Keeping Kids Rooms Clean

Have you ever gone through your facebook picture albums and had fun looking at a bunch of old pictures?  I did that this morning.  I'm not sure why, I just had a whim!  But one of them made me cringe- it was a picture of what the play room used to look like.  I took it as a "before" picture because I was about to tackle the mess and make it better.

Yes.  That was what it looked like all. the. time.

I hated it.

I would summon the determination to put everything in its place, only for it to look like this all over again a few weeks later.  Usually, I would just keep the door closed.

No, I was not good at making them pick up each time OBVIOUSLY.

But then came time for us to rearrange and get ready for another baby.  When I knew we would have two boys and two girls, I realized that the rooms would have to be for both sleep and play.  So I came up with a revolutionary plan to help keep the kids rooms clean.

It's amazing.

Really.

You will want to do this.

I can't believe I'm sharing this secret.

Here goes.



GET RID OF ALMOST EVERYTHING.

That sounds harsh, right?  But I am not kidding.  Over the course of the last year or so, we have donated or sold on a yard sale TONS of kids toys.

I am not horrible...I promise.  Caleb helped me with the boy stuff, and it didn't even bother him.  We have  kept the few things he and Gabriel actually play with, and that is Legos and some Imaginext castles (and the good guys/bad guys that go with it).  Same for Sarah.  We have a doll house for her Barbies, several Barbies, a container of My Little Ponies, and some Lalaloopsy dolls.  That's about it.  We have a few baby toys for Leah, too.

The girls' room - former play room.

The boys' room.

The result is less clutter of course, but I also feel like this helps the kids when it comes to cleaning their rooms.  When I say, "Go pick up!" they know exactly where everything goes, and it doesn't take much time at all.

I know I have friends who are amazing at organizing their kids' toys and can have all the stuff we used to have.  If they can keep their rooms looking nice with tons of stuff, that's great!  I just couldn't, and my kids couldn't.  And frankly, we don't have the room for it.

A friend of mine sent me a text with this picture...

She was reorganizing the kids' toys.

I said she should get rid of it. :)

My current challenge is trying to figure out how to stay free of stuff.  How do you keep a happy balance of allowing gifts for your kids at birthdays and Christmas while not becoming OVERWHELMED with STUFF?

So difficult.

If each of my four children received only ONE gift from each of the  five primary gift givers - that is Parents, Mama & Papa A, Mama & Papa V, Uncle Stevie & Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Chris & Aunt Sonja - for their birthdays...and then only ONE gift from each of those for Christmas...that is  5x4 two times.  That's 40 new things each year in our house.  And Lord knows...ONE gift doesn't happen. 


What do you do when it comes to the toys that accumulate?

How do you/how can I change the amount that comes in, or should we just let it all come in and then donate it away??? 

And how can I write about this without seeming ungrateful for the nice gifts  my children receive?

The Real Me. Really.

Fakebooking.

Have you heard this term?

If not, let me help.  It's sort of self-explanatory, right?  You basically put a bunch of awesome, happy pictures online coupled with awesome, happy status updates.

I've read two (maybe three?) blogs/articles about this recently.  Some funny.  Some down right serious.  And they are basically calling out those who just go through life putting up a fake front...via facebook anyway.

I totally get what they are saying...really, I do.

But here is my problem with this concept.  Who on earth thinks to take a picture (or wants to?) of what they look like first thing in the morning?  Or who thinks to take a picture (or wants to?) of their child throwing a fit or being defiant or puking at 3:00 am?  No pictures?  How about a status update about the time I almost died when my daughter said someone was ugly.  That's not how I've raised her.  Why would she think that?  Or say it?  Why should I go to facebook and type, "My daughter really disappointed me today when she said a woman we know is ugly."

No.

I'm not going to do that.

Having a rough day?  Yeah, I have those.  Lots of them.  I have four kids for God's sake.  And I'm married...it's not always blissful.  And I have family and friends who can, at times, let me down.  I'm sure I let them down, too.  But do people want me to update my status every time I have a fight with my husband?  Or yell at my kids when I should keep my cool?

Is there a balance when it comes to keeping it real?  I'm sure there is.  I mean...I guess there is.  I'm not sure I've found it, though.  I honestly don't think people want to  hear my problems.  They don't want to always know when I've been up all night with one...or two kids.  When I was on the couch all night with a fussy baby only to get up at 5:30 so I could go work out...because I desperately want to lose weight, and sometimes that doesn't always go well.  They don't want to know when the dog puked on the carpet right as I'm trying to leave to take a child to preschool.  I don't think they want to know when I question if I'm being a good mom...or a good wife...or a good friend.

Really.  Truly.  I think people are ok with this...

The Chrissy who pulls herself together each day to tackle the world.  Or maybe not the world.  Maybe it's just tackling what the day will bring in her own little world.  The Chrissy who wakes up each day with the attitude of, "This is another day He's given me.  I will rejoice and be glad in it."  Through all the crap...through all the joy...ALL of it is ok.  Really, it is.  Am I thrilled when something bad happens?  No, of course not.  But keeping it real might have different meanings to different people.

"My life on Facebook is an airbrushed and Instagrammed image of my real life. I edit the suckage because I want people to think I have my [stuff] together. I give everything a hipstacular filter to make the drudgery look interesting. Most of the time, I think I’m a decent mom, and I think I’m giving my kids a pretty good life. But I also think I’d be a better mom if I stopped pretending, and making friends on Facebook feel like they have to pretend as well." -Sarah Emily Tuttle-Singer

The thing is...I am not pretending.  I do not, for one second, expect others to pretend.  And I don't think they are.  What you see on facebook is the real me.  It really is.  And if you think it's not real because I don't share the crap in my day...then I'm not sure what to tell ya! :) 


But I want to know...
Do you think we're all pretending?

Leah Turns ONE

My sweet baby girl turns ONE today.  As I went through pictures to try and put together a sappy post, I actually had a mini meltdown halfway through.  It's just hard to believe it's been a year already.

Leah Michelle...you have made me smile since the first day I met you.  And you make me smile every. single. day.

When we took you to your first Cardinals baseball game, you were a champ.  They won that day.

On your first 4th of July, you slept.  A lot.  Even though it was REALLY hot.

And when we play in the back yard, you smile.

For your first DCI show, I'm sure those sitting around me thought I was crazy for bringing a baby.  But you were good.  Very good.  Just watched like the rest of us.

Your brothers and sister adore you.

We enjoy family trips with you.  This was your first time out at Maramec Spring Park.

And this was your first time at Chuck E. Cheese.

We shared a first together...our first NLDS game.  It was a winner, too.

We stayed up late watching them play on tv.

 You love your daddy.  He loves you, too.

You love to cuddle with Papa.

And I guess I was waiting to have you so I could take this picture at the Zoo...with four kids.

 You just looked so cute on your first Halloween.  Mama was proud.

And I think you look a lot like your Great Grandma (because I look like her, too...and you look like me).

I think you had fun on your first Christmas morning.

And your first snowfall. 

You love this Papa, too.

 And the first time you were sick, you didn't even cry.  You just cuddled with me more.

Did I mention your siblings love you?

And I love to read to you.

You are beautiful and fun.  You seem to always be smiling.  I didn't know what our family dynamic would be like when you came along, but I can genuinely say that you complete us.  You really do.  I can't image what it would be like without your crinkled nose and sweet giggle. 

I'm so glad that God has allowed me to be your mom.


Happy birthday, Leah. 

Perception

My kids like tortilla shells right out of the bag.  They probably get that from me.  I used to eat them that way, too.

The other day, Sarah wanted one.  I told her they were in the pantry on the second shelf.

She went into the pantry, grabbed one, and came out saying, "You were right that they were in the pantry, but they were on the third shelf."

Perception.

From her view, looking at the shelf from the bottom up, she saw it differently than I did when I look at the shelf from the top down.

I've thought of this a bit since it happened.  This seeminly unimportant difference made me think about how we communicate and how perhaps we argue or differ with others on certaing things.

We might be saying the same thing...

Just in a different way...

My Journey (round two...or is it three or four?)

I have been contimplating writing about this again, and each time I sit down and start putting my thoughts together, I change my mind.  So if I actually hit publish, it will be a miracle.

You're reading...that means I hit publish!

Two years ago I wrote an entry entitled Don't Hog Your Journey where I chronicled my changing weight through the years.  I even posted real numbers.  I felt bolder back then for some reason, sharing that at my thinnest and most tone I was 165, and at the time of the entry it says I was 205.

For the record, I've had to start over.  After having another baby since then and having gall bladder surgery, those two things did not give me a kind number on the scale!

With my sister's wedding just over eight months away, I have been pretty diligent with my efforts to lose weight (again).  Since January 1st, I have lost 17.2 pounds.  I'm not going to share my starting number this time, but I might share it later as I post updates.  Those updates will only be after I hit two main goals (which are getting under a certain number - not hard to guess that number I'm sure - and when I reach my ending goal).  Total weight loss goal is 66.8 pounds, so I still have about 50 to go. 

In October, my in-laws had us over, and all of us went outside for a family picture.  Their two sons, daughters-in-law, 5 grandkids, and the two of them were posed for a sweet snapshot.  Everyone said what a great picture it was, when they posted it on facebook, there were some very nice comments.  But when I saw the picture, I couldn't believe it.  It was the first time I finally saw what the last year or so had done to me...or what I had done to myself to be more accurate.  I was not happy.

I know that sounds sort of boo-hoo.  Sorry.

I'm not going to post that picture...but I might post it later as a perfect "before" picture!

It was that day, even before my sister's engagment, that I knew I had to do something.  I had to stop going back and forth with my weight.  I gave myself through the holidays and knew that when January 1st came, I would have to buckle down.

Some may disagree with this approach, but it's what I'm doing.  Some say START TODAY!  I knew it wasn't realistic with all the get-togethers we had coming up...I tried to take it easy on the cookies and pies and turkey, but I did not count calories until January 1st. 

The other side of this is the fact that I'm actually a pro at losing weight...it's keeping it off that's hard.  I am loving MyFitnessPal...I just wonder what I'll do after I hit my goal.  No more babies being had.  Hopefully no more surgeries.

No excuses.

I share all of this because I know I'm not the only one who has this battle.  I know that when someone loses weight, everyone wants to know, "WHAT'S YOUR SECRET?"  The truth is, there is no secret.  Sure, there are gimmicks.  There will always be lose-weight-fast techniques or whatever.  But for me, I just knew I needed to suck it up and do the work.  I needed to count calories and go out for walks.

I'm tired of positioning children or items in front of me for pictures...

Christmas 2012

Or cropping pictures for that matter!


My sweet friend, Kassie, is also on this journey.  We are almost side by side when it come to weight loss numbers, so that makes it fun.  I mean...as fun as two competitive people can make it. :)

I would like to be halfway to my goal by April and done by August.  I'm not sure how that will work with bridesmaid dress fittings, but we'll do what we can!

MyFitnessPal.
Encouragement from friends.
And prayer.
This is my current weight loss plan.

Four Years of Blogging

As I sat down to create a blog entry this morning, for some reason it dawned on me that today is my 4th blogiversary.  Yes, my brain really works that way.  Yes, I really remember the date!

And as I reflect over the years of keeping up with my blog, I know without a doubt that it was a great thing to have started writing and posting. I keep thinking that someday I will get back to writing about my thoughts on issues: parenting, politics, relationships, religion...you name it.  My thoughts have even changed on things I've written about in the past.  It's interesting to even see how I've changed over the years.



Right now it's used to watch my family grow.

And we certainly have.

A Different Spelling - A Teachable Moment (For Mom)

Depending on what I'm doing with Sarah's hair, our routine for fixing it is often with her sitting in one of our bar stools in front of the tv.  She watches a show on Disney Junior or something while I do two braids or a braid across the front with a pigtail or whatever.  It just makes it more fun for her and hopefully less painful if she's distracted when I'm pulling her hair!

This morning she saw a commercial for a show that is particularlly cute.  You may have seen it, too.

Making conversation with me, she said, "I have a girl with that name in my class, but she doesn't spell it the same."

I replied, "Oh, I'm sure she does, Sarah.  That's how you spell it."

"No, Mom.  Really.  Her's is longer." she continued.

Not wanting to argue but feeling sure she must have just not realized how the girl spelled it, I said, "I'm pretty sure it's the same, Sarah."

Josh was in the kitchen, and he heard this exchange.  I guess he looked over at the tv, and then looked at me and said, "Chrissy, maybe the girl in the class uses a PH in her name..."

And then I realized...Sarah was right.

I didn't even know that the show used an F in Sofia.  I thought Sophia was always with a PH!

I told Sarah I was sorry and that she was very good at observing the difference!

She thought nothing of it, I could tell.  But it did make me feel bad.

I hope I'm better at listening/observing in these circumstances in the future.  If I had just looked at the title a little closer, I may have realized the difference.

Misc. Monday - Sister's Engagement, Our Dog, Fortune Cookie

Well, hello first Monday of 2013.







1.  This is the 735th post on my blog.  It was January of 2009 when I began this writing journey, and I've had blogging blitzes and blogging droughts, that's for sure.  Every year I usually tell myself to be consistent with it, and last year I did pretty good through May.  The times I want to give it up, I remind myself that it's often a blog entry that reminds me of something that happened in our lives.  When I'm good at documenting what we do, this basically becomes a family journal.  I sure miss writing more opinionated things, but I haven't had the gumption to do it lately! :)


2.  My sister sent me a text message on December 31st...

My mouth dropped open, and before I had a chance to yell at Josh to come look, she called me.  I'm so excited I can hardly stand it...MY LITTLE SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED!

Chris and Sonja on Christmas Day.

My kids love him to pieces...

Gabriel and Caleb with Chris on 12/23

And I do, too...

Me and Chris before the Rams vs. Chiefs game :)

3.  This weekend, I got the wild and crazy idea to bring our sweet dog, Abby, into the house and let her be an inside dog.  She is 10-years-old, and when we first had her, she was inside.  For three years she was in our apartment(s), but when we bought our home in 2005, I just didn't feel like she should be inside anymore.  I guess just seeing the massive amounts of hair we had to clean up each time we moved was just enough for me to send her out.  But I had a change of heart for some reason, and she has been the absolute best.

She loves to sit next to Leah in her jumpy thingy or in the swing.

It's funny how much I remember her puppy years.  She is part lab, but that's the part that she is the most!  They are puppies for a very long time it seems.  She has been so sweet, though.  Never barks, never goes where she's  not supposed to, and only once or twice has motioned like the wanted to go up on the couch.  We told her no, and she just backed down and layed down on the floor.


4.  When it snowed last week, the kids just had to go outside of course!  I stayed inside with Leah, but that didn't keep them from throwing snow balls at me...

5.  Oh...did I mentioned my little sister is getting married? :) Do you know that means I must take losing weight much more seriously?  Must look good for the big event you know.


6.  I went to see Les Miserables with Josh...we went to our favorite Chinese restaurant afterwards, and I had this in my fortune cookie...

Those fortune cookie writers are pretty smart.

A Farewell to 2012

Happy 100th post of the year for me.  Guess I somehow managed to do this blog thing after all. :)

We have had a big year, and obviously adding child #4 to our family was the most notable event!  It's hard to not view this year as The Year of Leah...I think it's because she was born towards the beginning, in the spring, and we had most of the year to get to know her!

Before she arrived, though, we had Upward Basketball that started in January...

We all always cheer him on!

Playing hard!

My bestie, Kassie, had her 4th baby in February...remember that we have been pregnant all four times together? :)

This was a few months later obviously!  But this was the day Anna met Leah.

 

 And Josh took Sarah to a Daddy Daughter dance for Valentine's Day...

All dressed up for the dance.

Sadly, we lost Josh's Grandma in February...we miss her bunches, and I wish she could have met Leah...

My favorite picture with her, taken in 2007.

In March we spent lots of time decluttering kids' rooms and getting the house ready for Leah.  We painted and reorganized and did all kinds of things to make our house ready for the new addition.  Josh and I also went on a "last date" knowing that time alone would be hard to come by after the baby arrived.  We had fun in St. Louis with an overnight getaway.

I remember celebrating Easter as a VERY PREGNANT girl...she arrived just days later...

Easter Sunday.

And it was the day I felt our family was complete...

The day we met Leah.

A few weeks later in May, I had my gallbladder removed (after months and months of massive attacks and horrible pain).  I was in the hospital for five. long. days.  I missed Sarah's preschool graduation, and that was hard.  She looked so pretty.  I'm thankful my dad was able to take her.

Shaking hands with Ms. Diane (date is not right obviously!)

So proud!

The summer seemed to be the months that blended together, mostly because of our putting our house on the market, having a contract on it, finding a house, and then IT ALL FALLING THROUGH.  I know I will look back and realize how it all worked out the way it was supposed to, but I think I'm still not quite there yet.

Besides the house drama, Caleb learned to ride his bike  without training wheels this summer, and that was a big deal around here!


Leah was dedicated at church.

Our family on a special day.

Caleb and Sarah had their birthdays in August.

Caleb started 2nd grade, Sarah started kindergarten, and Gabriel started preschool...

Gabriel's first day of pre-k.

Spending time with the worship team at church was also a big part of my year.  Meeting this girl has been a huge blessing.

Amy and me at practice.

In September Sarah had the honor of being the St. James Homecoming MiniQueen.  She was the cutest little thing that night.

Presenting the crowns :)

Caleb won a Lego Building contest for this entry...

His cool car thingy.

In October I got to go to a Cardinals playoff game!  That was sersiously the most awesome game ever!

Leah had fun, too!

October was also fun with trips to the pumpkin patch, the zoo, and Halloween.

Hayride at the pumpkin patch.

I guess I had four kids for this? :)

My four...all dressed up!

For my birthday weekend in November, I had a girls getaway with one of my besties!  We met the former lead singer of NewSong.  I didn't stumble over my words when I met him (mostly). :)

Me, Michael O'Brien, and Sarah.

Gabriel turned 4 in November.  We had a little, "just family" get-together.

A Spiderman party :)

In December I seemed to get the wild idea to do all kinds of "make my home homey" projects, so I did a family picture wall and a wedding picture wall in our house.  We also added new curtains to the kids rooms.

We had a very nice Christmas.

Christmas morning.

The last day of the year was perfect.  With snow on the ground and time with my kiddos.

It was a full year, and I am looking forward to 2013!