Operation Clean-Out Day 7

I am on a roll!  I washed all of our crystal last night while studying with Annelise.  I am ashamed to admit that I don't do this often enough.  There was a lot of dust.  I am not sure why I registered for all of this crystal when we got married.  We never use it.  We have old fashions, double old fashions, water goblets, both red and white wine glasses (I don't really know which is which), and champagne flutes.  Who did I think that we would be in our married life...fancy alcoholics?  Neither of us are or were big drinkers (those who know me from college can keep their comments to themselves thank you very much!).  However, every one of those glasses are clean and put away until 2015 when I take them our for their next scheduled washing!

Today, I went through my book collection.  I have quite a few that I love and would not get rid of but several that I am giving away.  I would like to share some of my favorites with you.  My goal today is to learn how to list them on my blog.  I am now an Amazon Associate and can link to their website.  I want to disclose that I will get a very small portion of any order that is place through a link on my blog including the Amazon search box.  However, my goal of this blog is to entertain, inform, and connect with others.  I appreciate any support that you make through the advertisements but I am keeping my original purpose for this journey.

Works for Me Wednesday

On Wednesdays I plan to share tips that make my life easier.  Many people ask me how do I do "it" with so many children.  I don't think that I do "it" perfectly but I have learned some tricks along the way.    Please feel free to send me your tips too.  I would love to share them and to use them!

A few years ago I was complaining to a friend about keeping track of uniforms.  I would think that we had everything together the night before only to find that I had two skirts for Annelise and none for Meredith in the morning.  This smart mom, told me that she keeps the uniforms for her four school-age boys in the laundry room.  Doing this allows her to see what is clean without going to each closet.  I quickly bought a hanging rack and they have been there ever since.  I love this plan.  My children dress in the laundry room too.  They take off their PJs and put them directly into the hamper.  I wash all of the uniforms for the week together and hang them up directly from the dryer.  I made our morning even easier by turning the dry bar under our stairs into our school closet.  I have a plastic container with three large drawers.  Each girl has one to put their school shoes and after school stuff like leotards, dancing shoes, volleyball gear, etc.  We also have two more smaller plastic containers that we keep the school socks in.  Organizing the school stuff this way has changed our life.  I do still have to remind the girls about our system as shoes still like to hang out on the kitchen floor.  However, we have a plan and that is a start.

Lions, Tigers, Bears...Oh My!

Blessings come in abundance but even Dorothy knew that trials tend to come in threes.  Last night our lion, tiger, and bear were three tests.  Not just any three tests but a three chapter humanities unit test, a science chapter test, and a religion chapter test.  We have been studying for that humanities test for a week.  This morning Annelise put her book and study guides in her backpack and knelt at out prayer table and called on God.  I forget sometimes in the midst of turbulence to call on Him for guidance, wisdom, and strength.  She had done all she could do and turned it over to Him.

Katherine has been reviewing science every night for the past week also.  The material is new and harder for her to grasp.  She typically learns things quickly and this struggle has affected her.  I asked Jason to study with her hoping that he could bring a fresh take on the scientific method.  He must have done a good job because Sam was talking about investigating and inferring this morning.

Meredith always does well on her religion tests.  However, I knew that she needed help studying.  It was not because she didn't know the material but because she needed the time with me.  It seems that every night I spend the most time with the child who has the most homework.  This is usually not her so she gets pushed aside too many days.  I love studying for religion tests with my children because it reminds me to talk about our faith and God's presence in our lives.  I relate the life of Jesus and the other men and women in the bible to our lives.  Even though it was a busy night, I am glad that I had to take time out for her.

School is often overwhelming for this mom of six.  I loath homework.  As a teacher I know its importance but as a mom I hate its presence in our lives.  I would rather be picking flowers or watching the new calves outside.  I would rather be enjoying a meal together and talking about the day instead of Amun-Re, anemometers, or dangling participles.  I would rather do just about anything than homework.

Operation Clean-Out Day 6

I was a total slacker today.  I could blame it on my runny nose.  I could blame it on the beautiful weather.  I could blame is on lack of sleep, the alignment of the stars, the price of rice in China, or the Amanda Knox verdict.  I do not have an excuse. I should have stuck with the plan.  I should have focused my energy.  I should have lied and told you that I cleaned the bathrooms perfectly!  However, I caught up with Facebook, magazines, grocery shopping and cooked supper.  I hope to double up tomorrow and get the bathrooms cleaned AND organized.  Wish me luck!

The Family who Sleeps Together has a Tired Mom and Dad

I never know who will be in my bed come morning.  I can almost guarantee that Jason will not be there and that Genevieve will.  However, I never know who else will show up during the night.  Sunday morning I woke up at 4:00 and was surprised to see Annelise laying were Jason belongs.  I remember watching TV with her late Saturday night and I guess she fell asleep.  Luke was there also.  I don't remember when he showed up.  He usually stands at my bedside and sucks his thumb LOUDLY until I wake up and then asks if he can climb in.  I always say no but he always gets in anyway.  I don't remember if we had this exchange that night.

Typically Jason starts off in the twin size race car bed with the two boys.  I don't know how he can handle sleeping shoved between these two nighttime ninjas especially when his feet hang over the hood.  He claims that it is easier than walking them back to their bed umpteen times during the night.  I try to wake Jason up before I go to sleep and walk him back to our bed but he usually finds his way back to the boys room.  He built this bed with a family friend when he was fourteen for his little brother.  Their nephew used it and so did several other lucky little boys that we know.  We were excited when it made its way back to our house.  The boys love that bed and are proud to show visitors their dad's handiwork.  I just wished that they could love it as much without Jason in it.

Meredith and Katherine sleep upstairs (or on the couch or in a recliner or with Annelise or on the floor in my room).  They have learned to be quiet in their nighttime shuffle.  I woke early one morning not too long ago to find Meredith in the boys bed along with Jason, Luke, and Sam.  She got sick during the night and Jason in his exhausted stupor told her to climb in.  Four people in one twin bed is a bit much if you ask me.  I was just grateful that I was not involved.

Annelise sleeps in a full-size bed along with about twenty pillows.  I often have a hard time finding her in the morning amongst all that fluff.  She is also a nighttime roamer.  I have found myself shaking every lump in her bed only to discover that she is on the couch, in a recliner, in her sisters' room, or on the floor in my room.  The only TV allowed on during weeknights is the one in my room.  She usually sneaks in on Thursday nights to watch Project Runway, her favorite show, and then falls asleep.

I try to remind everyone that they would be more comfortable in their own beds with their own pillows and blankets.  They obviously aren't buying it.  I am not sure if I will miss this nocturnal dance of bed swapping when they are grown.  As of now, I just want to sleep through the night any way possible.

I Want to be a German

While in kindergarten Annelise learned a lot besides her letters and numbers.  She learned on the first day of school that she could not order from the menu at the school "restaurant".  Instead, everyone had to eat off of the buffet and they could not make choices there either!  She learned that nap time was not optional, story time was her favorite, and skorts and a sailor top were what all the cool girls wore.  She also learned about Germans.

Annelise came home one day and through tears explained that she wanted to be a German.  Several of the children in her class were descendants of the German families that settled in Robert's Cove and would be performing traditional dances at the Germanfest.  They would also have costumes that included wreaths made of flowers for their hair (Can you even imagine that she would not be a part of this?!?).  I told her that when she grew up she could marry a German but we couldn't declare our lineage.  It was given and not chosen.  She was devastated.

The Germanfest is this weekend and it always reminds me of Annelise's wish.  My Killmer relatives originated in Germany but they were not one of the families that settled in this area. This time of year I also wish that they were.  Luckily, those sweet Germans allow us all to be a part of their family for a whole weekend of dancing, singing, playing, and best of all eating!

Operation Clean-Out Kid's Edition

My children looked at me like I was nuts when I eagerly told them about our weekend plans of clearing out the drawers in the kitchen.  One went so far as to say to me that I was ruining a perfectly beautiful day and God would be mad.  I told them that we are setting the timer and no one will work longer than thirty minutes.  "If we hustle we can get it done," was my battle cry.  They weren't buying it (not even Luke who lives to organize).

I assigned the drawers and told them that they could start theirs whenever they wanted but it had to be done before 7 p.m. Sunday night.  I knew that the procrastinators would run for the hills and the two that hate to have things on their to do list would jump right in.  Annelise went with the youth group to Alexandria for the day.  Her drawers (the worst) would have to wait until the deadline anyway.

A wonderful thing happened when those drawers started getting clean out.  We became super heroes of the cleaning world.  The procrastinators started cleaning up in other areas of the house just to avoid the drawers. Trust me, I was not complaining.  The organizers got excited about the job ahead.  The first two drawers took two minutes and that was with Sam's help!  Those two drawers are always neat.  They house Ziploc bags and aluminum foil.  We took everything out then let Sam vacuum them.  He was satisfied with his job and decided to watch TV instead of help (Hallelujah).  The rest of drawers took a little more time and we ended up working together to get them done.  We didn't even need Annelise and I am sure she is happy about that.

Now that the kitchen is clean, I feel lighter and more energized.  All that stuff has a way of weighing a person down without them even knowing it.  I am looking forward to completing the rest of the projects.  Next week I am focusing on the bathrooms (Monday-Wednesday), dining and foyer (Thursday), and the living room (Friday).  The week after will be the dreaded toys!

Oh, if anyone is interested in cabinet pulls from 1978 or expired coupons dating back to 2002, let me know.  I can hook you up.

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.

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!

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!

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!!!

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!

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!".