Tables, tables everywhere...

Today Rachel Anne was talking about the tables and furniture pieces in our homes that do such a great job for us. We need to give them a little bit of attention too, you know! So she offered up a full 15 points per furniture piece that got some attention today. Limit of 10 pieces. Still, that is a possible 150 points for ONE day! Wowza!

So, I dove right in. First I had to clear off the end tables in our living room so that I could give them a good dusting off and a quick shine up. The shine doesn't really last on these pieces because they are hand me downs that were rough when we got them. I still got them to look as nice as I could though. That part netted me 20 points.

Then I moved on to the cedar chest that has functioned as nearly everything in this house. It has been a TV stand, an end table, a night stand, a coffee table, a chest, a piece at the foot of our bed, everything. Right now, it is currently being employed as a coffee table / wool yarn storage space. The cedar keeps moths and such from making homes in the wool. Did you know that? So I gave that piece of furniture a quick dusting and a shine too. Now I'm up to 30 points.

Then it was on to my bookcase. It's low and sits next to my chair in the living room. It holds mostly my books and reference books for the kids that they have to have permission before using. I gave the top and the two shelves there the same treatment. The kids' bookcase got the same treatment as well - the top and all four shelves. At this point, I was up to 50 points. Only ten more pieces to do to get the full amount! Woot!

I moved onto the entertainment center and gave that some attention as well. While I was there, I also straightened up the shelves and wiped off the television screen and dusted the TV too, for no extra charge! Funny how doing one little thing can so easily lead in to another! So that left me at 60 points.

Hubby's desk was next in line (because it was the next piece of furniture on that wall) and I did the desk and desk chair both. The chair really needs to be cleaned but I will have to do that the next time I pull out the carpet cleaner so I can use the upholstery attachment on that - well, really, all the furniture could probably use it but Hubby's desk chair and my recliner show it the most because they are both light in color. Okay - slight tangent there, let's see where were we? Oh yes, I was up to 70 points.

Two side tables in the den were calling my name, after they saw what I had done to their friends in the living room, so I went down and settled them down too, giving them a nice rub down and thanking them for their services here. Two more pieces equals 20 more points! New total: 90 points.

The television stand in the den was looking pretty rough. I had just brought it in from being stored in the garage (because I wanted to move the cedar chest up to the living room to use as a coffee table and get it out from under the t.v. in the den) and it was dusty! Blech! Poor thing! It's black and it looked nearly white with dust. So then, the t.v. stand got a good polishing up too. Once again while I was at it, I dusted off the t.v. and wiped down the monitor. 100 points!

Moving on to our bedroom, I did a quick dusting off of our dresser, chest of drawers, both of our night stands and our bed frame. That was five more pieces for an additional 50 points, which maxed me out at the 150 point limit. But I didn't stop there. I was on a roll!

I went upstairs to the kids' bedroom level and also knocked out five bed frames, one night stand and two dressers. I came back down to the den, realized I had forgotten the armoire, so I took care of that as well. Then went down to the basement and knocked out two more dressers! That left me with a total of 11 extra pieces that I dusted and made to look nice. It was just so easy to keep going once I got started. Maybe that's the key to the "small things". It's a gateway to bigger and more involved things around the house. But yay! The wood furniture is dusted, so this weekend's Mega cleaning (formerly known as perfect clean) will be just a touch easier to do!

Total for today was the whole whopping 150 points!
Total for March is now 280 points. Wow.

Ketchup Caught!

Oh man, I cannot even begin to tell you all how happy I was to see today's small thing from Rachel Anne! Apparently I am not the only one who slipped this weekend. I mean, I did do stuff this weekend, but I've been dragging and just haven't been up to doing as much as I have been lately and so while the minimum maintenance things are getting done and I'm still doing okay with my "just good enough", I haven't been going much further than that.

Today's small thing was to just catch up on something. So, I decided to get caught up on the groceries getting put away. It was something that I hadn't done yet because I needed to rotate some food around (first in, first out, you know!) and so I just hadn't gotten around to it. Now it is done!

Today's small thing was worth 40 points, which brings my monthly total for March up to 130 points!
 

Menu Plan Monday

 

Today, I have been seriously lacking in motivation and just feel like I'm dragging. I left dinner up to Hubby tonight because I hadn't even gotten that far yet. So, tonight was a dinner from a box for the kids. I haven't been hungry at all for the last few days. I think I'm either coming down with something or well, I don't know. I don't feel ill, just worn out. But I really don't have a reason to feel this worn out, so I don't know. Anyhow, on to the menu plan for this week:

• Monday - hamburger helper
• Tuesday - at mother in law's house
• Wednesday - spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans, garlic parmesan bread and fruit
• Thursday - homemade chicken noodle soup
• Friday - breakfast for dinner - french toast, yogurt and fruit
• Saturday - homemade pizzas
• Sunday - roast, mashed potatoes, corn and fruit

Saturday Night Special

The movie selection for tonight is "Space Chimps 2". There are two seats left for this showing, next to the 3 year old drinking root beer on the couch. I don't think he has spilled any yet, so the couch should still be dry. And be careful as you approach the couch so that you don't step on that blanket. You know, the one covering much of the floor in the center of the room. Somewhere under there is a 7 year old. He's been stepped on before, but he seriously prefers that it not happen. Something about it hurting or something like that. And those chairs facing each other by the desk? Under the blanket on those chairs is a 4 year old. It took her a serious amount of whining and complaining to drive the 3 year old out of his original spot for the night. Meanwhile, the 10 year old and I are taking up residence on opposite ends of the room, in the chairs. A good night will be had by all, I am sure.

The kids are about halfway through their movie selection for the night, which means I still have about 45 minutes to putter around on the computer and in the blogosphere. One of our big time rules for movie night is that EVERY light in the house is off. The only light generated is from my laptop and from the TV screen. They normally do not get to watch TV in the total dark, but this one night a week I do allow it for the length of one movie.

Tomorrow, we are going to the movies to watch Megamind with the three older kiddos. I was hoping to take Boo with us, but Hubby arranged for his mom to watch the boy instead. Yes, I know that Megamind is available on DVD, but Hubby and I saw it in the theaters when it was out originally and we know that the kids will like it. The theater has something going on called "Frosty Flicks". It's something that Marcus Theaters does during the winter time. It is a great deal too! They have showings on Saturday and Sunday mornings during the winter and it costs $2.00 for admission and you can get a small popcorn and a small pop for $2 apiece as well. We generally go for the large popcorn and large pop for like $11.00, because you can get free refills on them, and they even give you smaller bags to divide up the popcorn as well. It's a pretty sweet deal, really.

We got a lot of work done today, despite the fact that I had a most difficult time falling asleep last night and laid in bed until around 7:00 this morning, when I finally fell asleep. Ugh! I slept until 2pm, though. That made for a lot of work to get done in a short amount of time and it was a bit more difficult because the kids had already gotten off track for their daily schedule. It is so rough to rein them back in.

But I did and so now, the bathrooms are clean, the den is mostly clean (it was clean but then I brought in some groceries from the back of the van and they landed in the den instead of in the kitchen), the trash got taken out, the living room is done, our bedroom is looking much better, the guest bedroom is in good shape and the boys' room is done. Tomorrow (or after the movie tonight, depending on how well the kids go to bed) we need to get the little kids to clean their room, get the kitchen cleaned up, continue in our bedroom and then work on laundry and in the laundry room.

We have some things planned for tomorrow though too. We have the movie in the morning, then after that, I will be running JoNo over to play with his buddy, Con. While I am there, I will be dropping off our old stroller and carseat travel system that we had for Boo. He's three and a half now. He hasn't used the infant carseat in at least three years and the stroller in probably a year and a half. I think it's time to get rid of them. Plus, Con's mom is having a baby soon so it really works on many levels. She also has some living room lamps that she is getting rid of, so I will be picking those up for my living room. I love the fact that we are able to do this! Getting rid of what we don't need for something that we do. Totally awesome! It wasn't worked out to be a trade exactly, but that's kind of the way it worked out, which works for me!

Then Miss Punky gets to go to her "bess fren in whole wide whirl" house for a play date. I tell you, those two girls are like glue at school. They just love each other to pieces. It is quite adorable really. Her friend, we'll call her "Bess", I think had a birthday on Friday (or at least that is when her mom brought cupcakes for the class treat) so we will be bringing a gift for Bess with us when we go over there. I didn't even have to go out and buy one for her either, extra bonus. Last week, Punky had been invited to another child's birthday party, but because of snow and cold, we decided not to go. Well, that and the fact that I had forgotten to RSVP to the parents. But I did buy that child a gift before the RSVP was expected. Since we didn't go to the party and give that gift, Bess will get it instead. Which actually, I am quite okay with because it is a gift that I am certain Bess will like. Not sure about the other kid (because I don't even know who the other kid is.)

So, for a few hours tomorrow, we will have two kids out for arranged play dates, Natty will probably go play with a neighborhood friend and it will just be Hubby, myself and Boo, who should be napping at that point. So, that will give me some time to get some work done.

Then tomorrow evening, we will either have my mom come over to babysit (or have the kids stay the night at mother-in-law's house) so that we can go join one of our friends for birthday drinks. And by we, I mean, I will drink and Hubby will drive. That's just how we roll. I love the fact that Hubby doesn't drink and that I always have a designated driver if I need one.

So, that is our weekend. It is packed full and we have lots to do (both fun and work stuff) but oh, it will be well worth it! What are you doing this weekend?

ALSO - please consider making a donation and sponsoring my boys by clicking on the links under my banner above. They would really appreciate it!

Finish It Friday

This week for "Finish It Friday" I reorganized my Tupperware cupboard. It was a very necessary thing to do because Hubby had me order some more Tupperware products for him. (How many guys regularly shop the Tupperware catalog, by the way?) I needed to place an order anyhow, so it worked out well. He got some new "toys" as he likes to call them.

But when I went to unpack the box of Tupperware (and the other two boxes from the last order that have just been sitting there for the last couple of months - mostly things for hostess gifts and door prizes and such) I discovered two things. One was that my Tupperware cupboard was once again looking a bit chaotic and number two, that I needed to rearrange some items because I had more Tupperware than I had space the way that it was.

So now, most of the Tupperware is neatly stored in the cupboard and I love it! It is so neat and organized and you just can't beat that! Plus, I love the products so you may see a post or two coming up here about some of the products, especially next month when there is going to be one of my absolute FAVORITE deals of all time coming up. Stay tuned for that.

Well, before I go off on a sales pitch (it's easy to do when you love a product line!) I will share the new after pictures with you all, because really, that's what you want to see right? The inside of my Tupperware cupboard.

This is the top shelf. Up here, from left to right, I have my (and by "my", I mean Hubby's) midgets - those small containers, then some of my Freezer Mates collection (I have the "Complete" collection but some are in use right now), then some of my Fridge Smart collection, (once again, I have the large collection and some of them are in use), then at the back are some of my Thatsa Bowl 4pc. set, but really, it is an 8pc set because it was BOGO free last year and I couldn't pass it up. But I guess technically it is a 16pc set if you count the seals too.

Continuing on around to the other side, is an old ice cube holder thing that is supposed to go in the freezer, but we never use it, so I ended up just using it to store some of the seals for small items, like two different kinds of tumblers and the snack cups. Then next to that are a few pieces of non-Tupperware brand containers that I keep on hand for non-food storage items.

Here on the lower shelf, once again going from left to right, you will see two sandwich keepers sitting in front of a non-Tupperware brand container that I use to store the seals for the midgets, all of which set atop a rectangular modular mate that I have filled with cake mix that I use at parties for demonstration purposes, which is sitting on top of a heat n serve divided dish (which is no longer available). Next to those, on their side are the snack bar keepers (they are red), then a plastic basket filled with seals for most of my products. In the back are some Wonderlier bowls.

Next to the bowls are the Stuffables Super set, with some Crystal Wave dishes stored inside of them. Next to that is my Stack Cooker. In front of the Stack Cooker are my Stuffables Mini set, stored inside a Pampered Chef small Micro-Cooker, which is stored inside a store brand thing that is kind of like the Micro-Cooker, but not nearly as deep or awesome and doesn't have a lid either. Plus, I don't use it, so I should probably get rid of it anyhow... Which leads us up to the front and two of our (many!) snack cups. The one on top belongs to Miss Punky Pie. She has a princess thing going on and she got a set of princess Tupperware for Christmas this last year.



So, that is my freshly organized Tupperware cupboard for today's post. Head on over to Katie's blog to see what she is doing for "Finish It Friday" as well!

I am also linking this up to Org Junkie's 52 weeks of decluttering. 

She listed some questions to ponder this week as well, which are:

1.) Do you know what your "good enough" is?
This question is an easy one for me to answer because not only do I know what my "good enough" is, I can easily explain it as well. My "good enough" is surfaces cleared off, floor free of clutter and debris, and the house smells nice. Pretty simple, really. So, on my worst day, that is my "good enough". Some days, it doesn't even get to that point, but when that happens, I'm stressed out and tense and really, quite impossible to live with (just ask Hubby or the kiddos - they will readily agree!) so what I have listed is my definite minimum, basic "good enough" standard.

2.) What did you organize this week?
Um, see above?

3.) Are there any areas you are struggling with in this challenge?
Mainly just posting about it. I have certainly done 9 different projects, but I don't blog every project, nor do I link up every project - mainly because I forget to. I just might start doing it though. I like joining in on things like this and visiting other people's blogs.

Can't Sleep...

I'm up late as I can't sleep. It works out, I guess, because Boo can't sleep either. At least not peacefully. He is moaning in his sleep and is coughing occasionally as well. I hope he isn't coming down with something that will make JoNo really sick. The school has already sent home letters this year regarding his attendance. He has missed nine full days of school due to illness. At twenty days, the school refers to the County Attorney for a child missing so much school. We have our pediatrician's support, he knows how bad JoNo gets and will back us up 100%. The thing that I don't get, though, is the fact that the school sends him home when he is sick, tells us to send him to school even when we are on the fence about whether it would be a good idea or not, then they wonder why: a) the child is sick, b) the child is not getting better quickly, c) why the child has missed school. I wonder if they tell other parents to send their children to school when they are sick as well? If so, maybe that is part of JoNo's problem. Ya think? Just maybe?

Hubby is once again contemplating the possibility of homeschooling the kids next year. I have been down this road before. I am so not getting my hopes up for it. Because when it comes right down to it, I highly doubt that he will want to actually follow through with it. Plus, I would like to keep Boo in school because of the services he receives, and JoNo may actually end up qualifying for services as well. He has a marked delay in his reading abilities, while still being at the top of his grade level for math. Then again, Natty is the same way, but I don't think it is quite as severe of a gap with him.

I'm also excited for Punky to start school next year. She is so looking forward to being with her big brothers at school. I just don't know. It makes me happy that Hubby wants to do it, but at the same time, it also makes me really sad that he has waited this long to come to this decision. I just don't know what to think really.

I made a cake last night. For no reason. I just thought that the kids would enjoy having it after school or after dinner today. Hubby even took the time to frost it and store it for me. Isn't that sweet?

I have been going through photos of Boo since I have been up and keeping an eye on him. It is just incredible how much he has changed over the last two years. May 2009, when he was 19 months old, he was just learning how to walk, he was pretty much non-verbal for the most part, he didn't socialize, wouldn't engage, didn't look people in the eye generally, would not sit through a story. Now, he walks, runs, kicks, throws, catches (well, it's evolving), jumps, rides a tiny bike with training wheels. He also talks, though not usually in conversation. He can voice requests and he can count and say his ABCs. He can verbalize pain and joy. He can rote count up to 30, knows his numbers by sight up to 30. He knows all of his letters by sight, both upper and lowercase. He knows the sounds they make, where they are in the alphabet (he can place a missing letter into the ABC sequence), he knows many shapes and colors. He has a fascination with Team Umizoomi and Bubble Guppies. He's just a doll. But is he a typical 3 1/2 year old? Not even close. A while back, we were at a birthday party for one of his school friends and after introducing ourselves, one of the mothers told me, "Oh yes, we hear lots about Boo from little miss. She really likes playing with him at school." The teachers say he has the most friends out of all the kids. He likes to play with them, but he doesn't generally seek them out, he still plays solo quite often. He's just kind of in his own little world. And while I love that he has his own little world, I worry about it too. According to the school, they don't think that he is autistic. The pediatrician is uncertain. We were supposed to have an appointment with a pediatric developmental specialist back in January, but we lost the kids' insurance coverage because of a paperwork ordeal that I'm still working on getting fixed. I just don't know what to think about it all.

I have an appointment for tomorrow to file for SSI for him at the recommendation of his services coordinator. She suggested that we apply for him and for JoNo both. Boo because of his educational diagnosis and JoNo for his lung disease and trouble with illness and because of his vision as well. The child has 20/400 eyesight in one eye, uncorrected. With correction, I believe it is something like 20/80 in the eye and he has essentially no peripheral vision in either eye.

Natty has been having some emotional issues the last few days, not really defiance but more things going on at school, but he isn't talking about it much until it all just bursts out. He can honestly go from everything is super awesome at school one day and talking about things he and his friends did and everything to the next day saying that no one likes him and he has no friends and other things like that. We think that the days that he says he doesn't have any friends, there was mostly something at school that didn't go his way and he had a meltdown about it. He can be incredibly responsible and mature, but he just doesn't "get" a lot of social situations and nuances and such.

And Miss Punky Pie - since I'm talking about the rest of them, I may as well mention her too, yes? She has been a handful. Stubborn and strong-willed. Tuesday evening, she kicked her grandma in the stomach at bedtime. I don't know what exactly is prompting this in her little world, but I wish the behavior would come to a close. I am sure it will too. Our main issues with her are direct obedience. She does okay most of the time, but whenever she is asked/told to do something, she digs her heels in and goes the exact opposite way. It's frustrating, but we just continue to work with her, letting her know firmly that we are asking her do whatever (say, clean her room) because we are teaching her to be responsible for herself and that yes, she does need to do what we tell her to or there will be a consequence and she will still have to do what she was asked to do.

So, yeah, that's what is on my mind right now. I think there is a blog meme out there somewhere "Random Thoughts Thursday". I think I might have to look it up and see if I can find it and link up to it, because if this wasn't random thoughts, I don't know what is.

Time For Me Thursday

Can I just say how much I have been looking forward to this day? I mean, seriously - it is a day that I get to spend time on me! The question is, what are my plans for myself for today? I will share that with you, since you so nicely asked, or since you're still reading, whichever may be the case.

I have some things that I need to get done. I need to do some massive laundry tackling today, I need to get the house in order while the kids are at school, I need to unload some non-perishable foods that are still in the van from our grocery trip the other night when I was too tired to bring them in when we got back home. (It was a long day, believe me!) and all of those things are good and well, but not really "time for me". So in addition to all of those other things, I am going to finally get my bedroom in order too!

I have to admit, there are not many huge things to do in this room, just a lot of small things, like clear off the dresser, clear off the chest of drawers, give my Hubby the use of his nightstand again, move some things out of our room, break down a card table that has been living in our bedroom for who knows how long, clear off my chair in there and the shelves I have next to them.

This doesn't sound like "time for me"? Well, you are right, but this is a means to an end. That end being my "time for me" plan, which is to kick back in the chair and enjoy the freshly decluttered room, maybe even make myself some (instant) cappuccino and drink that while I blog or surf the net or whatever. Maybe Hubby and I would even be able to relax and enjoy a game of Backgammon while we're at it. Or Rummy. We always used to play Rummy after the kids went to bed, but before we turned in for the night ourselves. And lately, we started doing that again here and there. We enjoy it and it is some special time just for us. Kind of like a mini-date for us in our own house.

So that is my "Time For Me Thursday". You should take time for yourself too! What are YOU going to do for YOURSELF today?