in stasis

Today is my last day of work before the big move. it's a long day, but my holding pattern will come to an end and I can finally start getting things done! tonight I am going to sort the small things for the rummage sale in to tubs, free vs. sell. I know I am going to have a TON of things that are free. :)

Tomorrow if the weather is nice the three boys and I will go to the pool for our local moms group meet up. it will be fun. then in the afternoon I will start trekking everything to the place where I am having my rummage sale. All morning Saturday will be spent doing the rummage sale thing. Which reminds me, I need to see if Salvation Army will come pick up at the end of the sale.

Then will ensue a week of cleaning and packing, while trying to squeeze in outings for the boys in the AM. I know we all will be SO excited!

Moving ... again!

I have decided that I like moving. We have moved so many time in the past 5 years that I don't think I can count them. Since our big move 2 years ago and then shortly there after finding FlyLady it's been my personal goal to move less junk each time. I have all my original boxes and tubs from our first BIG move 2 years ago. it took a 29 foot truck, and it was mostly full! Six months later an apartment flood took out a TON of our stuff! Between that and FlyLady I've declutter SO much. Last time we moved I filled all our tubs and a few boxes (these Giant boxes, I think there were 8)

Move this time: my goal? ONLY the tubs, and maybe a box or two, but not much. We decided to move 3 weeks ago. I have done a lot of my move out cleaning. I've scrubbed my oven, bought new drip plates, cleaned and replaced light bulbs and covers. I've had to scrub lint off every surface in the down stairs bathroom, due to the rental company not fixing the vent for my dryer and allowing it to vent INTO the house for weeks.

we are doing well. I have a rummage sale planned for the weekend, I am trying to get rid of a lot of the "extra" furniture before we move. it's hard work, but if we can move all in tubs and a few big pieces I think I will feel accomplished!

Bubbles bubbles bubbles

How do people cook meals when there are always children underfoot, and the kitchen is not big enough to turn around in? Well here was my solution last night:


DS4 was sleeping up stairs with dad, as he's been sick. SO it was nice to only have one underfoot. He was entertained. I just had to keep the bubbles out of my food!

So how do the rest of you do it?

Routines

Routines, if you follow FlyLady at all you have heard about routines. Well I have been struggling with my routines lately. I had them all written down and in a sheet protector hanging on my fridge. DH asked me if I could label what time I want them done. In my craziness I had forgotten to label my routines, so I knew which one was which, but no one else knew.

I re-wrote my routines so that I could have them laid out more logically. I found that I was resenting my routines on the weekend. This resentment has carried on to the week, and things just weren't getting done. I was not happy and I was not loving myself! I now have two routine lists. My week day one gets me up and ready for work, through my work day, with 4-6 kids there's a lot of things to do! My weekend one does just the basics. I also decided to divide up the Weekly Home Blessing over the week. I just don't have an hour in a chunk, but I can find 10 min or less to get it done!

Eventually I redid my routines one more time. They are now hanging on my fridge and are nicely laminated. The dry erase marker wipes off much easier now, and they look so pretty as they are getting crossed off.

Last week the kids were sick (my oldest was really sick) and the house tried to fall apart. As I was not working last week I just did the weekend routines, then I crisis cleaned on Friday so that Saturday and Sunday I could be sick! I was hoping for R&R on the weekend, but I got a bad cold instead.

This week I decided I was going to limit my internet. It distracts me in the morning. I have included a time for internet in my routine during nap time. I can tweet once I have my Morning routine 90% done. I also decided this week I was going to do my routines whether I thought I had time or not. Often my excuse is "I don't have time to get the dishes done now, I will do them later." I am a stay-at-home mom, none of our play dates will kick us out if we are 20 min late... I have time to finish.

Because I've been sticking to my guns, I have had more time. I have been getting my morning routines done no later than 8:30 (usually an hour to hour and a half, which includes breakfast, and e-mail checking.) My nap routine has been getting done about the time the children are ready to be put down for naps, leaving me with at least an hour to watch TV online, listen to a Blog Talk Radio Show or what not.

My afternoon routine is getting done more consistently, it's a simple one, just to put the daycare to bed (toys away, vacuum, swish and swipe the bathroom). My night time routine, it's the hardest and most involved. the worst part is getting the trash out. I never want to do it when the weather is bad. Also putting clothes away. I don't know why I don't like it, but I don't. But this week, I have just done it. Tweeting away each time I check something off. Soon the whole list got done.

The first night I did it all, I thought it was a fluke. Would never happen again, especially on nights that DH has to work. Well did it every night, and last night DH had to work. I did my all my routines. The dry erase marker filling the page. I even managed to give the boys baths, and still have 45 min. before the first one needed to go to bed! We got to sit down and watch Go Diego Go together.

Tonight I am done and am writing a blog post about how proud of myself I am. yeah! GO ME! My house looks good and I feel good. I feel like I am FLYing.