Records

What was your first record? Not 8-track (gasp!). Not tape. Not CD. I mean a real record. I'm sure most of you remember that's all we had when we were real young. It wasn't anything for me to get out my old Fisher-Price orange and white record player and bust out some Elvis Presley. Of course, my Dad was extremely picky about what records I could play on my player; most of his records were "too good" for a cheap needle. But, I do remember a few 45s of Elvis and some record that Avon put out. The only thing I remember from that record is a song, "You can be a winner if you try." Still remember the tune too.

To this day, Dad still has a ton of records and a fairly decent player. Most of his older records (mostly Wings and the Beatles) were able to be salvaged after the tornado and some are goodies he happened to find at garage sales every now and then. What am I saying? He's obsessed. If there's a garage sale with records advertised, he's there. He's the FIRST one there.

I digress.

He's even found me some that I enjoy playing on my own player. Let me tell you...if you love nostalgia, buy yourself a record player and order a few of your favs off of e-bay. It is pure joy, I tell you. Pure joy.

Some of the gems dad has found for me are: The Beatles' Second Album, Close to You by The Carpenters, Chicago, Whitney Houston, Elvis, Mary Poppins soundtrack,Carole King Tapestry, Bye Bye Birdie soundtrack, Music Man soundtrack, Sinatra's Sinatra, The Sound of Music soundtrack, West Side Story soundtrack, Forever Frank Sinatra, Air Supply and my newest, Johnny Cash.

(If you're smiling at this point, you need to come over and jam with me and Whitney. It is a sight, honestly, but my kids love it).

I'm so glad Dad found Johnny Cash. He's been on the search for several months now. The song I wanted the most was "Walk the Line". Love-that-song. But, this record didn't have it on there. Oh well...it's Johnny Cash. There isn't one bad Cash song.

I brought the record home, popped it on and began to listen. The first song's bass was very familiar. Could it be? Oh yeah, it was meant to be. The owner put the record in the wrong jacket. We have found "Walk the Line."

My cup runneth over.

I heard that you can go to any music store and get records again, brand new, for about the same price that you can buy a CD.

Fabulous.

There's just something about a turntable.

We've been here all along

We have been here all along. The summer went exactly as I had hoped it would. Memories were made. Stress was gone. We had a ball.

We traveled.

I celebrated.

We took chances.

We loved on our family.

We cheered.

And now, I'm back.

This and That

Last night, I cuddled up under the covers and listened to the pouring rain and thunder. It was so sweet to the soul. I needed that in the worst way. It was one of those moments in life that I just wanted to giggle with delight. Pure joy. For weeks now, I have been going through the motions of life without enjoying each little piece. Last night, I remembered that His mercies are new every day. His mercies are new with each rain drop. Even this morning as everything is plush- green and the birds chirp outside the window while searching for their morning food, I remember that His mercies are new every morning.

Katelyn is at that age where she says new words every day. She just amazes me. She tries to keep up with Luke, often giving him a hard time, but mostly watching his every move. Last night, she said "milk" with the "k" sound and all.
She is in full toddler mode with a definite pre-2-year-old attitude. She's a great screamer, loves to run away from me....very quickly, I might add, and exclaims "NO!" quite frequently.

Luke and I have been reading "Because of Winn Dixie". It is one of my favorite books of all time and Luke is enjoying it too. There are many underlying messages for adults as well and the life lessons learned are numerous. We have the movie, and Luke is looking forward to watching it when we're done with the book. He is so creative and has quite the imagination. When asked (well, I guess you wouldn't even have to ask him) he'll tell you about his imaginary pet, "Foto" or Star Wars on the Wi.i that he plays at Papa and Grandma's.

Bill's almost done with his school requirements. He'll be done working at school June 15th. Can you say, "Honey-do list"?

This week is the first week of summer for me. VBS starts Monday and softball starts Thursday. Once VBS is done, a HUGE weight will be lifted off of my shoulders, but that's a whole other tale of If-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now, things would be totally different.

We're planning a trip to Dallas in July and I am excited. We'll be staying with my cousin in her beautiful home with an in-ground pool. Fantastic. I am jealous of all of my friends who have been and are taking vacations. It's always so refreshing to go some where. I contest that it's so important, especially for stay-at-home moms.

What a long, boring post. My apologies to you who had to endure that. And, since I can't think of a creative way to end this post, I'll just....end it.

The Currys...EXPOSED

Over the years, I have been the subject of much ridicule when it comes to my cleanliness.
Let's face it...
I love a clean house.
I cannot function properly without my house being in order.
Friends have mused, "Tiff, I see a pinch of dust on that end table. Better get your rag!"
"Is your house EVER messy?"
I definitely get a bad rap.
So, today, you will see the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
This is what my home looks like on a daily basis.
It's lived in. It's played in. It's eaten in.
It's raw. It's unleashed.
I'm sure it will make most readers' jaw hit the floor.
Truth be told, I am worried about the state that some of you will be in when you...
DISCOVER THE TRUTH.

Ah, yes. When you come to my house and walk through the door, you will most likely see this:

Aside from a few toys here and there, the living room is always the most presentable, awaiting any unwanted, I mean, unplanned guests. But it's what you don't see that's the kicker. It's what's behind closed doors.

No, no, no. This isn't just a bad case of the "which shoe should I wears"?.
This is a horrible case of, "I'm too lazy to pick up my shoes".

Below you will see what appears to be a pack 'n' play. Looks can be deceiving. It doubles as my husband's clothes hanging service; AKA clothes "hanging" around until my wife puts them away.

Just a teeny example of dishes that are left out. This particular popcorn bowl and cup have been lurking since Tuesday night. Nevermind the sippy cup of milk I found underneath a blanket in the toy room. I think it's safe to say that curdled milk in a sippy cup definitely warrents an automatic toss in the trash.

Ah, yes, breakfast. I had to move coloring books and Candy.land out of the way so my children could partake.

This is a fairly organized closet, but to me, it's just a sign of things that need to be done.

Bill's closet in his bathroom is definitely his area. I did, however, organize it last week.
That lasted.

Bill's bathroom. Enough said.

This is where it gets scary, folks. These are my laundry piles.

So, as you can see...I'm like most of you. I have messes. Sure, my messes may not last very long, but they are messes. It represents life. It's truth.
I could have showed you even more, but I thought I'd spare you the details of Luke's bathroom escapades or the sugar ants I found in my kitchen last week.
It just goes to show why I have a love-hate relationship with a messy house.
I hate it because it makes me cranky, stressed and to be frank, a little witchy.
I love it because when it's all cleaned up, the kids are in bed and I'm relaxed, I can take a deep breath and actually...
breathe.

Resurrection Cookies

This is something that we all must do with our kids! What a way to teach our children about the true meaning of Easter. Thanks, Paige!
Note: I chose this specific website link because of the layout, not the "If You're Happy and You Know It" tune. How annoying!

http://my.homewithgod.com/mkcathy/holiday/eastercookies.html

Just in time for Easter

Luke and I have been discussing Jesus' death quite a bit this week. It has to be a difficult concept for a four year old to understand as well as difficult for a Momma to explain.
I teach the Bible Story to the 4 and 5 year olds at Awana, and last week was the story of the crucifixion.
Deep stuff.
Deep stuff for me...
not so deep to Luke.
I mean, what's so hard to understand? God loved us so much that he sent his son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that we could be saved from our sin.
Luke has thought and thought and thought about it this week,
but at the same time, he didn't act confused or worried.
It was what it was...no questions asked.
Yesterday, Luke was sitting at the kitchen table while I was making lunch and he said, "Mommy, I want to go to heaven some day."
I froze.
I turned.
I looked at him.
I walked over to him.
I knelt down and looked him in the eyes.
"What did you say, Luke?"
"I want to go to heaven some day."
I took Luke into the living room, sat him on my lap and right then,
Luke asked Jesus to "come into his heart and live".
I was overwhelmed.
It was never meant to be hard stuff to understand.
It's quite simple, actually.
Luke has it right.
The truth is...
it's not about a certain prayer.
Or a moment.
It's about Luke coming to a point where he truly believes that Jesus died for him.

It is hard for a four year old to understand that someone we cannot see can be "in our hearts" but he compared it to the only thing he knew and understood well...
Bl.ue's Cl.ues
In every episode of the show, Blue and Steve skidoo into a picture...
much like Mary Poppins, Bert, and Jane & Michael Banks once did by "popping" into one of Bert's sidewalk drawings.
So, with all that he could, Luke explained, "Mom! Jesus just skidooed right into my heart!"

What a day. A day I will never forget.

Blogging...the good, the bad and the ugly

I have to admit; I am a horrible blogger. I really do like to blog because I like to write. And, I like the fact that I can look back through blogs of years' past and reminisce. But, there are some things that I do not like about blogging. My biggest pet peeve is downloading pictures. I think a blog with pictures is WAY more interesting than no pictures, but it takes extra time. I always think of tons of cute things to talk to you about, but get lazy in putting it into words. I've been wanting to post this video of Luke for the past week, but I know how long it will take to download it, so I skip it. Am I pathetic or what?
My friends' blogs inspire me. I wish I could be as creative as some, but then that wouldn't be 100% "me". Even now, I read back on what I have wrote and I think, "What a bunch of mumbled-jumbled disjointed phrases! Why would anyone want to read this?"
I've been meaning to change my Valentine's Day background and family CHRISTMAS PICTURE for months now and do something a little more creative. Truth is, it takes time to mess with the layout and having a different picture would actually require me to take another family picture.
I'm beginning to sound a wee bit lazy. And, yes, I'd have to agree with a little bit of that. I am bloggy lazy. I think I'm bloggy lazy because I'm not lazy in any other aspect of my life. Here are just a few of the things that occupy my time:
1. Maintaining a home
2. Preschool with Luke
3. Giving Katelyn snacks
4. Training for a 1/2 marathon
5. Supporting a successful independent business
6. Coaching a summer softball team and scheduling games
7. Playing with kids
8. Practicing the Easter cantata for our church (which you ALL should come. It will be fabulous)
9. Co-chairing Vacation Bible School
and for all of you who can't stand it when lists end with an odd number, this if for you...
10. Blogging on a very part-time basis

Now, I know that I choose all of these things, but at times, I feel like I have no choice. Do you ever feel that way? A lot of the things that I choose I truly love doing (and I can't say that training for a marathon is one of them).

I honestly do not know where I'm going with this blog. No where, probably. I want to do better. I have so many ideas floating around in my head. So, my question for all of you is...what time of day do you blog? How do you fit it in? What do you do about pictures? Isn't it annoying to you?

What a boring post. If you've made it to the end, congratulations! Now you can inspire me, or give me a swift kick in the pants.

Sickies

We have the sickies at our house. Katelyn got a cold last week. It started with a fever on Tuesday night. I took her to the doctor (again) because I thought she might have another ear infection. Apparently, a toddler having a fever and swatting at her ear means that her ears look perfect. Oh well. She continued to get this nasty runny nose and cough. On Sunday, Luke woke up with the cough and by Sunday afternoon, had a fever. It's Wednesday. He was fever-free for most of the day yesterday but woke up in the middle of the night and it had returned. Katelyn is pretty much on the mend with the exception of a little mucus.
This-has-been-terrible. I need out of the house! I need fresh air. I may just open a few windows today to let some clean air in.
And, for all you moms out there, don't you just hate toiling with the decision of whether or not you should take your child to the doctor? Should I? Shouldn't I? Maybe I should? Yep, I'm going to call. No, it's just a virus. Insanity, I tell you!

Luke on "being fit"

Luke: "Mommy? Why am I so skinny?"

Tiffany: "God made you skinny! You were only fat once and that's when you were born!"

Luke: "Mom, I'm not skinny because God made me skinny."

Tiffany: "You're not? Why do you say that?"

Luke: "I'm skinny because I work out."

And to make matters worse...

I cannot believe I used the wrong form of "right" in my last post. That is a pet peeve of mine. Note to self...proof read before you post, not after.

Letters I wish I had the nerve to write

Dear Mr. Cra.igs List Man,
You really had me going.
I was so excited when I got on Crai.igs List
Saturday morning and there it was in all its beauty...
"the" tread mill.
You see, my husband and I have been shopping
for a tread mill for some time.
We realize what we want and we also realize what we can afford,
so when you posted that you were selling your $1000 machine for just $300, I just had to call write away.
Bill and I pulled out of the driveway at 11:10 (just merely 1 hour after you posted...aren't you lucky?) when I called you.
"Hi, Todd? This is Tiffany."
"Hi, Tiffany. Are you on your way over?"
"Yes, right now. We should be there in 15 minutes."
"Great...we will see you then."
Oh, Toddy boy, it would've been lovely if you would've told me then that there was someone else coming to look at it.
So, when we got 2 blocks from your house and the phone rang,
we were rather surprised when you told us that you sold the tread mill.
Today is Monday. Just a few days ago was that fateful day. I thought about apologizing for my rather harsh, non christian-like words I had for you.
But, nah.
I just realized that turning 30 has made me a little more bold, a little more opinionated and a little more like my mother.

(Keep in mind, both instances happened in ONE day...the same day....oh lovely day)

Dear Mr. Fremont Car Salesman,
When we called you from Lincoln and told you we would be driving to Fremont (just an easy hour and fifteen minute drive) to look at the pickup YOU called US about, we were excited at the possibility of driving home that truck.
I guess we were WRONG to assume that you would've called us when you SOLD the truck so that we could have saved time and the miles on our car.
How silly of us.
How silly of us to think that you'd think to yourself,
"Well, just sold that pickup that the guy from Lincoln is driving all the way up to see. I had better call him so he doesn't waste his time."
My husband was a lot nicer to you than I would've been. You see, he has mellowed over the years, I have gone quite opposite.
Your lucky day.

With disrespect,
Tiffany

Luke Wade Curry

Today, at 3:29 p.m., Luke will be four years old.
Luke is so many things to me; much more than just my son.
He is...
My very own personal comedian (that just so happens to have the best smile that God has ever created-and for all you moms out there, yes, I may be bias)
My confidant
My friend
My hero...and super hero at times
My first-born
My thoughtful one
My hug and kiss after a bad day

I love you, Luke. I thank God every day for you. I pray for you; that you'll not only grow to be a wonderful man, but that you'll actively seek God's will for your life and completely love Him.
The place that you have in my heart is indescribable. The love that I have for you is unconditional.
Happy 4th birthday to my sweet, sweet boy.

Man That Works? Monday...but on Thursday...again

My friend, Makila, may be right. I hate to admit that, beings that she's been right 2 times within the last week. Anyways...I should probably just whip up a "Man That Works? Monday" post before Monday and then all I have to do is post it on Monday. I'm not a very forward-thinker...change is hard for me and anything that involves planning is a little off of my radar at this point in my life...a conservative at her finest.
Luke always brings home a magnitude of artwork from Sunday School and His Kids, not to mention work that we do here at home. I have tossed things away (and probably will continue to do so) but I stole an idea from another mom that I have absolutely taken to. I simply tape Luke's artwork to the inside of our cupboards in the kitchen. It is a hit! Every time we open cupboards, I get to see his creations and at the same time, it's not reeking havoc on my fridge, walls, etc. It's a win win!

How could I not?

The other day the kids and I were meandering through Pay.less. I was driving around waiting for a pair of glasses to get done when I saw that their BOGO sale was going on. First of all, how can you not stop?

I didn't find much for me, but found some church shoes for Luke and tennis shoes for Katelyn. While checking out, Katelyn came around the corner carrying this
At that very moment, childhood memories came rushing back. What little girl doesn't like Hel.lo Kit.ty? And, the best part about it was out of all the things she could've pulled off the wall, she pulled the purse. Ah, yes, a woman after my own heart.
Now, Hel.lo Kit.ty is a must have around the house.


Am I sucker or what?

This is What I know

*Warning: This blog may contain a little bit of TMI (too much information). So, for those of you whom do not want to hear about my failing body parts, I'd stop reading....now.

I have had a hard time blogging lately (as you can tell). There really isn't a great reason other than the fact that I simply haven't felt up to it. Of course, there is a lot going on on an average day at the Curry household, but not anything so life-changing that I can't sit down and write a thought. So, today, I'm going to tell you about some of the things I do know...I tend to be wordy, so I will try to keep this short (laughs, snorts, etc).

* I know that I am beginning to HATE (wait, my mom always told me never to hate, so let's correct this) DESPISE winter. Could this be why I'm feeling unmotivated?

*I have cabbage in my bra. Yes, cabbage. It feels rather nice, quite actually, other than the fact that I smell like a Run.za.

*The reason I have cabbage in my bra is because I'm trying to wean Katelyn to only one feeding.

*My left bo.ob was gianormous on Monday night. I can imagine that it is how you'd feel if you were to get implants or if someone had pumped your breast full of air.

*I got a clogged duct because I was engorged. Should have thought about the cabbage earlier.

*The next natural line is to put why cabbage works for engorgement, but this is something I do NOT know.

*Katelyn has an ear infection...again.

*I haven't showered since yesterday morning. Ewww.

*The "bachelor" is a very dumb person.

*I am too old to try out for Amer.ican Id.ol. Thank goodness because I'd get laughed off the stage.

*Tyl.enol only works for 4 hours, not 6 like the bottle says.

*I just heard the dryer buzz and I'm tempted to go start it up again so I can put off folding clothes for another 30 minutes.

*I'm giving up fatty fast food for lent (not Catholic, just like the idea of giving something up to practice self-control and remembrance of Christ's work on the cross).

*I need to go now so I can get in the shower (I'm sure Bill will be elated).

Man That Works? Monday

I love the fact that our home has plenty of storage space. I remember the day we moved in and I thought to myself, "There is absolutely NO way I will fill up all of these closets!" Of course, this is a fairly large home compared to our home in Lincoln. As a matter of fact, I had to buy a mini pantry for our home in Lincoln just to have a place for canned goods, etc. So, as you can imagine, any cupboard space would be well-appreciated.
I know it's hard to believe, but the day came (almost 3 years later) that I managed to fill up every part of every closet.
With this in mind, I had Bill delve into a "simple" task for me (I have to use the word "simple" loosely when it comes to Bill and projects).
He made this little cart for me to simply slide under our bed for extra storage. It's just a piece of plywood (scrap from our garage) to which he attached 4 casters. This has been a space-saver and it was literally less than $10 to make. I'd like to have another one for our bedroom and one for the kids' room too.
And, again, my heart goes pitter patter. It's the simple things.

He'll Always Take Care of Me

I love having a little boy. Luke is my confidant, helper, friend, cuddler and can make me laugh in an instant. Every stage of a child's life is magnificent in its own way, but for me, I really enjoyed Luke being 3. He says the cutest things and is unbelievably witty.
When Bill's not around, he is THE man of the house, and he takes that job very seriously. Friday morning, we were cuddling in bed after Bill had left for work. I love my cuddle times with Luke. At one point, he turned my face towards him, put his hand on my back and whispered, "Mommy, I'll always take care of you."
At that moment, Luke could have had whatever he wanted.
Oh, you want ice cream for breakfast, honey? Sure!
How many movies would you like to watch today? You choose!
I melted. I crumbled. I was putty in his hands. And for that moment, I believed him. I still believe him. I must be doing something right if he wants to always take care of me.
I'm sure his future wife will LOVE me. "Oh, honey, I'll be late for supper. Mom needs me." Yep, she will adore me.
I'm sure I'll have to remind him one day of his words, but for now, I am loving every minute.

Blah Blah Blah

Warning: What you are about to read may contain meaningless conversation merely to inform you of the goings on of an average mom, wife and zookeeper. This Blah Blah Blah session may cause drowsiness.

You know the weeks go by fast when you reread your last posting and think that it was just yesterday that you wrote it. And, now that The Bach.elor is over for one more mere week (why do I love that show?), I can fully focus on the task at hand...this post.

Last week, my brother was home from Boston. It was nice to have him home, but I'm sure he was ready to go back after a week of his "former" life. It has to be weird for him; two completely different worlds. One where you are a self-sufficient career man and the other where mom and dad still insist on paying for your supper.
We enjoyed two Christmases with him in which we all received our first round of "Boston gear" (of course, being Yankee fans, we were so appreciative).
I also had Mom, Dad and Trav visit on Wednesday. They spent the day and we all relaxed.
One of the perks of being Travis' sister is the benefits I receive from his job. Yes, I receive benefits from his job. See, he is a manager at Amer.ican Eag.le in Cambridge, MA. Two times last week I got to go shopping using his discount (how can one pass up skinny jeans for $15?...now if I can just get the nerve to wear them. It's something about them being called "skinny" jeans. I think I may feel more comfortable if they were called "you-don't-have-to-be-skinny-necessarily" jeans.

On another note...I'm enjoying new pajamas tonight. I love new pajamas. I wonder how long it will take Bill to notice that I have new ones...probably long enough that when he asks me, "When did you get those?" I can honestly say,
"I've had these for a LONG time" and it would be 100% truthful.

I have many "Man that works? Monday" posts to share with you, but I haven't been able to take pictures. Plus, it seems that Monday is a really hard time for me to blog. I've cleaned more closets, invented a storage solution and been spending time in the kitchen gathering supplies for healthy snacks. But don't you fret; I will enlighten you with all of my wisdom soon. It just may not be on Monday.

I have a dear friend who told me that her and her husband tried the "ten minute ticker" and loved it, but her husband kept calling it the "ten minute teaser". I just rolled with laughter and now, that's what Bill and I call it. I hope Bill doesn't feel like the word teaser is leading him on though; it's hard to crush the man's dreams.

I will I will I will

I WILL be submitting a blog tonight...only one question-before or after The Bach.elor?

From the "What it's Worth Department"

I have a friend who is a mother of two and works full time. She is considering quitting her job to stay home and was quizzing me about my daily activities. She was curious whether my full-time job as a mom, wife, do-it-all, fix-it-all, know-it-all (and yes, of course I do) got boring, mundane or monotonous. I told her that I would keep track of what I did for one day and report back to her. I had never actually done this, but it proved to be worth while. Not only does my friend get a glimpse into the life of this stay-at-home mom, but Bill gets to see what I ACTUALLY do during the day and I get the chance to look over my list and say to myself, "Yes, I was productive today", even if I did watch an old rerun of "18. and Count.ing" and "Lit.tle Miss Per.fect" (what can I say? I love reality TV).
So, the following was my day on Tuesday. Some days aren't this busy, other days are busier. So, for all of you curious of a day in the life of me, get some hot tea, a blanket and keep on reading...

6:00 a.m. Katelyn rises and shines. We cuddle under the blankets & give Eskimo kisses
6:30 Bill leaves to drive the bus route (ah, the life of a principal; glorious, huh?) Luke wakes up. The kids cuddle in bed and watch Blu.es Clu.es while I do my devotions (I try to get it in whenever I can!)
7:00 Pull off all sheets...it's Clean Sheet Day! Start a load of laundry
7:15 Make breakfast and unload the dishwasher (I HATE unloading the dishwasher. I'd rather clean a whole house than unload a dishwasher. Don't ask).
7:40 Everyone brushes teeth and gets dressed
8:00 Change laundry. Luke plays in his new batman costume while Katelyn dumps all of my books out of the basket under my night stand (a daily ritual).
8:10 Pick up a trail of toys, go through the mail and set aside bills that need to be paid
8:20 Get workout clothes on
8:30 I work out while Luke plays in the toy room and Katelyn pretends to be my personal trainer (have you ever tried to do jumping jacks while a 1 year old is holding on to your leg...it DOES add a certain element of difficulty).
9:00 Snacks for the kids. Pull the high chair into our room so Katelyn can watch TV with Luke while I hop in the shower and get ready for the day.
9:30 Get on shoes, hats, gloves, coats (doesn't it just irk you that it takes 20 extra minutes to get ready to go anywhere just because of the subzero temps???)
9:50 Chiropractic adjustment, and feeling much more aligned. All is right with the world.
10:15 Arrive home. Katelyn goes down for a late nap. I play catch with Luke (and yes, in the house).
10:40 Take all of the Christmas totes downstairs
11:00 Preschool with Luke. He insisted on wearing his batman costume during preschool. Too funny. Oh, and I had to call him Batman instead of Luke. Can you imagine, "Good golly gee, batman, it is Tuesday, January 5th!)
11:30 Luke and I pick up the toyroom and I put new sheets on the bed downstairs.
11:45 I check my e-mail/blogs/fb
12:00 Katelyn awakes and I prepare lunch
12:10 Serve lunch
12:12 Take a phone call regarding Premier
12:30 Clean up and enjoy a cup of coffee while the kids play
12:45 Dress the beds with fresh clean sheets
12:55 Play with the kids
1:45 Read books and settle down
2:00 Kids "down" for a nap. I use "down" loosely because this usually includes 15 minutes of Luke making Katelyn laugh and gleeful giggles coming from their room. I don't ever go in a stop it because it's too darn cute.
2:05 Time to work on Premier...make phone calls and send e-mails.
2:30 Watch a little T.L.C. and organize my sock drawer (I hardly ever watch TV without doing something else at the same time. That way I don't feel guilty about watching because I was actually a wee bit productive too). As a matter of fact, I organized all of my drawers and Bill's while the kids were down for a nap.
3:30 Read a couple of chapters in the book I'm currently reading and a few more chapters in the book of Acts.
4:00 Shut my eyes for a power nap.
4:20 Kids awake.
4:30 Prepare an early supper (spaghetti) so that we can go to Bill's basketball game at 6:00.
5:00 Eat, clean up, get ready to go.
6:15 We're out the door.

And so, this is all from the "What it's Worth Department". Is it hard work? You bet. Does it ever get boring? You bet. Do my kids ever drive me nuts? You bet (times 20) Is it worth it?

100%

Man That Works? Monday

Wouldn't you like to start 2010 being more organized? I know I would. The more people that occupy my household the more things I have. I hate clutter. I like clean lines and things put away. It can get overwhelming though, can't it? So, let's start with something easy. I started with my bathroom closet. I just got new towels (oh so soft) for Christmas, so I had a little bit of good old intrinsic motivation!
I got so tired of the kids' medicines, adult medicines and other bathroom supplies just sitting out in a big heap which made it hard to find anything. So, it was time to get to work.
First, I found some inexpensive wicker baskets at gord-mans (I think they were $4 each) and a cute hat box at Fac-tory Card Out-let (I love this store, by the way. Super cute stuff and they have all kinds of boxes like the one I bought for super cheap. This one was $3!).
The next step was to organize. I used a basket for toilet paper, one for the kids' medicine, one for adult medicine, one for bodily injuries and then I used the hat box to store all of our bathroom "extras" (tooth paste, q-tips, cotton balls, razors, etc.)
Finally, I stocked the shelves with the baskets and towels and here is the finished product (oh, and yes, it is not January 3, 2005):

I just love that I can pull out a basket that is specifically organized for what I need. What a time saver! All in all, this project only took me about 30 minutes. Let's get motivated, people!