Vacation Plans

I know it is only the end of February but I am already making plans for vacation! I have reserved a cottage for a week in August in Massachusetts. We are planning to visit friends and family, fish, sight see and relax. We didn't go anywhere last year so I really wanted to go away this year.
The girls are VERY excited. Vacation in MA means playing with cousins, digging for clams on the beach and campfires at night at Camp Kiwanee. For Don it means fishing for bass and playing with the campfire at Camp Kiwanee. For me it means visiting with my family and friends and relaxing.

Random Thoughts

I just got home from Wendy's. SLOW night tonight. I'm washing my work shirts so I need to wait to get them in the dryer before I get to bed. Everyone here is mostly healthy now. Maggie still has a cough but at least she's back to school.
The weather today is cold. The snow yesterday really sucked. I know it is still February but those couple of 50-60 degree days really psyche you up for Spring.
We are planning our garden. I am actually looking forward to having one this year. We haven't had one since the flood.
I am looking forward to Spring Training. Although I root for the Browns and the Cavaliers, I will always be a Red Sox fan.
I am also looking forward to riding my bike. Right now the roads and sidewalks are snow covered. Another month...

The Sick House

We are sick. At least 3 out of 5 of us are sick. Madison is in heat so she isn't sick but she is frisky and stinky!) Tuesday I had to pick Chrissy up at school. Her belly hurt. She came home and we took a nap together. She went to school on Wednesday. I came home from work 2 hours early because my belly was rumbly. As I walked in the door, the school nurse was calling again because Chrissy's belly was hurting. I picked her up again and we both went to bed. After my nap I had to get Allie from her afterschool drama class and take her to piano lessons. The entire time my belly is rumbling and not just because I was hungry. When Allie and I got home, Maggie was wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. She had a temp. and a headache.
Anyways, I kept Mag and Chrissy home and I went to work today. I made it 5 hours and came home. I took a nap and Don had homemade chicken noodle soup for us for dinner. The girls and I feel much better now. I am off tomorrow but I am sending the girls to school. Chicken noodle soup is a wonderful cure all!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone gets to spend it with their sweeties. I am spending the day with my girls and the evening with Don (I think). I got a new washer and dryer for V-Day. Don is so romantic! Actually, I am thrilled. They are front loading, HE washer and dryer. I ove them. They are quiet and use less water and electricity than my old ones. As most of you know, I spend most of my life doing laundry. Now I can continue my favorite pasttime and save energy!

Flannel Sheets

I have new sheets for my bed and they are flannel. I just got up after a very toasty night on them! I had flannel sheets when I was a kid. I liked them on my bed all year long because they are so soft. I'm sure you thought I might have some pearls of wisdom today but I don't. Just wanted to share my flannel news.

Warmup

It is 5 degrees outside right now. It is suppose to get up to 16! Tomorrow and over the weekend it is suppose to get into the 40's!! I can't wait. The other day it warmed up a bit and the sun was shining. That warmup lasted one day. It lead to the melting of some ice on the Lake so yesterday we got 4 inches of LE snow. The West Side got 10 inches!


Clean Sweep Update:

Well, none of my other rooms have been touched and the living room isn't as beautiful as it was Sunday morning. I don't expect a perfectly kept house but I don't understand why it is so difficult to maintain some level of neatness. I blame the girls and Don and the fact that I work all day but so did my mom and a billion other women in the world. I guess I have to just buckle down a little harder. Not on the kids and Don but on myself. I really need to improve my level of motivation. I'm not working until noon today so maybe I should get off the computer and straighten up!!

Clean Sweep

Did you ever see the show on TLC called Clean Sweep? It is where a family has an organizer and a designer and carpenter organize and clean up their clutter. They show the rooms before they are cleaned up. The organizer asks them what they want to use the room for and why do they have so much clutter, etc.
I really like the show and I always shook my head when I saw some of those rooms. I always knew that I was messy but not like those people. Boy was I ever wrong. 2008 was a tough year for a lot of people and that includes us. We had to down size our space but that's OK. The problem was all of the crap that has accumulated and followed us. It's mostly clothes but also other stupid things that you hate to part with because you never know when you might need it again. Well, yesterday I reclaimed my living room! When I got up this morning and walked into the living room I didn't have to step over or on or around anything! My compter mouse actually has full range of the mouse pad!
The girls and I cleaned, wiped and tossed a bunch of stuff. We now only have shoes in the shoe box that fit and have matches. My rocking chair is now available for rocking!
We have other rooms to do and Don needs to hit his kitchen but it is certainly a wonderful feeling to know that it can be done. The girls didn't like giving up their Saturday but they were happy when it was done. It's easier when we all work together. They are already fighting over what chores they want to do-in a manner of speaking. They all want to spray the windex and clean the window but still no takers for the litter box! Since I spent nearly an hour removing a sock from the vacuum cleaner, I guess I'll do all of the vacuuming. The girls say that Don sucked up the sock so he's not allowed to vacuum either. It broke his heart.