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Friday, September 30, 2011

Operation Clean-Out Day 5

I cannot believe that I have stuck with this clean-out.  I am usually such a slacker when it comes to housework.  My children have noticed the difference.  They can see our organized food and are eating it at record rates!  This clean-out may add a few pounds to our bodies.  Oh well, not a high price to pay for order.

I finished the cabinets today: organized under the sink and wiped down the doors.  It took about fifteen minutes. I am stopping for the day.  Genevieve is sick and this momma needs a nap!  I am enlisting the help of my children this weekend.  We will work together to clean out all of the drawers.  We have ten so each will be responsible for two.  Sam is super excited.  He is in charge of the Ziploc and aluminum foil drawers.  I'll let you know how everything goes on Monday.  We are taking Sunday off from this project so that we can enjoy the Germanfest.  Hope to see you there.

Friendship

One of my best friends had a baby yesterday.  He is perfect and wonderful and the cutest one in the nursery I am sure.  He was welcomed to this world by his five siblings and his doting parents.  I called her on the eve of his birth for professional advice and to remind her to send an email.  She is that kind of friend.  I can call on her any time for anything.  We now have twelve children together and rely on each other when necessary.  I have another friend who also has six children and I rely on her just as much.  We talk almost daily about schedules and who is picking up whom.  I see her almost as much as my husband!

I have two other friends that I can call on in moments of uncertainty, insecurity, or just to talk.  One of these I talk to almost every day for at least a few minutes.  She gets me.  She accepts me.  She loves me and I love her.  The other one has a bunch of children just like me.  We talk less frequently because of our hectic lives but we are there for each other.  I treasure our friendship.

I have so many other friends that I  count on for help, advice, or just to laugh.  One called me yesterday to tell me a funny story and to talk about my blog.  As a mother of five boys, her stories could outshine mine hands down.  Many friends have come in and out of my life but few have gone because of conflict.  I lose friends to moves (I would love if most of these would just come back!), changes in lifestyles (it's hard to hang with childless and single friends because we are boring!), and lack of time (why can't we have a three day weekend forever?).

One of my favorite people is a friend from college.  She was in my wedding and I was in hers.  I went with her then boyfriend to look at engagement rings for her.  We studied together, laughed together, and when my dad died, cried together.  I haven't seen her in years because she moved but we talk through Facebook and the occasional phone call.  Facebook has also help me to reconnect with my high school peeps.  One is planning a huge reunion for Rice Festival that would only be possible through social media.

I hope all of my readers share in friendships like mine.  I also hope that you consider me your friend.  I consider you mine.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Momisms

"How many times do I have to tell you?"  I say this about forty times a day in addition to whatever it is that I want done.  I know my children are oblivious to this phrase and so many others.  They learned to tune me out before they learned to walk.  Yet, I still say it along with other equally useless ones.

"If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?"  This one is dangerous.  I know that at least two of mine would.  Actually, those two would probably be the friend that started the whole mess.  I secretly think that the mothers of the world inspired the BASE jumping movement.  I try to limit this momism for fear that it will spark an idea.

"You'll understand when you are older."  I say this one a lot too.  It is a lie.  I use it most often for things that I can't explain and don't understand.  I am oldish and most things that I was not allowed to do as a child still sound enticing.

"Because I said so."  A good one for those other times when you have no explanation and really don't understand the reasoning either.  I try to limit this one because it was my mom's favorite and I cringe when it comes out of my mouth.

"Don't make me stop this suburban."  They know that I won't.  I am always in a rush.  I don't have time to stop the suburban and they know it.  And, what would I do if I stopped the suburban?  Yell?  Spank?  Lecture?  I can yell and lecture while driving...I am a multitasker.  I won't spank because it hurts my arthritic hands too much.    Yet, I say this over and over.

"Look at me when I am talking to you."  I need to know that you are not zoned out.  I  need to know that you get it.  I also need to know that you are not rolling your eyes behind my back because everyone knows that your face could get stuck with those weird expressions.

"Act your age."  This beauty is usually a response to a child who is acting like a child!  What I really mean is, "Act like a grown up who has sense."  That would be too much to ask so I just make it sound like all the kids their age are more responsible, more respectful, more resilient, and more responsive.  Again, I lie!

"Some day you will thank me for this."  I really hope that this one happens.  I know I thank my mom for a lot for her guidance, her patience, and even her rules!

Operation Clean-Out Day 4

I can't wait to cook tonight.  All of our food is neat and organized!  This morning I planned our Monday through Thursday meals for the month of October.  I asked everyone at breakfast for suggestions of their favorite meals. I decided to really simplify things by planning a crock pot meal on Monday, sandwiches and wraps on Tuesday, beef on Wednesday, and chicken on Thursday.  I left the weekends opened.  I am not cooking any new recipes because I want to focus on the organizing.  There will be plenty of time for special cooking in November and December.  This planning took about four minutes.  I can't believe how just a little time organizing is changing my life.  I planned to straighten and purge the pots and pans today.  However, this only took ten minutes so I moved on to the rest of the cabinets.  I spent a little more than thirty minutes on this but not much more.  I left under the sink and cleaning the cabinet doors for tomorrow.  I am motivated to get a few other things done in other parts of the house and I want to go through the outside freezer before the mosquitoes make a comeback.  I am also vacuuming and dusting today because I want to not because I have to!  That has never happened before!!!  Don't feel compelled to join me in the extras.  No one is keeping track!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Operation Clean-Out Day 3

Today I focused on the food cabinets.  I took a mental inventory of the contents while sorting like things together.  This will be important for tomorrow's task.  I have a general system of putting canned goods on two shelves, pasta on another, cake and brownie mixes on yet another, and so on.  I sorted further today...all the green beans, corn, peas, and carrots with each other, brownie mixes then cake mixes, etc.   I only had to throw out four things which had expired.  Two boxes of graham crackers were down to the last few and a box of jello mix.  The other was a half eaten bag of marshmallows which were strangely dry AND oozy.  This task was really easy even though I was sort of dreading it yesterday...I think that making a conscious choice to tackle chores with a better attitude is making a difference.  I have such a sense of accomplishment and I have only worked for an hour and a half over the last three days!

This sense of accomplishment has carried over into other not so fun jobs...laundry to be exact.  I have been staying on top of the clothes.  I know that the laundry room is on my list of to dos so I am trying to make it easier when that time comes.  I must say that yesterday's task was better because Luke did it with me.  I have decided to tweak of few of the jobs that I want to get done so that I can get "help" from my children.  It may take a little longer but that doesn't matter.  And who knows, maybe that timer will motivate them too!

Tomorrow I am going to plan our October supper menu.  I try to do this weekly but while our supplies are fresh in my mind, I doing it for the month.  I usually plan five meals a weak and wing it on the other two nights.  I am planning on scheduling a crock pot meal for Mondays, sandwiches and wraps on Tuesdays (our busy day), beef on Wednesdays, and chicken on Thursdays.  I am not planning for Fridays and the weekends now.  I think that scheduling the meals and sticking to it will give me the strength to go through the toys...remember this task is looming!

I Do What I Have to Do

I just had my children's pictures taken by a very famous New York photographer (well, sort of famous - I know her and so do a lot of people I know!) .  The pictures captured their personality and their smiles.  When the order form for school pictures came in with a choice of three poses and eleven backgrounds, it caused a buzz in our house.  Imagine school pictures and choices!  I reminded the children that Laura did a wonderful job and they would actually like these pictures in twenty years.  I thought that we were all in agreement that we would NOT be purchasing the school pics.

I must have been the only one who understood our agreement.  Both girls were  crying this morning because they really wanted to pick their pose and background and BUY the pictures.  Luke said that he wanted to give his best friend a picture so he could remember him on the weekends.  I caved...I mean the cheapest package was $15 and part of that money went to the school.  I thought that we were good.  However, I noticed during breakfast that Luke's bangs were almost touching his nose (the tip not the bridge). I quickly grabbed some scissors and chopped away.  His hair is his armor.  He hides behind that hair like knights hide behind their shield.  After I was done, he ran to the dining room and cried.  I had taken his security.

I finally got him to settle down with promises of roses and sunshine and maybe a peanut butter cup.  Don't judge me!  I thought that we were good once again.  Unfortunately while brushing her teeth, Katherine remembered that she has three large bug bites on her face that she has scratched incessantly for the past week.  The tears started flowing again.  She no longer wanted school pictures.  Great, easy fix until three minutes later when she decided that she did want the pictures just not the bug bites.  Um, not so easy fix.  Luckily, those sweet people at Lifetouch offer retouching for a mere six bucks.

Looking back, I should have held my ground.  I should have stuck with the plan.  I should have woken up thirty minutes earlier and  had one extra cup of coffee so that I could have dealt with this better.  I know it is the little things that matter so much when you are little.  My reasoning for not buying the pictures was no match for their need to purchase them...I mean you get to pick the pose and the backdrop!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Operation Clean-Out Day 2

Yesterday I learned a little something about our family while cleaning the refrigerator.  We do not eat whole wheat tortillas.  I buy them because I want us to eat them instead of the flour ones but we don't.  I found three packages with only one or two missing in each (obviously I am the only one eating them).  I vow that I will no longer buy these because I really hated throwing them out.  I also found that we regularly leave the last of everything.  There was one squirt of jelly left, one spoonful of mayo, and one sip left of a Gatorade bottle.  There was one lone pickle floating in a jar, one lone bagel that expired last week, and one lone piece of ham at the bottom of the container.  I often preach about wasting.  I guess the person who ate the second to last of these only took what they wanted like I ask.  However, the last was still wasted because I threw them all out.  I am going to make everyone aware of this problem so that I don't have a so much refrigerator real estate taken up by lonely leftovers.

I also discovered that thirty minutes is a really long time.  Really I should know this from my teaching days.  I have taught children how to multiply in thirty minutes.  I have also taught how to tie shoes, how to create a Power Point slide, and how early settlers celebrated the first Thanksgiving in this amount of time.   I am lucky because thirty minutes is also the exact amount of time that Umizoomi will occupy Sam!  I always use time as an excuse for disorganization...not any more.  I sat down yesterday and planned twenty-seven more thirty minute jobs.  I know from teaching that learning something takes practice.  I will be conscious of the progress that I have made and conscious of the effort needed to keep things this way.  Before I go on a big grocery shopping trip, I will quickly scan the refrigerator for expired and lonely food and do a quick wipe down.  Well, at least that is the plan!

Today I have tackled the freezer.  I was actually looking forward to this job all morning while at the Feast of St. Michael picnic in the blazing sun.  Two of my children wanted to come home after the picnic which turned out to be a blessing.  One of these watched the baby while the other one (a natural born organizer) sorted all of the frozen food.  He placed all the like things together and planned where they would go once I finished wiping the inside of the freezer.  Now that everything is sorted by categories I can easily see if we have meat and sides for the week.  While we loaded all the food back in, this smart boy "reminded" me of the beginning sounds of each product and we talked about those letters together.  This chore turned out to be a lesson in phonics and a pretty sweet moment between this mom and her six-year-old!  I guess doing my Martha jobs with a Mary heart is really changing my outlook.  Normally I would have ignored this task or waited until everyone was asleep (OK, I would have ignored it if I must be honest).

I am not tackling the outside freezer today for fear of the mosquitoes!  Shucks, and I was so looking forward to it!!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Organizing Our Life - Operation Clean-out

Living in a house with seven other people is usually fun, always busy, and somewhat overwhelming.  We have a lot of stuff.  When the temperature starts dropping most people think of fall things like football, Rice Festival, and Halloween.  I think of Christmas, or more precisely Christmas presents.  My thoughts immediately turn to those presents...not buying them but housing them.  We limit the number of presents that each child gets.   Jesus received three gifts and St. Nicholas sends three to each of us as well.  That would be manageable if the gifts would stop there.  Of course, they don't.  Presents from grandparents; Mom and Dad; aunts, uncles, and cousins; and friends also have to find a home.  We appreciate and look forward to every gift but dread where they will go.

I am going to be smart this year and begin "Operation Clean-out" now.  As a bonus, I will be blogging about my success (I am optimistic at this point).  I may bore you but please bear with me.  I am holding myself accountable and writing about it is the motivation I need to get it done.  I am starting with the kitchen only because I am not up for the challenge of the toys just yet.  I will be devoting thirty minutes a day to one specific area.  If you decide to join me, let me know how things are going in your own house.  I give up easily and need the encouragement!  For an added bonus, I will be offering up each task for those who are less fortunate and saying a prayer of thanksgiving for the abundance in our life.  I just began reading a book called "Smart Martha" by Tami Kiser.  She writes about tackling Martha tasks with a Mary attitude.  The story of Martha and Mary can be found in Luke 10:38-42.  I am hoping that I can see these tasks as a blessing and not the burden that they currently feel like.

The task of the day is cleaning the refrigerator.  Luckily, my children clear it out every weekend so this necessary job is somewhat easy.  I checked every expiration date and reorganized the shelves, wiped everything down, and made a grocery list of the things that we need.  I thought about moving on to the freezer but taking on too much is how I get "burned out"!  I am saving that for tomorrow.  I am sure I will find some interesting things in the one outside.  If my children are not picked up from school tomorrow, please send someone to find me - start by looking in that freezer!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Curiosity

Curiosity keeps the world going.  Change comes from asking questions and seeking answers.  Curiosity drove Joseph Lister to study infections after surgery and promote sterile practices of doctors.  Curiosity is what enabled men to walk on the moon and women to dream of equality.  Curiosity is also what gets Samuel Privat in the most trouble.

He doesn't intend to be "bad".  He intends to have fun, discover new things, and follow the music in his own head.  A few weeks ago Sam, Luke, and their two cousins were playing together at their grandparents house.  When the noise level got too loud for the twelfth time, Jason asked them to come downstairs.  He told them if they did not lower their voices and settle down, he would get the belt that their Poppa used to spank his little boys and use it on them.  Jason rarely threatens and has only spanked for the worse offenses.  These boys knew that he meant business.  Well, three of these boys knew that he meant business.  One of them became curious.  (I'll let you guess which one....yep, Sam!)  After a few minutes, Sam stood on the landing and screamed.  He was immediately asked by Jason to come back downstairs.  Jason quickly got "the belt" and met Sam at the bottom of the stairs.  Jason is a patient soul.  Instead of spanking he asked Sam why he screamed again.  Sam looked at Jason with his big brown eyes and said, "Daddy, I really just wanted to see the belt that Poppa used to spank you!".

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Tape

Do you know how much scotch tape is in one roll?  I do.  There is enough tape to go around a door nob about 40 times, then zigzag a three year old's room circling around trains, trucks, and other toys about 50 times, and finally there is just enough left to wrap around your baby sister four times.  I learned this today with the help of Sam.  I also learned that a certain nine-month old does not enjoy being "tapeted" up.

I learn a lot from Sam.  He teaches me almost daily that it is always better to have fun than to follow the rules.  Rules like "don't jump on the couch" are silly anyway.  It does not matter that said couch is fairly knew.  It does not matter that you have fallen off and given yourself a black eye already.  It does not matter that you have been warned, threatened, and maybe even spanked because of jumping on the couch.  The potential for fun can trump any rule no matter what!  

I like rules.  I like to make them and usually I like to follow them.  They bring order to the world.  Lately though I have been thinking that maybe this three year old knows more than I do on this subject.  The joy on his face when I caught him with that tape in his hands was pure.  He knows better than to take things from our supply closet.  He knows that Genevieve is not supposed to be in his room.  Maybe I never stated the house rule that we are not allowed to tape up our belongings or our sister but I think he knew better on that one too.  However, I was immediately stopped by that look on his face.  He was willing to suffer the consequences because for those few minutes the benefits were amazing, wonderful, and just plain fun.  I hope I remember this look.  I hope every once in a while I step off the straight and narrow path and just have fun.  I hope you do to.

Noise

The noise level in my house at any given moment is just under the decibels produced during the last two minutes of a tied LSU game.  I think that my children were born slightly deaf.  I can't think of any other explanation for their need to scream.  Sure, they passed the newborn hearing screening.  Something must have happened on the way home from the hospital. Every one of my sweet newborn angels began screaming that first night home and so far none have stopped.  They yell at each other even when they are happy.  They yell at each other when they are sad.  Let's not even bring up when they are mad because it just might surpass those energetic LSU fans.  Because everyone is so loud, the TVs must (and I mean must) be turned up to ear-splitting levels.

In addition to apparent select deafness, my children also have an unbelievable ability to tune out what they do not want to hear.  Three TVs blaring, radios, iPods, and screaming siblings are no match for my phone conversations.  The other day I made a phone call from my closet.  Once I emerged two children asked me if we were really going to the park that day.  Both children had been eating breakfast in the kitchen which is four rooms away.  I am not sure how they can hear about upcoming plans made in whispers while hiding but not my face to face instructions.  My commands (demands) seem to be sucked up by the noise with assurances that I was not heard which is why the task was not completed.

I have tried to find solutions to stop the noise.  We do not watch TV during the week.  By we I mean the children because Jason and I earned the right to zone out using reality TV once everyone is in bed.  We made a family rule that the TV volume level can not go above 24.  The big ones always blame higher levels on the little ones knowing that they can't count.  We constantly remind the loudest of the screamers to quiet down.  I usually wait until I can't take it and yell something like, "We don't yell in this family!".  I already know the absurdity of that statement but a person has to do what a person has to do.  Trust me I am not the first one to use the "do as I say not what I do" tactic.  I bet it didn't work for the others either.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

My Broken Heart

My heart is broken today.  The pain is like no other.  I have had my heart broken by boyfriends but when your child does it nothing compares.  My oldest child has sent me into a state of depression, confusion, and downright pain.  She didn't mean to do it.  She wasn't trying to rip my heart out.  However, it happened and I will need time to overcome my sorrow.  This child without asking for my approval or permission decided to take it upon herself and grow up.  I mean grow up in every sense of the word.  Overnight she became responsible, self-reliant, confident, and the worst one - self sufficient.  I know, I know...this is what every mother dreams of but little do we know that this is the worst type of dream.

This child woke up this morning without her father dragging her out of bed.  She had her clothes for the day neatly folded on her desk.  Her phone was charged and in her purse (not under her bed or in the covers or on the vanity or in the refrigerator - the normal places).  She packed the things that she needed for her overnight field trip on Sunday...three days before the event.  Her snacks were packed last night along with her notebook, camera, and three black pens.  I was not involved in any of this packing.  I did not have to remind her, help her, encourage her (i.e. scream at her), or anything that I normally have to do.

I realize that an overnight field trip to study coastal erosion is a huge motivator to get stuff done.  However, this sneaky child has been showing signs of growing up for quite some time.  I just chose to ignore it.  I thought it was a phase when she completed homework without my help.  Everyone starts off the school year focused and determined.  I guess I am happy that she does homework alone but I sort of miss calling out spelling words and reading about the ancient Greeks and plant cells with her.  We still study together before tests but it is because of my insistence.

Last weekend she asked to go to the movie to see The Lion King in 3-D.  I was ecstatic about seeing one of my favorite movies again.  Unfortunately, I was not invited.  She expected to be DROPPED OFF.  I should have seen this coming.  The first movie I saw alone was Back to the Future in 1985.  I was in fifth grade.  She is in seventh grade.  I thought it would be different with us.  I thought that she liked hanging out with me.  I was cool at one time...before children, before wrinkle cream and hair dye became necessary...I was cool.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Just another manic...Tuesday

Tuesdays are my busiest day.  Gymnastics, piano, and dancing take over my afternoon.  My very dear friend told me several years ago that you can do anything with a good attitude.  I have had to use her advice this year.  She is one of those people who does everything with a smile.  I try to channel her energy anytime I am feeling less than happy about a task.  I hope I am not sucking the life out of her because I have been doing a lot of channeling!

To add to our Tuesday madness, I had to take one to a doctor's appointment in Baton Rouge today with the added bonus of the youngest two.  I got there with forty-five seconds to spare before the appointment time.  (This is a huge accomplishment and you may all do a silent cheer for my unexpected punctuality.)  As I checked in I noticed that the receptionist had a perplexed look on her face.  I asked her if something was wrong.  She said that we did not have an appointment today but in two weeks.  Because this is Our Lady of Lake and people there are strangely accommodating and unbelievably nice, she said that they could work us in but it would be about thirty minutes.  I have waited for two hours for an appointment with other doctors so I was cool.  The appointment went fine.  The part that I still can't believe is that they apologized to ME, the person who showed up two weeks early, for having to wait!  Once again, it's all in the attitude.  Only this time that good attitude came from an outside source.

I'll carry the receptionist's energy with me today.  However, I can honestly say that I no longer dread the afternoon activities.  I got smart about the whole thing.  The five children who are with me tell me about the day's events on the thirty-five minute drive to Lafayette.  They love this time because I am not always a captive audience at home.  While the three middle ones are in gymnastics, I do homework or just hang out with the second one.  (Notice I am not naming names...I have been forbidden!)  Then we drive to Broussard for piano lessons.  This is the worst part because at 5:30 in Lafayette traffic a person could almost loose their religion.  The rest of us have been playing outside or eating a picnic supper during number two's piano lesson. Luckily, number one rides home with a friend and then rides to dancing with her so that is not on my plate until the 8:00 pick-up.  The best, best, best part of Tuesday is the ride home.  We say the rosary while watching the sun set.  Number two and three each proudly take a decade.  Even number four, my rambunctious Sam, joins in.  Life gets in the way so often and the family rosary gets postponed too many times.  But on this day during this crazy schedule, all is right with the world.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Cheerios

Cheerios are the single greatest invention and I dare any mother to deny it.  I can buy myself at least five minutes with a handful of those little circles.  I have even thrown them on the floor in a time of great need just so the crawlers in my life could search them out giving me at least a minute more.  I once saw this mother of six on TV.  She threw Cheerios on the playroom floor and her babies would eat while she brushed her teeth and her hair.  She was an overachiever and had her children all at one time or maybe she was just lazy and only wanted to do it once.  However, I learned a lot from that smart mom in that one hour show.

Figuring out the problems is what mothering is all about.  Luckily, General Mills has helped us all.  They guarantee that they use whole grains and say so right on the box.  I wonder how many other cereal companies say that they use whole grains but trick us because they don't guarantee it.  I mean I am not only looking out for myself but contributing to the health of my children.  The box also says that this cereal may reduce the risk of heart disease.  Everyone wants that right?  Even more enticing is this bit of information - "Among pediatricians with children, more than 9 out of 10 serve Cheerios as a finger food to their own toddlers."  I am not sure how more than nine but not 10 have made this decision but whatever...  I will continue to serve these to Genevieve as long as she squeals every time she sees the yellow box.

Milk Day

Today is "milk day".  For the last ten years, the milk person has delivered our milk, bread, eggs, orange juice, ham, and various other dairy products.  We had to stop saying milkman because our current delivery person is a woman - we are very PC!  This is my biggest luxury in life.  It all started when I discovered that taking two small children to the grocery store was pure torture and they didn't like it either.  I quickly learned that eggs and toddlers can't be in the cart together.  I followed the truck one day and told the driver my address and they have been coming ever since.  Well almost...Borden's announced at the end of last year that they would no longer offer a delivery service, I cried actual tears.  Luckily, one of the supervisors decided to open Dairyman, Inc. and continue the deliveries.

In the earlier years I could not manage two children in the grocery store by myself.  I would sweat and my eye would twitch.  Now I take six children everywhere.  I laugh at the way I was and applaud who I have become (well only on this one topic!).  I keep telling my children how patient I am now and they almost believe me.  I think back often to our life before our six pack.  We ate in restaurants four times a week but almost never went bowling.  We watched newly released movies in the theater but almost never played with Legos.  We could go as we pleased but we almost never went to the Jump Zone, Mr. Gatti's, or any other "fun" place.  I had manicured nails, matching shoes, and a clean car.  Now I have hang nails, matching shoes (some things are too important to give up), and a suburban with an unidentifiable smell and a dented lift gate.  I learned in those early days to improvise and find solutions.  The milkman solved my grocery drama and I am forever grateful!