Renewed vigor

I was kind of on a roll for a minute there. With posting I mean.

I am also on a roll with feeling good. About a 3-week roll now. I felt so crappy all through the fall (and wonder if I will ever enjoy fall again...used to be my favorite season and now the thought of it makes me want to barf) that I am so glad to be feeling somewhat normal now. I even made a menu and went grocery shopping today AND have eaten lots of fresh and delicious food since we've been home. Top Ramen, begone and don't let me see your face again, ever.

I have also been on a roll with keeping my house clean. Mainly dishes and laundry are what I have the hardest time with. But I cleaned MY ENTIRE HOUSE on Saturday (minus the office and storage room which are a separate project) and believe me it was a MESS when we got back on Thursday night. (even after Matt cleaned up a lot, which he did.) Anyway so I kept it clean for almost 5 days and now although I am still keeping up on laundry, it is not looking so great anymore especially the kitchen and playroom, and I know I need to avoid the "broken window syndrome" and keep it respectable and that is what I am avoiding doing by writing run-on sentences instead. Because my kids are in quiet time (which I didn't start until 4 p.m. today because I skipped Ida's nap...yikes. I'm sure she is asleep by now) and I have 15 more minutes until that is over. I can do the dishes with my kids underfoot but blogging, not so much.

I made a list of monthly house goals until the baby comes. I also made personal goals like exercise and get my kids exercise and get up early and all of us eat well, but those are less interesting and much harder.

January: Finish basement. This mainly means organize the storage room (which is in bad bad shape) and the office (which is almost as bad). It also means little things like fixing a small line of unraveled carpet, finishing the baseboards and painting the basement stairway which sorely needs it. But the clock is ticking and at this point I will be happy if we just organize the storage room. It's bad. And I just got another installment of baby clothes from my sister Phoebe (see photo with September installment, above) which needs a place to live until #3 comes along. I never have to buy baby or toddler clothes ever again, and you can quote me on that. (I know Matt will) One of the many perks of having older sisters.

February: Paint and organize the top floor, which is the master bedroom and bathroom. I AM SO VERY EXCITED TO GET THIS DONE even though it means painting ceilings.

March: Renovate the main-floor bathroom. This I am also excited about but it will take some cash and elbow grease, also Matt and I don't get along very well when working together on projects of this magnitude, so we'll see where we are in March with $$ and energy

April: Clean the carpets. (hooray) And wash the windows. Outside that is. Oh how they need it. So badly. It has probably been at least 2 years since anyone did this. I was so busy moving in all summer that I neglected big things like this and dirty windows are what I have to show for it.

May: Tear out back deck, tear out plants on side of house, put in sod and grass seed everywhere that's bare. I am all about the low maintenance this year. Maybe get plants for the front garden if I have the $. My MIL put it some very nice annuals last spring as well as a couple of smaller bushes which will crop up again. I decided that as much as I like flowers I think I need something easy. Also with the way the sun hits us, by the end of last summer the north flower bed was about 3 times as tall as the south one. Quite amusing.

June: Have a baby.

Hooray!

OK now I am going to wake up Ida from her mini-nap. Matt will be home late and I hope the kids go to bed OK for me tonight, so that I can watch a movie. I mean start on the storage room. (or do I)