does it just keep getting worse? Why can't I just laugh and move on? That will be my goal to work on. I really need to focus on positive energy. I need to release the negative in my life and move on. I need to focus on the joys and the things that really make me happy. So what does really make me happy, anyway? I don't seem to remember. There's always something to do, somewhere to go, things that can't wait--even if they can. I need to start again. Start loving. Stop hating. Start enjoying. Start feeling. Start living. And I will.... starting NOW!

Weekly Update-

Last Saturday, I helped the older kids CLEAN their rooms before going to work. We ended up with about 3-4 big bags of garbage and un-needed stuff and 3 big garbage bags of clothes to take to the DI--just from those two rooms! Project "CLEAN YOUR ROOMS"--Success! I also finished going through my scrapbook magazines and pulling out articles I wanted, so I could get rid of the rest. Probably about 100 magazines! Wow, the clutter sure collects over the years. But as for this week, Ugh, tomorrow is Friday and I still haven't exercised or worked on my "organizing projects". I guess that's what happens when you work three nights in a row. Oh well. I'm learning that when you work, you just need to be flexible or you could actually go crazy thinking of all the things you didn't do. So I will concentrate on what I did do this week. I worked at the Book Fair at the school TWICE. I helped deliver lots of babies at work and even realized one patient's baby was breech while checking her, (which is great because then we were able to safely deliver the baby by c-section), I made dinner (at least a few times), I filled out my March madness brackets and printed them off for all my kids to fill out, and I ran kids about a million different places--you know, mom the taxi driver. Hopefully, this weekend will be much more productive. I do have a couple kid's track meets to go to, but I really do enjoy THOSE kind of distractions! Hmm, I should probably go to bed now, but after three nights on, I'm just not tired yet. Ugh!

Organizing Projects-List

So it's back to work tonight after 7 nights off. Ugh. Real life calls. Anyway, here is my list of organizing projects I came up with. I am posting it here so I can update it as I go. I am sure I will find new things to add as well, but it's a start:

Kids room
1. dresser--CHECK
2. beds-shelves and under bed--CHECK
3. closet--CHECK
4. game console/TV stand--CHECK
5. book shelf--CHECK
6. toys--CHECK
7. empty drawer bin (by door)--CHECK
8. board games--CHECK

My Room
9. dresser--CHECK
10. closet--CHECK
11. small night stand
12. white cupboard
13. boxes in closet
14. James closet
15. under bed

Computer Room
16. desk
17. book shelf
18. white dresser
19. box of computer extras (cords, etc)--CHECK
20. framed pictures to hang (still in box)
21. box of PT stuff
22. organize photos-several boxes
23. Remembrance/Memory boxes-several boxes
24. scrapbook magazines-go thru and toss--CHECK
25. sort/clean out old school books

Family Room Corner
26. File Cabinet 1--CHECK
27. File Cabinet 2--CHECK
28. Pile of stuff needing filed
29. scrapbooking stuff- several boxes
30. school project boards/poster boards
31. Find place for card table/chairs
32. James school stuff-go thru
33. Lamps- get rid of?
34. TV stand
35. Videos/DVDS- sort and get rid of--CHECK
36. Burn DVDS out of old movies

Storage Room
37. shelves
38. freezer--CHECK
39. xmas boxes-sort/get rid of things we don't use -CHECK
40. get rid of old paint
41. get rid of old bottled beans-clean bottles for canning
42. organize food storage
43. coat bin?
44. blanket bin?
45. sports stuff/balls bin?

Extra Room (Tanner's claimed computer/tv/guitar room)
46. Desks
47. Bookshelf
48. closet
49. boxes of PT stuff-several to sort and get rid of
50. YW boxes -CHECK
51. Go thru computer disks--CHECK
52. File Cabinet 3
53. Sort through CD cases--CHECK

Wow! Even if I only did one project a week, it would take me all year. I better get moving. I'm so excited for a totally uncluttered home though. Yippee!

Today...Was a Good Day!

Don't you love when you have a really productive day? Because I work nights, I don't feel my days are very productive lately. My internal clock is so messed up, I tend to sleep in. Luckily, kiddos are in school and I CAN sleep in...whenever I want. Yawn. I sometimes get up with the boys, then crawl back in bed once they are out the door. I guess that is what graveyards will do to you. Always counting hours of sleep. Always afraid I won't get enough sleep. I always do. Probably more than if I slept at night. Well, today, I woke up. I got up. And I got moving. My bed called to me--ever so softly at first, then it screamed at me. But I blocked the noise from my head (with some rather loud music) and stayed up. I got so many little things done I felt awesome! I ran 2 miles, did pilates, changed and washed all the sheets and bedding, finished the laundry (yes ALL of it--for a few minutes my laundry was actually DONE--until kids started showering and getting jammies on, that is), folded and put away the finished laundry, went to get some groceries, made my list of organizing tasks, read to the kids, cleaned out TWO tall file cabinets (I threw away 25 pounds of paper stuff/bills that have been sitting there--and yes I weighed it-for fun), made a delicious chicken crockpot dinner, made a menu, balanced the checkbook, did the dishes, looked up some first aid tidbits to teach the scouts, and taught some first aid tidbits to the 8 year old, rambunctious scouts. Phew! And now I am tired. I should go to bed. Yawn.

Organizing 101

I am DETERMINED to get organized. So why did I title this post Organizing 101? Maybe it's because I'm thinking it's the beginning or "Basics". Or maybe, in the back of my mind I know there are probably about that many projects I need to work on. Breathe. Check out some of my favorite organizing sites (listed to the right) I've found to help me in my endeavors. I'm tired of my house looking like a pig sty. Well, at least the parts of the house that aren't commonly seen--bedrooms, closets, computer room, etc. So I have decided I will conquer one project at a time. Baby steps. Once I find a system that works, it shouldn't be too hard to keep up, right? So I will make a list of projects--even breaking the bigger ones into smaller ones so they seem more manageable. Then I will update that list as I accomplish my goals. Ok, deep breath, don't hyperventilate. Just thinking of these "junk piles" or "messes" makes me feel totally overwhelmed. But I WILL CONQUER! Slowly. Calmly. One thing at a time. Whew! Now that it's written down, I must do it. I am after all a list-maker. I love making lists and goals and then crossing things off as I finish them. So in reality, this is probably the ONLY way I will get organized. By making lists. By forcing myself to face the reality and horror of my cluttered life. Ready, set, GO!

Running (or lack of) Update

So I didn't do so hot this week. Last week I ran three times, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I did 2 miles each day and my times got better each time. I even did Pilates on Friday after running, and I felt good, overall. This week, I only ran once...on Thursday. I am blaming it on the fact I worked 3 nights in a row (Sun, Mon, Tues) and then Kade's birthday and Peyton's baptism (including cleaning my house for a luncheon afterward). But...there is always something to blame my "not exercising" on. It's always still just an excuse. The important thing is that I can do better next week! Just because I had a bad week doesn't mean I give up. But...my house is clean! Well, relatively clean--Clean for me I should say. My clean house means the bathrooms are cleaned, dishes are done, dusting, vacuuming, and the kitchen is picked up, swept and mopped. Anything more is just icing on the cake! One of these days my house will be organized and cleaned at the same time. I have so many drawers, piles, filing cabinets, and scrapbooking supplies to sort through and organize...well, maybe that day will never come. Oh well. Life is good. Who said you have to have a clean house anyway? Right? One thing at a time. And next week, I will RUN!