It's over. Christmas 2011, that is. All in all, it was an unlikely success, despite the Head Cold That Ate Cleveland (for me), various other assorted ailments for the little people, and the usual family shenanigans. I hope you and yours had fabulous holidays of the Hanukkah or Christmas (or Kwanzaa, Eid, Diwali... ) flavors. I, for one, am just incredibly grateful for the break in the regular programming!
But now, it's over. The decorations need to come down and, I hope, stored with some amount of organization or thought to aid in next year's effort. The kitchen needs to be restored, I hope better than I found it. But most of all...
My house is a total disaster.
I know that part of my panic is hormone, nesting related. I'm 21 weeks today, and suddenly, now that 2012 is this weekend, May seems a lot closer. Part of my panic is the fact that I spent yesterday at the home of my ultra-organized, completely anal brother and sister-in-law, where every single thing has a place and a home, they know exactly where that home is, and five minutes after gifts were opened, it was as if we had never been there. My brother's children automatically wash their hands before and after they eat, take showers of their own volition, and inspect glasses before they drink out of them. My children are staunch supporters of the five-second rule and have to be threatened to brush their teeth or observe daily hygiene.
But it is more than that. Our house is a disaster. I'm an organized person trapped underneath four completely anti-organization individuals, a dog, and two aged cats. We have too many clothes (hand-me-downs are overrated for the sheer amount of sorting and storing they require!), too many toys, too much paper, too much carpet (see: dog and two aged cats). Too. Much. Stuff. And I want it all gone, and I have no idea where to begin.
I wish we could go away for a weekend, come back, and find that some magic fairy (preferably Nate Berkus) had emptied my house of all the extra stuff, stripped the carpet and left hardwood or laminate floors -- I'm not picky, and painted the walls different colors. Oh, and finished the laundry.
For now, I am making 2012 the Year of the To-Do List. And I am hoping that once the fog of this neverending head cold lifts, I have some awesome second and third trimester energy surges to plow me through the mess.
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3 comments:
Ok, I had to go through your last 3 posts to catch up.
First, congratulations on being pregnant!!
Second, I am thrilled to see you writing again. I come back to your blog again and again because you have a talent with words.
Third, good luck cleaning your kitchen, and de-cluttering. Also, when (not if) you figure out your dream system of organizing, will you share the genius with me? I would love to have that as well.
I applaud your desire to get organized. It does make a huge difference in the mental outlook and is worth one big PURGE to start off 2012. I have 3 boys and I'm ruthless about getting rid of "stuff". Here's a strategy: Step 1) Get 3 huge hefty bags. Step 2) Locate your nearest Goodwill where you can donate stuff. They take anything. 3) Start in a room (any room). 4) Into one bag, you put trash. Into the second bag, you put items to DONATE. Into the third bag, you put items to STORE for later use. (Don't put much into that bag). Last step (this is important)! Immediately put the filled trash bag out to the trash! Not later, do it now! And immediately put the DONATE bag into your vehicle. Within 24 hours you bring that bag to Goodwill. Now you're done and ready for the next room...
And get plenty of the one gallon size ziploc baggies. Into those bags go all the annoying little plastic parts and plastic people and superheros and legos etc. Then the bags in a big storage tub out of sight. When you need new fun you let the boys have a plastic bag of stuff they forgot about from last month. Works great, and keeps the stuff rotating.
Anonymous -- I was SOOO proud of myself today. I took the highchair (which neither of my kids, now 3 & 7, ever really used) plus a bouncy seat and some other baby stuff and managed to cram it all into my regular sized car. Then I dragged it all to Goodwill -- only to find out they don't take baby stuff!!! Seriously!!!
So then I ran all over the county with it while I did other errands and snaked my way back to the big brother big sister drop off -- only they were closed.
That's what I get for actually trying to be organized, right? That's one of my big resolutions, too. Not pregnant but I cannot stand all the crap! I can't! I even put some stuff on craigslist and bought some shelves to put up in one of our closets.
I just feel like I am fighting my own disorganization AND having to clean up after everyone else. I don't like cooking too much either but I certainly prefer it to being everyone's maid!
But I've decided to embrace it. I want a neat, uncluttered house and I'm going to get it! Sorry if you can't find your cr@p, maybe next time you'll put it away yourself! :-)
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