So D and I were sitting down talking last night and he helped me realize that things around here aren't really as bad as I am making it seem. Sure we get messes every now and then, but it's not so bad. Here is the thing that is making me feel so overwhelmed and stressed...
downsizing.
Yep, that's it. See here's what's happening around here, my two older kids are moving into the same room, and Lil Pip will be moving over to have her very own room! Her first ever. It's a bittersweet thing, I guess I'm ready for it. I just can't believe how fast she is growing up. She's sitting just to the right of my computer screen playing with her toys, and I have to tell you she is quite the distraction. *Stay Focused* Anyway, the kids have bunk beds that have already shipped and are due to arrive any day now. THAT stresses me. They each have so much stuff in their rooms I'm not sure how I am going to make it all work. So slowly but surely I am going to take steps to organizing and cleaning out. As I was folding laundry yesterday I noticed myself grumbling a little about our house, and how we just don't fit anymore. We have a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, no basement, no attic- just a shed in the back yard. (That we really can't use for anything but yard stuff because we are so deep in the woods mice regularly get in it. Yuck. I know.) In the midst of my grumbling I had the thought, have we really "outgrown" this place, or are we just too greedy/materialistic? It was a humbling thought. See I am finding myself slowly getting further and further away from the simple life, and slipping deeper and deeper into that "american dream" mindset. "Oh, I have way to much stuff (clothes, toys, gadgets) to fit into my wonderful, perfectly fine home. We should start looking into buying a bigger house...to fill up with more stuff...that we don't need...while the rest of the world lives with so little." I don't want that to happen to us. I want my kids to be thankful for the little things in life. I want them to appreciate the small, thought out, handmade gifts just as much as the big ones. I really would give each of my kids the world on a platter, but what good would that do them? When you have been to other countries and you see first hand how some struggle just to put a measly meal on the table, yet here we are throwing birthday bashes with massive amounts of food that will end up in trash cans, and our kids have so many gifts to open that by the time they get through them all they've lost interest. It's sickening. Yes, I want my kids to have nice things. Yes, I am going to throw them what I hope is going to be a rockin' birthday bash. However, before all this goes down we are going to be doing some cleaning out. Going through toys, and sharing with those who may need it, and perhaps enjoy it, a bit more then us. Also, going through our clothes and shoes...I'm the guilty one here. I am to ashamed to even voice on here how many pairs of jeans I own. Grant it...(in my defense!) they range from maternity jeans to skinny to regular to fat. But who needs all that anyway? Not sure who I am fooling by keeping all those size 4's in my closet anyway. I just keep thinking, "what if I do actually stick to a diet and get that skinny again?" Not happening, and if it does I will cross that bridge when I get to it. So after all this rambling I'll give you the skinny:
The Vogt's are on a quest to organize and to downsize. I'm going to do my best, in an attempt to be a good blogger, to take pictures and document all the changes and organized systems we put into place. I'm not sure about all you other mommas, but I function much better outside the home, when I know my home is in order. Some of you may have already done this during your annual "spring cleaning". SNOTS! That's great! But, if you are like me and you haven't mustered up the strength to tackle those closets that have things shoved in the corners- you know, the ones that irritate you everyday when you see it, yet, you just haven't had the time or energy to do anything about it. Or if your kids toy boxes and bins are full of crappy Mcdonald's toys, broken toys, or perhaps some toys that the dog has mistaken for his bone...let's tackle those things too. Oh, and while we are at it...let's sort out clothes. You know how your kid is now in a 4T yet those 3T's (and let's face even some 24 months) are hanging out in those drawers having a party...let's shut that party down. I'm a list freak, and I love coming up with organizational systems that work, so as I am tackling this stuff and come across stuff that excites me, and works for us...I'll share it. Please, do the same for me. :)
P.S. I'm thinking from how everyone is talking that I have a lot of readers, but my blog doesn't have a lot of members. I love to read your comments, feed back, and ideas...it gives me fuel to keep going. In order to leave your comments you need to create an account...just a username and a password, it'll take you 2 minutes. You can do it! Sign up, then click to be one of my blog members/followers, and then leave me your two cents. Thanks friends!
Oh and real quick...here's the dinner that I finally made last night. BBQ chicken and a steak for D on the grill, complete with sauteed veggies straight out of the garden, picked just minutes before being tossed into the skillet. YUM.
Be Blessed!
No comments:
Post a Comment