whaaaat?!

I know it's annoying when bloggers like me don't blog often and then they post a very long (too long) post about everything.  But since my blog is basically for >>> me <<<, I am going to do it anyway and hope you all forgive me :)

FlyLady

I was becoming very overwhelmed with housework.  Things had just started to pile up since Owen was born , and whenever a new family member is added of course, there are more things and more clutter.  Baby clutter is pretty annoying to me because baby items (swings, exersaucers, play yards, spit up rags, bibs, dirty diapers) is pretty unattractive.  It's either in colors too bold or too pastel to be stylish or the item is just too bulky or too stinky.  I like to move baby clutter out ASAP, meaning this baby swing in our living room is driving me crazy.  It needs to go.

Anyway, where do I start?  A few women I know have raved about FlyLady (FlyLady.net) and I decided to just get started.  Then about ten days later a friend of mine started a Facebook FlyLady Accountability group, Kendra joined as well and I was all in, officially.  The book Kendra and I are reading, Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst, has been instrumental in my success thus far.

This weekend I broke some FlyLady rules and decluttered far more than 15 minutes.  We completely decluttered and switched around the kids' rooms.  It just needed to happen, and it needed to happen this weekend--John's weekend off.  Because I couldn't do it by myself.

Every day this room just stressed me out.  I spent most of my time cleaning, cleaning in here before FlyLady.

This was after about 20 minutes of playing yesterday.

Maryn's bed is now in our middle, smaller, bedroom with Owen.

Owen's bed, changing table, Maryn's bed, dresser and most of our kids' books are now in this room.
This includes all of Josiah's clothes as well.

The end room, the bigger room, is now Josiah's bedroom and the play room.  It has all the toys, and some books.

I hope this room stays cleaner!

Ballet

I'm so proud of Maryn in ballet.  She does such a great job.  Our neighbor friend, Ella, is going to ballet now too.  I keep her little brother (18 months) while her mom (Bekah) takes the girls to ballet.  What a tremendous help this is to me!  For some reason Bekah l-o-v-e-s to get out of the house, and I love to stay behind with the boys and have some fun boy time (which Josiah needs anyway).  

Reading

I am so thrilled at the great interest Maryn is showing in reading!  Yay!  She has gone through phases of being very interested in reading.  I notice that both kids are more interested in reading when they see John and I reading a lot.  Since he had two classes this semester and I have my SWI classes, plus other things I'm trying to read, they are both wanting to read so much more.

Maryn's fascination with letters has turned into a fascination with spelling and now-surprise!  Reading too!  She hasn't quite made the connection that she's reading.  I don't think she believes it--that it really could be that simple--but I'm guessing she's on her way to figuring it out.  

We started reading Charlotte's Web and surprisingly, she was totally into it.  Then she begged me to get Stuart Little at the library the other day and we're already on Chapter 7!  We also read the first Magic Tree House book, and have several more in the line up.  If you have a favorite chapter book you think we should read, please let us know.

Seminary Wives Institute

I am the proud possessor of a 2.0 grade point average in my SWI classes.  :)   But this semester I was actually able to complete one class, called Embracing Femininity, which was very good, with Mrs. Mohler and Jodi Ware.  Now I am taking Biblical Parenting with Mrs. Danna Stinson.  I am trying to do better, but I did have two late papers in Embracing Femininity just because these kiddos and my hubby (and FlyLady) are keeping me on my toes.   It's just hard to keep all the balls in the air sometimes, isn't it?

Ministry

I loved teaching three year olds in the nursery at church this morning and am praying my dear husband would...Hmm.  Make up his mind.  And tell me what he/we should do next semester as far as serving in our church goes.  I really hope I can get out and chat or serve some of our neighbors more, though.  It's s-a-d that I don't do more.  I just gotta take these kids with me, as Mrs. Stinson says.  Stop trying to schedule things around them and take them with me!  What the heck is my problem sometimes?