A Peek at our Summer (so far)

 We've been absolutely in love with the weather lately.  After a rainy June, we are soaking up the REAL summer weather of July.  

 And I have been soaking up books as fast as possible.  Here's an actual un-retouched photo of my nightstand.  Only for you, folks.  That blurry one almost to the top is John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley.  I figure I'll save it for a big road trip coming up since it's about his travels across this great land.  

I'm also reading Room right now, about a boy who is raised in an 11x11 room with his mother, told from his perspective.  It's a little spooky, but actually pretty sweet.  More on that later.

 On Jonny's birthday a few days ago, I actually Set. My. Alarm to bring him breakfast in bed. 

 (Sometimes I shock myself.)

He's an early riser and I just knew he'd beat me to it if I didn't.  It wasn't fancy, just Cheerios and strawberries, but I knew he'd love it.  He'd asked for it before and I told him to wait until his big day.  

 As I sat next to him in his bed, he turned to me with a milky mouth and said, "I feel like a king!!"  

 I hope this is blog-appropriate:  I love these ruffley buns.  How cute is she??

 She had to have a bright pink ball.  That's my girl.  

A few of her favorite things:

After making someone laugh she'll say, "What'd I do??" (So she can do it again :)

She'll grab your face with her hands and say, "You looookin' gooooood!!"

Skirts.  Dresses.  Absolutely nothing else.

Getting her toenails painted.

Being with her brothers at all times.  If they aren't around she'll ask, "Where my boys go?"

On the Fourth of July, you could find us right here in the heart of America, man.  Watching a parade, sweating, waving at people we knew, and just plain loving the day.  We ended it with a firework show just a few blocks away from here, swatting mosquitoes the entire time.  But the show was worth it!

Summer hasn't been all parades and ice cream.  We've had our share of sibling rivalry, disobedience, and just plain frustration.  I think the kids really re-learn how to live together in the summer.  During the school year, it's easy to ignore their siblings and go their own way.  

But this has been good. 

 They needed this. 

 I've always prayed my kids would somehow become friends when they grew to adulthood.  And maybe part of that journey is half-killing each other during their childhood.

Getting Organized

I saw this idea on one of my favorite websites (Jill Savage from Hearts at Home) and had to share!

Isn't this a cool way to keep coloring supplies organized? 

I recently cleaned out the linen closet in my bathroom.  Wow.  There was a lot of junk in there.  It's very deep, so it's like diving into a black hole if I need to find a bottle of conditioner or lotion. 

 Now, I have large clear boxes on the shelves filled with different items.  One box holds lotions/perfumes/body sprays and another holds hair products, etc.  That way I can just pull out the box I need.  Many thanks to my mother-in-law for that idea!

What go-to ideas do you have for organizing in your house?

Do You Know Where Your Laundry Is?

If it's in a room like this, you can probably go back to your blissful life now.

But for the rest of us, "Do You Know Where Your Laundry Is?" is the title of a chapter in one of my favorite books - 

Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley a.k.a. The FlyLady.  

When I discovered this book, I was the mama of 3 little men and having daily pity parties.  I felt so overwhelmed by housework.  I didn't know where to begin.  Enter Flylady.  And although I certainly didn't become a domestic diva overnight, it helped me take a deep breath and start fresh.

I had to make peace with laundry.  It was not going away. Gone were the days of just me and Aaron when we could let it pile all week until the weekend.  I had to get serious.  Flylady says laundry is a 5-step process.

  Sort, Wash, Dry, Fold, and Put Away.  You leave out just one step, and laundry takes on a life of its own.  

Ohhhh, does it ever.  Ever had to tell a kid, "GO LOOK IN THE DRYER!!" when they can't find clean clothes?  Story of my life.  

Sometimes I think of laundry as a baby -- it cannot be left unattended!  What works best for me is a simple routine (and it helps to follow it!).  I put in a new load (or 2 if I'm behind) of laundry every day after getting home from school during the week and make sure it's folded and put away before I go to bed.  Simple as that.  If it's the weekend, I just try to do sheets or play catch up.  If I neglect this, I pay for it later.  Baskets lay around the house, people can't find clothes to wear.  Insanity.

Sometimes, I'm simply not putting clothes away because the drawers are too full.  That's when I have to get down and dirty and start a "give-away/garage sale" box.  If you have young children, this is a monthly chore it seems because they are growing so fast!  (Incidentally, I was wondering why I seemed to have so much laundry lately and I decided it's because my BIG kids are wearing BIG clothes, and I can't jam as much in!)

I can't believe I've written this much about laundry.

But one more thing.  Setting out my kids' clothes for the next day (during the school year) is about the best tip around.  There's no digging for the clean jeans or fits of rage about matching socks.  Oh, and Mommy figures out her clothes the night before, too.  :)