This is Difficult

Being focused on organizing is very difficult for me. And today it's putting me in a bad mood. I feel like I can't leave the house, which isn't a good thing, yet looking around it is difficult to see what has been accomplished. So far today I have established a spot for pay stubs, receipts, bills and coupons. Somehow I believe I've done all this before so I have to integrate my old system into my new one. I have copied the addresses off of holiday cards so I don't have to keep the envelopes, and have put the holiday cards into one pile. Unfortunately I didn't send out holiday cards or display the ones that were sent to me and now it is almost New Year's Eve. I doubt anyone will have missed my card so I'll have to let that go. Besides, facebook allows everyone to see updated photos of my kids if they wish. I cooked a big pot of turkey chili which the kids ate for lunch (I thought it would be dinner but there's still enough left for that.) I have to hand wash all the dishes of course and I took care of that. There's virtually no more laundry to be done. I cleaned crap out of the car and found the ski discount passes (which can't be used but at least I have them.) I uncovered some of Troy's favorite markers in my straightening process. I am attempting to group Dave's soccer things in one box. It's now 1:20 but I'd still be leery to show anyone the place.

How long will it take?

Using each second to be more cognizant of my habits, I find that that there is never a time to relax. This blog is a necessary process, not relaxation after all. The main problem is that I haven't gotten to the "everything has a place" place yet, so that the questions usually becomes-what should I do with this or that item.

Progress and Questions....

Progress and Questions....

The addition of my new kitchen sink and counter has transformed my life already. I can take pleasure in the simple act of providing nutrition to the family again. The counters are lovely, the sink is shiny, the cabinets smoothly operating and abundant in space. Only a few little glitches-bought a microwave that was too big and the cabinets might have to get adjusted for that. Also panicked because I started purchasing stainless steel appliances and now realized black would have been just fine with the new counter color. Who exactly am I buying the stainless appliances for because by the time I sell this house, someone will want new appliances anyway. Now what to do-try to exchange the dishwasher for black? It would have been much easier to just buy the right color. What led me to that to begin with was procrastination. Because of procrastination I ended up rushing my decision at the end. On another but always related subject, I picked up the book The New Messies Manual and started reading it. Not to diss flylady, but just to check out one more system on my endless quest. The book really spoke to me but can I say, not in a good way. I felt scolded, but it was all so true. I have been making a concentrated effort since even glancing through the book, to be more mindful of every minute. The question I have is, should every minute be dedicated to keeping your house clean, or will eventually you reduce the number of minutes. I fear that this blog would be looked down upon by her, as we "messies" as she calls people like us, let our creative whims inhibit our goals to keep the house clean. But today I have spent each minute so far doing laundry, washing dishes and straightening the new kitchen to keep it perfect, trying to sort and put away the snow clothes and boots that keep littering the front door area, drying clothes for various visiting teens, shoveling snow on top of it all, that when I went to pick up my magazine, I felt that I should not be doing that but instead should face that the house was not perfect. I then began what she calls "The Mount Vernon Method" on the area near the piano. I transferred an entire shelf of music books into plain white boxes. Then what-they all went back on the shelf. I can't tell if that actually accomplished anything since I didn't get rid of any music books and still didn't organize them properly. But while I did that I found the Pokemon cards little son was looking for this this morning and I could not find. So her advice was correct, that when you organize, you find things. She advises that you group items together. I found various items that have no home and need one. I need to make a home for the pool table supplies, for example, but what should I put them in? A labeled shoebox would be better than nothing I suppose. Still haven't dealt with the paper clutter. Feel a strong need to get out of the house!

So the 8 foot closet in my room was cut out to make a lovely "foyer" area but my inability to read architectural plans caused me not to realize this until the damage was done. Fortunately, we gained a large closet under the stairs and it is to this closet that my husband decided to move all the clutter in our room. Clutter now exists in a large closet. I have to admit the room looks better but it doesn't solve the problem in the long run.

Back to Friday. Embarassing moment of my life when neighbor asked me to pick up her kids as she was running late and they had never seen my home before. This time there were actual holes in the floor and wall, no kitchen sink, no kitchen floor for that matter, my bedroom door was a sheet of plastic, the little kindergarten boy walked around fascinated while the older girl was too polite to comment. I tried to explain that it was temporary but it has been so long that I lived in a house that was remotely normal that I fear I am getting used to the state of the house as it is. I took them upstairs to view the "after" and there is literally nothing up there so it looks nice, open and airy.

If you went into my home right now, with the exception of the living room and bathrooms, you would be shocked. The bedrooms have borne the brunt of the renovation process, and have had to absorb everything that is coming out of the closets and the kitchen. Last weekend we moved the clothes from our old bedroom closet to the new one, but it was only vacant for a few days because since then I have moved my kitchen drawers into that space. This morning I was asked where one might find a spoon and the answer was, "in the bedroom closet, but don't use spoons, we don't have a kitchen sink." The youngest child's room is filled with plastic bins of toys I took off the shelf but don't know what to do with, as well as all the kitchen stuff from the upper cabinets. Add to that a dresser that is completely inappropriate for a 7 year old to manage and that leaves the poor child's room looking like an episode on Hoarders. There's really no excuse for the middle and oldest child's bedroom looking like it does except that they have outgrown it and are really bad at putting their clothes away. Middle child's dresser is also too small for his clothes. Oldest child is on strike until his new bedroom is completed. But there is no excuse for the fact that there are still many boxes of papers in my room and that is my nemesis. I want to make it all disappear but lack the magic wand. I start to organize it but it feels like too much to undertake-because I feel that there are many things that should be saved but don't know where to put them. I think binders might be a solution for me. I could use binders for all the instruction manuals. A memory box for each child would organize school papers. I see that a friend of mine makes beautiful scrapbooks using things like programs or invitations. So I could start a box for that. The problem is everything is right now mixed and when facing it, a mild form of add sets in on me. I feel unequipped to deal with it. Suggestions would be welcome, but no one knows this blog is here.