stop.

Well, I finally decided to just stop the world.
I've had this problem for a long time (two months? three? four???) - this Problem looks like my bedroom, and the invader is Laundry. Now you may shrug off and easily dismiss this Terrible Problem of mine, but I'm quite serious, and You haven't seen it. a nightmare, I tell you. Ask our friends. And I'm not showing you any pictures. not quite "get on tv" bad, but damned near.

So yesterday I decided enough was enough.
I called my friends and told them my plan. told them where to look for my body if I went missing.
"I'm stopping everything. No park. No cuppycakes. No "help me with this, Mama." No library, no stories, no "Yes!"."
You see why I haven't gotten rid of this problem sooner.

"Eric. Take the children away." I didn't want any distractions.

So they went swimming.
And to get a candy and a slurpee afterwards.

And came home to research.

And book making.

And computer play.

And Eric went to work.

And the children proudly and quickly cleaned their bedrooms. I wonder if they were showing off?

And Maddie made me two Valentines. And they're beautiful, and melted my heart.

And she made Valentines for her friends. (You realize that I did not stop to help her, and she did this completely independently, right?)

And I had to crawl (scoot) on my belly under my bed (it's high enough) to toss out the things that were lost under there.

And I cleaned out my sock/underwear drawer, and tossed out the "oh, dear" (holey, past their time) things.

And I pulled out all the stuff that live upon the shelves - t-shirts and shorts and pants, and I threw into the garbage (cotton, so they'll decompose easily) probably close to twenty things. (Lordy, that felt good.)

And I had the side door open, and the sunshine was streaming in.

And when it was sunny the back door was open too, and I could hear the birds dancing and playing (I had filled the feeders earlier - my one concession for the day).

And I folded all my sweaters

and hung up all my clothes

and carried a hundred things downstairs

and took downstairs eight or ten pairs of fall/winter boots. That was interesting, too. After that chore, and chucking old clothes, and having the doors open, I was feeling quite Springy!!

And Maddie came in when I was almost done, and asked if she could help, so I handed her the Windex (the one cleaner I still buy instead of make) and a paper towel, and she cleaned the mirror, the back of the mirror, and the wall behind the mirror for me. That's my girl! Obviously she realized what was going on in this room!

And a little while after dark 'twas done. Done, done, done.

Clean pillows, clean linens, organized drawers, dusted, vacuumed, polished, and potpourri oil simmering in the pot.

now for today - the rest of the house!
and a Love Day party tonight!

[shakes head.] such an exciting life. aren't you so glad you come here to read this stuff?