I am at my wits end with my 11 year old daughter's  bedroom. Please tell me I'm not alone here! As a toddler she was meticulous! Everything had a place and she wanted everything in that place. Not just her room but all through the house. A couple of years ago, though, she started hoarding and stashing things. We got very strict on her with regards to food or anything gooey or messy going in her room so there isn't much new damage being done, but lots of carpet stains and ink on walls linger to haunt me. She is due for a  bedroom update I am not doing it until some changes are made in the way she treats her room. 

Currently my daughter isn't sure whether she wants an earthy theme with cabin beds and camo, or an outer space theme with dark ceilings and glow in the dark accessories. Personally I am not crazy about either so we both have some time to work on  our parts in getting this project done.

I have already gutted her room, freeing it of all stashes and out of place items SEVERAL times. I've put her in charge of cleaning out a little bit every day but she makes messes at a faster rate than she can clean.

So I am thinking that she, hubs, and I are going to have to attack it this weekend, and clean it out for once and for all, together. If she can take better care of it and avoid stashing after that, then we'll get to work on the re-design. That is reasonable isn't it?

Tips? Anyone? 

I wonder if I'm losing my sense of humor. 

In some ways I have become much more easy going and lackadaisaical since entering my 40s. Things that once mattered - don't. Things that used to make me uptight - now make me laugh or have no impact at all.  But in some ways I have become more serious. 

I don't think it's nice to laugh at people. I never have actually, but there has always been an element of sarcasm and ribbing between friends and loved ones. All in good fun, kind of stuff. But I don't think it's good fun anymore.

Life is tough enough, especially lately. I know that I personally benefit so much more from kind, silly words, than "burns" and "zingers". Knowwhatimean? Or like take 40th and 50th bday gifts - that's a good example. I am not afraid of getting older, but I know that I don't feel as good as I once did, and it seems like there are people getting sick and croaking around me a lot, so I don't want to be flooded with a whole bunch of black gifts and insulting knic knacks when my turn comes. I want to feel like I've accomplished something - like my presence has made an impact on the world. I don't want to be the joke.

See what I mean? I don't know what the deal is. Have I lost it? 

Speaking of my last weekend getaway and not prioritizing tasks appropriately - we received a couple of awesome pictures that need to be framed, from our November weekend getaway. Hubs was in a mountain biking event called THE ICEMAN COMETH. While the kids and I investigated the hotel grounds and visited our puppy on the adjoing property at the doggie hotel, Hubs rode 27 grueling miles of challenging terrain from Kalkaska to Traverse City. We found some good action shots of him on the trail and at the finish line and I had intended to find a neat way to frame them. But since I have this filed in my head as a "craft" and "enjoyable" task, I put it on the back burner without even thinking. Tsk Tsk. So I'm headed over to look at picture frames at personal creations for some ideas. And THEN to browse some more vacation pacakges. Well, after I make the beds, write a few articles, and bathe the dog of course. I'll get to it just as soon as I can =P

We haven't had a vacation in a couple of years. Lots of folks haven't. We are living in the time of cutbacks, not luxury, right? But I really see "time off" from work and day to day obligations as a necessity, not just a luxury. Our marriages, our families, our households - they all require work & effort to be success - and that just happens to come in the form of FUN STUFF! So why do we put it on the back burner?

Speaking for myself, I have this twisted logic embedded deep inside me that if I enjoy it, it must not be a priority and is not to be enjoyed until I have gotten everything else that is "more important" done first.  This includes not only vacationing but exercising and certain household tasks. Isn't that crazy? 

Anyway, we did have a weekend getaway in November that did wonders for all of us. Even our dog. And I have made it a priority to fit in more short getaways, especially when we can't take a full vacation. I am hopeful we'll get to do something bigger this summer though. We've all been through the mud this year - job stress, the separation, school struggles, kid's turnoils - and need some time to reconnect.

Vegas used to be our favorite place to go before we had kids and at 11 and 15, this is a good time for us to all go. My husband and I don't gamble. We just lay at the pool all day and take in the lights and the sights at night =) So much of the attractions are free, you just really can't beat it. But then there's our old favorite Sea World and Discovery Cove. Decisions Decisions! And you know I'm starving for a getaway when I'm looking at Branson Missouri vacation packages. LOL. I am not at all a fan of country music but the setting seems festive and family friendly. And they have some really cool sounding shows! There's one based on the music of GLEE that got my attention, and a comedy hypnosis show that sounds fun. 

As of this moment it really isn't in our cards to have a big vacation this summer, but I'm putting it out there to the universe and trying to make it  happen. A lot can happen between now and July when hubs has his vaction time. You should put it out there too. What kind of getaway would you like to take right now? 

 

I don't have a tip here. I'm looking for tips. How do you get your kids to do quality work on their chores?

I am picky. I like things done a certain way or not done at all. I would rather sit in a dirty living room than in one where the vacuum lines aren't going the right way. (MY way). There must  be a name for this. But in the interest of teaching my children work quality and ethic I am working on it and absolutely appreciating the job they do when they've tried their best. The problem is they often don't try their best.

I should add that this only applies to my own house. I don't care what the vacuum patterns look like in YOUR carpet. I really have zero judgment when it comes to someone else's home - I barely notice my surroundings.

Anyway, back to the crappy workmanship of my kids.

There is always something left undone. My son is an epic short cutter. Just as he consistently leaves a problem or two undone on his Algebra homework, he leaves a couple of dishes in the sink when he's  hand washing, or on the counter when he's unloading the dishwasher. Neither of my kids understands that the bathroom faucet is a part of the sink and it always goes uncleaned when the task at hand is "clean the sink and counter." The worst is the stashing and hiding. If they put as much effort into simply taking care of the dishes and trash from their rooms as they do trying to camouflage everything, their lives would be simpler, rooms cleaner, and me less insane.

I really do understand that that some of my complaints are not real complaints, just my own issues. But soap scum left on dishes and pb&j smears on the counter after it has supposedly been cleaned - I can't be expected to live with that, can I? 

 

 

 

You know I'm always complaining about the sit down nature of my job. I keep SAYING I'm going to take stretch breaks. I keep saying I'm going to do crunches and jumping jacks and lunges between articles. But I don't. The dumb thing is, it is not like I even make the choice NOT to. I'm not defying my own commands - I just don't remember to do it. I doesn't occur to me. So I think I have solution - what is up with this electronic muscle stimulation? Could I connect the electrode thingys all over me while I type and have them work my muscles for me? That would be AWESOME, wouldn't it? They're even used by athletes in the Olympics so they must be safe right? Oh my goodness how lazy am I getting that I want to have a machine work my muscles while I type? I bet it's a great gadget for athletes, but maybe I better just put up some sticky note reminders around my workspace and see if I can't remember to exercise on my own during the work day. Perhaps I have my Plan B, though :)

Valentine's Day isn't a big deal to me. Is it to you?

I guess I like the idea of having a day to make a priority of your relationship. Relationships are tough and they need nurturing. Maybe what I don't like are the traditional gifts. I don't like jewlery, roses or those little chocolates. Weird right? I don't like the idea of their being a "go-to" gift because if we're really making a priority of the relationship, then we should take the time to demonstrate what we know about one another and how we feel. Candy and roses is minimal effort, in my opinion. UNLESS of course the receiver loves roses and chocolates. Then I suppose it's perfect!  

I'm really not hard to please. I'm just saying... at the very least, customize my chocolate to be in the Reese's family and make my flowers be lilies. That would make me smile. If you really wanted to dazzle me though with a Valentine's Day food gift, I love those cookie bouquets, chocolate dipped strawberries, and bookstore gift cards. Those are ingredients to romance in my book. But that's just me! You've got to figure out the romance recipe for YOUR valentine.