So How Do YOU Do It?

I get cranky when clutter piles up. I wish I could claim to be such a neat-freak that clutter just doesn't happen in this house. But truth-be-told, clutter is part of my life. My kitchen counters are the biggest clutter-collector, followed closely by my dining room table (no fun to set the table for dinner when I must start with finding places for everything that collected on the table). Next in line is our "phone table," my desk and, well, basically any elevated horizontal surface.

The good news is that over the years I have found a variety of ways to combat it. I thought I would share my tips and let you share yours, too.

1. Never start a new project until the current one is totally done and put away. (That includes starting another load of laundry before the clean, dry load is folded and put away.) Teach your kids to only make one mess at a time, too.
2. Throw stuff away. Ever done a "27 fling boogie?" walk quickly around your house with a plastic grocery sack and put 27 things in it that belong in the trash.
3. Put toys with a zillion pieces up and out of reach so you can control when (or if) they come down.
4. Do the dinner dishes and wipe down the counters every night so you awaken to a fresh start every day.
5. Do a "that doesn't belong" run. Walk around your cluttery spots and fill your hands with things that don't belong (stop when your hands are full) and then go put each item away. Do that once or twice and call it good until tomorrow. This works really well when you only have a moment and you are just totally overwelmed at the thought of even attempting to de-clutter.

So those are my top five. How do YOU deal with the constant barrage of clutter coming at you?

It's What You DON'T Smell...

Our bathrooms are about to get a little less stinky. If you have boys, listen up!! Home Depot (and probably Lowe's et al) carries these toilet seats that are removable for easy cleaning. The whole lid and seat portion comes off the toilet and you can rinse the "hard to reach places" in hot running water in your sink or bathtub.

I installed these great toilet seats in our previous house but have lived in our current house a whole year before FINALLY making the HUGE purchase (yes, all of $9.97 each).

One word of warning: when you remove the old toilet seat (something I was able to do all by myself!) be prepared to be totally disgusted. The urine collection in those two hinge holes is impressive in all the wrong ways.

A Virus Hit

Just when I was feeling better, I was hit this week with a terrible virus. It was not one I have ever had before (I have had worse), but it so filled me with exhaustion I could do little more than lay in my bed. (Do you feel sorry for me?) Anyway, since it was such a strange sickness with none of the usual fevers, vomitting, or the like, I wondered if I was losing my baby - a thought that sends me into a deep sadness that reminds me of the longing I had for a child when we were trying so hard to get pregnant with our first.

I made an appointment with my OB at the same time - so it happens - that Ryan had an appointment to see if a relapse of cancer would have us starting chemotherapy the following Monday. I wanted so badly to be with Ryan at that appointment, and had made all necessary arrangements to do so, but if what i had WAS a virus? Showing up to an office with cancer patients whose immune system is seriously compromised would be unkind and unethical. So instead I sat in my OBs office, just a building away, to hear a heart I prayed was still beating.

The Doppler thing-y that they listen to the heartbeat with immediately picked up little peanut's heart and I breathed easier for the first time in a few days. As I walked out of the office, my cell rang. It was Ryan. We were really preparing in every way, shape and form for Chemo to start. The mass that was detected was so suspicious as being a recurrence that we did not hardly dare to hope it was something else. But we did pray it would shrink on its own. I could not believe it when Ryan's voice came over the speaker: "It did not grow. It's the same size. We'll do another scan in three months, but for now at least, no need to do chemo. The doctor said it might not even be cancerous" WHAT?! THANK YOU FATHER! We were both in complete shock.

It was so cathartic. In less than 15 minutes time, we learned that our baby was preserved and that we had escaped the mess that is chemo. It was a good day. A good, good day.

Word Number TWO

After a long hiatus, my little 18-month-old has added word number two to his vocabulary.

And the word is "Yuck." (here is a little pic of my little guy, being as yucky as his mommy would let him get... he has soaked himself in water from some random outdoor bucket, and then slathered himself with freshly cut grass and bark mulch. Can you say "bath night?" (Yes, I know YOU can say that. But sadly he CANNOT!)

Lovely. When he says it, as best as I can translate, it means "yuck," "this," and "want."

He also says, "yuh, yuh, YUH!"

as in:

"Ready, set, GO!"

Which he says right before he runs anywhere

Silence...

Yes, I have been neglecting my blog... sorry to those faithful lookers. I just moved into my second trimester and am starting to feel just about normal. And you know what that means, right? Time to play major catch-up in absolutely evey area of life. Blogging just happens to fall below a number of other priorities.

And that is only half the story. The other half is that I am sans inspiration. So, I am up for requests and suggestions...

INSPIRE ME!