Sunday, March 21, 2010

Cinderella's Cleaning!

Ok, finally back on my home planet!  It takes a couple days to decompress (or is it to compress again?), and to get family back on track.
We made it in late Thursday, helped the kids with homework due on Friday, and then to bed.  Friday morning was all catch-up.  Mom had done laundry, but it was all over the house, so I had to track it all down, find hangers, sort the clothes, and put them away.  Then we cleaned, and Ches really helped!  We vacuumed (actually, I don't think I ever touched it..), and mopped the kitchen floor-and even Ethan helped! : )  He was down on his hands and knees with a rag rubbing spots!  I think it helped that I wasn't the only one working.
Ethan realllly wanted "Dump-a-lings" as he calls them, so I agreed.  We started making the broth, and didn't have enough bouillion cubes, so we improvised and used seasonings, celery, etc. until it was just right.  I measured the flour and got ready to make the dumplings (rolled-out, cut, dumplings), and we had no eggs!  I had to tell him I had tried my hardest.  He settled for Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup (almost two whole cans!), and then I was tired.  We laid down for nap, and the phone started ringing.  He got a nice nap, and I got to catch up.
My sweet friend, Angie, came a little after three, and we got to catch up all evening!  She brought me her maternity clothes, and we looked through all of the tubs-mine too.  I'm finally at a big-enough-tummy-size that I need bigger pants, and she confirmed it.  When it's you growing, you aren't sure if you are just bigger-bloated, or bigger-baby.  Then it seems you grow everyday, so you can't remember how you looked last week!  I know I've grown, but I was bigger than she expected, so now I think I've really grown, and not just in my head!
She brought her daughter, Andalynn, and all the kids partied hard!  We ordered pizza, and they watched part of Fox and the Hound (Ethan's pick), then the girls watched a Barbie movie-sounds quiet, but they really played a lot!  Then since Mary Claire got to have a "sleepover", Ethan and Clay wanted one too!  So Clay put his sleeping bag in Ethan's floor, Ethan tried to sleep in a tub (sans maternity clothes!), and I had to put my foot down.  I moved him to the bed, where there was more room, and they all were asleep by ten.  The next morning, Clay was in Ethan's bed, and Ethan was on the floor!  I just think I can be in charge.
Angie dusted over all my kitchen cabinets (no, I didn't ask her or make her as Mom thought I did!), but I was complaining how dusty they were when we were looking down from upstairs, and she said she'd clean them!  I said no, but the next time I came in the kitchen, she was up there dusting!  She's so sweet.  I mean, who dusts your nasty spots?  And who'd let her see them?  Gross.  She worked on it for a long time!  It is so nice and clean, I almost didn't want to put any of the stuff back up there!  Just worlds different.
Then we got ourselves together and went out to shop-except we didn't have long since *S-N-O-W* was coming!!  Can you imagine, in March?  I was so sad we didn't get to spend the whole day out shopping.  Stupid snow.  When we got back, and she got ready to leave, it was sleeting!
Now we are covered in 11 inches of white snow.  It has weighted down a lot of our trees, and some pine trees are touching the ground.  Totally not what I expected as we begin spring break!
We started cleaning the attic last night-and oh my gosh, do we have a lot of stuff! (or maybe it's me?)  I have bazillions of tubs of teaching stuff (soon to go!), and about five or six boxes of files.  I have gone through one, and what work.  It's mostly trash.  I'm keeping my hanging file folders, but all insides are trash!  I've got boxes of books (more, if you can imagine)-we don't have enough room for the ones we have-a library!-so where will these go?  And the manipulatives.  Ahh, lots of money went into all that stuff, and now, no one is using them.  I had the kids put a few things in their backpacks to take to their teachers, but I have so much more-probably 15-20 tubs of stuff that has to go.  I, especially now, don't see myself teaching in the future.  I'd thought that maybe one day... but now, not really feasible.
Are you a teacher? Is there something you are needing?  We either have to put the stuff on eBay or Craig's List, give it away, or Ches wants to donate it to the church school.  I'll have to find takers.  He says it's easier to just give it away.  I guess he's right.  I really want to move it on to a new home, even though I have all these memories attached to everything.  I promise to let it go, to make room for new stuff, but I have this attachment (I know, to yucky 10-year-old stuff!).  It's the end of an era (ok, little sentimental..).
However, my daughter is finding great joy in my loss-she's now the proud owner of tons of teacher things (dry erase boards, chalk, and hall passes even!), and now she's wearing my sophomore prom dress all over the house!  I would have trashed it, but she's quite happy in that tulle and taffeta concoction!
I hope the people who get all the teacher supplies/books/manipulatives are as happy!

3 comments:

The Mom said...

Aha! You are welcome for doing all that laundry, and the reason it was 'everywhere' is, I couldn't find a spot to put all of it. There were over one hundred pieces, hanging and folded. I used my trusty portable clothes rack and you might need one too, and more hangers. :)

Try to get a photo of the prom princess in her dress as that would be so cute!

L&H

Anonymous said...

Holly,

I am teaching prek 4 days a week. Anything you think I might could use I will take. My mom could come and get it from you. She is coming to see me in April. I got rid of all my teaching stuff our last move, thinking I would not go back to teach, now I am teaching again. I use lots of manipulatives with the kiddos. Twin questions: I was charged for a vaginal delivery and c-section yes I had one one way and another the other way. Go for the c-section much easier. Both of my boys were head down thats why the let me try and have them, well Luke stayed head down after I had Josh but Luke had the cord wrapped around his neck 3 times and he could not come out, thus result c-section. Whenever I would have ultrasounds I would get charged for 2 because they were looking at 2 babies. I am so excited for you guys. Anytime you want to talk just call me 214-509-9155 or my email lorimevans@hotmail.com

Take care,
Lori

Holly said...

And boy-do we have laundry! I'm on my third load of *snow* clothes! Darks (including wet, soggy coats!), lights, and now the towels that covered (and protected my floors)! Ahh, snow day. The roads are finally black again, so Ches wants to go out to eat. : ) heehee

Lori! That's the worst: both ways?! Ick. This time I'll have a c-section since I had one last time with Ethan, so at least I have a plan. I also found out that Willow Creek has a NICU now! So, I'm much relieved. I thought they'd have to take them to Wash. Regional (just in case). I go tomorrow for my "financial" meeting to pay/authorize insurance, so I guess I'll know more tomorrow. I can see him charging me for two-it's a lot more visits, already!
Ok, I'll call you and see what you need. Some of the stuff you may not need (classroom set of rulers, compasses, beakers, time and money bingo etc.). But I bet you could use the pattern blocks, attribute blocks, links, puppy dog counters, geoboards, etc. Maybe the class set of dry erase boards? I used to have a classroom set of scissors, but now it's more like 10 or so pairs. Umm..I can't even think of all the stuff! Do you need a blow up Godzilla-looking dinosaur, a blow-up palm tree or a Hawaiian table skirt (for a long table)?