September Surprises

Happy September, Friends!!

so far, this month is starting out very nicely for this mama. Today was full of fun surprises! Normally, I do NOT like surprises. I don't like it when Boss keeps my Christmas presents a secret from me. I don't like waiting to find out the genders of my babies. Forget surprises! I want to know right now! Basically, I am just impatient (and nosy), and it is pretty hard for those that love me to pull off a surprise for me.

My little Emma loves surprises. She never wants me to tell her anything about Christmas and she can keep a secret better than any other child I have ever met. She not only loves receiving surprises, but she also loves planning them for other people. This morning when I got out of the shower there was a note taped to the back of my bedroom door. Written in six year old fashion, it read:

"WELCOM to yor REStRONt called tHE EMMA AND KAtE AND jACK. LOVE EMMA AND KAtE AND jACK."

What? My little lovely had created a restaurant (or a restront) just for me! My stars, I am a lucky Mama! I quickly got dressed and proceeded to go downstairs not knowing what I would find. You never know with this girl. At the top of the stairs she had turned her ballet bar into a restaurant door and she was the hostess behind it holding a bouquet of fake flowers. Smiling sweetly, she took my ticket and "opened" the door so that I could enter the restaurant. She gave me my flowers and then escorted me to my table. Waiting for me on the table was my breakfast. Emma had prepared a bowl of Frosted Flakes cereal just for me. All by herself. Without spilling one single drop of milk. Sweet, sweet, sweetness. It did not matter that I had already eaten or that the cereal had obviously been sitting there the entire time that I showered and had turned into a bowl of soggy mush. I ate every bite of it while my oldest daughter beamed with pride. These kind of surprises? These kind of surprises I love. They are the best. It made my entire day. That was surprise number one.

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Surprise number two was that Boss came home from work with a Wii! Oh yes, he did! He rocks, and my littles and I rocked out to Dance Party for a short while. I got beaten by my four year old and my six year old. I think it was only because they were standing closer to the sensor than I was, but they don't believe me. It certainly is not because I have no rhythm. That would be nonsense. I can already tell that we will have some rockin' family time with that thing. Forget reading aloud and chatting about our feelings by the fireplace. We want to play Just Dance!

September is going to be a month to remember. I can already tell.

And P.S. Don't worry. We are working on spelling this year in our homeschool. And the difference between upper and lower case letters, and when to write which. There. I feel better having shared that tid bit of information with you. Carry on.

So Long Summer 2010

Yesterday I polled people about when they think that summer is officially over. I did this because my life is exciting like that. The results of my study showed that some people count summer as being over the minute that school is back in session. Some think it is summer as long as the calendar still says that it technically is. Others believe that it is summer for as long as they can wear shorts and flip flops and still feel warm weather. All very interesting responses. Here in the Zickafoose Zoo we sadly believe that summer officially ended today, on this last day of August. September 1st always, always brings about the start of the fall season in our home. That's just how we roll. So in honor of the last day of summer, I decided to post some photos of my ice cream eating darlings. So long summer of 2010. You treated us well, and you will be missed!

A Date With Kate

Tonight Kate and I went on a date. She had her mini school orientation/teacher meet and greet at church, and I decided to turn it into a mini mother/daughter date. First thing this morning I declared that no one was going but Mommy and Kate. This brought on tears from both sisters, but I stuck to my guns (even though it broke my heart just a little). Emma was crying because she felt left out, and Kate shed tears because she does not like to do anything without Emma. I just think that sometimes our children need individual attention, even if they do not realize it themselves. Because we homeschool, I am with my children all day, every day, but very rarely am I with them individually. I decided to make the most of this precious opportunity. By this evening both girls were over their sadness. I put on fancy shoes and Kate put on a cute sundress and off we went. Once in the car I turned off the radio and we just talked. About whatever her little four year old heart wanted to talk about. We talked about meeting new friends at mini school, chocolate, ballet class, rabbits, hair color, Anna Boverie, and Swiper The Fox. It was enlightening for sure. Once we arrived Kate "met" her teacher (our sweet friend Mrs. Jenny) and I left her in her classroom while I went to a parent meeting. She had a blast! School is going to be so good for her. One thing we need to work on.... writing her name! Emma learned this in preschool, but tonight it appeared that all of the other kids in the class could already write their name, so we must get busy! After the orientation was over I told Kate that I would take her for a treat. Any treat that she wanted. I was thinking Marble Slab for ice cream or Bob Evans for dessert. You know what she chose? Going to the gas station and picking out a package of MM's. That's right. She wanted gas station candy. When I asked her why she had chosen that, she said, "So we can hurry home and be with Emma!". Sweet, sweet girl. Once back in the van she ate about three MM's before falling asleep. Our "date" was short, but it sure was sweet. I love that girl to the moon and back! Just look at how she shines!

Operation Pick-Me-Up

After yesterdays post, I got a few emails wondering what tips I had for keeping a home that houses a large family neat and tidy. The people want to know how we keep our house that is overflowing with nine people and all of their possessions organized. So today I will answer the people. Because I am nice like that.

First, it is important to remember that although nine people live in our home, six of them are over the age of 13. That means there are twelve hands capable of doing chores and helping out, as opposed to a normal household in which one momma must carry the majority of the work load alone. What can I say? Work at a behavior center, and get a clean house! Emma is going to be starting her official chore list this year as she enters first grade, and Kate picks up the toys that she gets out, but for the most part Boss, the big girls, and I carry the load. Boss is responsible for doing our families laundry (he has always done this at his request), and for deep cleaning the master bathroom and shining our wood floors once a week. The big girls daily clean their bathrooms, sweep the floors, take out the garbage, and clean the kitchen counters and dining table. That right there covers a HUGE chunk of the daily work that needs to be done! I am the official picker upper. Yes, that is actually an official term. I just made it up, so that makes it official. I put everything in its place twice a day, dust several times a week, and generally am in charge of the dishes (which with nine people eating three meals and two snacks a day can often be quite an undertaking!). Just didn't want you all to think I was lazy :). But even with all of our busy hands, there are still a few areas of our home that could quickly get out of control if I did not have a system. Here are a few tips for making your home appear to be neat and tidy. (As long as no one opens the closets! Just kidding. Or not.) Oh yes, one other tidbit that I must divulge is that our home is tri-level. Upstairs are the bedrooms and bathrooms. Downstairs is the basement family/home school room, the laundry room, and our playroom. Our main level houses the living room, dining room and kitchen. Having a tri-level house is awesome and sort of feels like cheating, because if the main area looks tidy, the other two areas could look a mess, and a visitor would be none the wiser! Once again, just keeping it real. Now moving on to my tips.

Tip 1 - I always have candles going! I am cheap and cannot afford the highly esteemed Yankee Candles, but I do love The Candleberry Co. candles! My favorite scent is Friendship Tea. Yummo! Smells so good and burns evenly. However, my very favorite home scent product is my fragrance oil burner. I love it! I bought a pretty, white porcelain one that I leave on my entry table. You light a tea light candle to put in the base of it, and then you pour about a teaspoon of oil into the top. My favorite scent is Cinnamon Nutmeg by Elegant Expressions. You can buy it at Wal Mart for $2 a bottle. It is the best thing I have EVER smelled, and it seriously fills your entire house. So, so good. While candles have nothing to do with picking up, I just think lighting something that smells good is such an inviting thing to have in your home. Our pick up process begins when the candles are lit.

Tip 2 - I keep a shoe basket right by our front door in our entry way nook. Each season I pull out the children's appropriate shoes and fill the shoe basket with them. That way every shoe they will need all season long is right there. When we need to leave to go somewhere quickly, the children can grab their shoes and they are right there by the door. This eliminates searching in bedrooms to find the missing shoe. When we come home from being out, shoes go back in to the basket first thing. I like this method because nothing gets tracked into the house, we always know where shoes are, and that is one less thing that I have to pick up! Not the most attractive, but I am certain it is one of the things that I will miss once it is just Boss and I. Our tiny shoe basket has been with us since the beginning!

Tip 3 - No matter where we have lived, we have always created a play room. If the choice is using space for an office or a play room, the play room will win every single time! At this stage, with three small kiddos, having someplace to corral the toys is a must. I let the girls get out whatever they want all day long, but at the end of each day, toys are carried back to the play room. I don't even care if they are put away there. I just want them in the room. That way I can shut the door and pretend that ignorance is bliss! We try to keep toys out of the bedrooms, but I still seem to be failing at this. They sneak them up. But generally speaking, in our house, bedrooms are for beds, clothes, and books. Everything else in the play room!

Tip 4 - If you are a home school momma, you know that keeping track of supplies can make you crazy! I found a big, old hutch and I have shoved everything inside! Once a month I try and organize this, but at least I have a place to shove supplies behind closed doors everyday!

Tip 5 - I hate paper clutter! I keep a file thing right by our kitchen phone where all paper items (mail etc.) go. I try and purge this space weekly. I NEVER leave paper lying around in stacks. It would quickly overtake me if I did!

Those are just a few tips I have for keeping things neat and tidy in a home with a large family. Some days are better than others, but again, on the crazy days where I look around in bewilderment, I try and remind myself that I will indeed miss this one day. And that puts a smile on my face as I tackle the chores over, and over, and over again.

Susie Homemaker

Yesterday I talked Boss in to a day trip to the local flea market and while there I saw a sign that made me laugh out loud. It said, "I know all about cooking and cleaning. I just don't know how it applies to me!". So, so true. Another funny quote I love is, "I only have a kitchen because it came with the house." (One of my Besties even gave me a cute bag with this saying on it! When she saw it she thought of me, if that tells you anything.) Because the nasty truth is, Susie Homemaker, I am not. I mean, I love Susie Homemaker. I love being friends with her, and reading blog posts about her,and sometimes I even dream about her. Heck, I want to be her. But alas, I have come to accept that I am not her. If you have ever seen my children's bedroom or our master bathroom, you know this to be true. No matter how great the rest of our house looks on any given day, these two areas are always in need of serious work. Some nights I must dig a tunnel through the clutter of toys, clothes, and books, just to tuck my children in to bed at night. I am not proud of this fact, I am just keeping it real, folks.

I always walk the fine line of wanting our home to be tidy, organized, and presentable to others at a moments notice, and yet wanting our home to be well loved and lived in at the same time. On one hand I believe in the saying, a place for everything and everything in its place. Shoes in the basket by the front door. All toys in the playroom, nothing left out. Dishes washed and put away. Nothing in the sink. Tables and counter tops free of clutter. I grew up in a house like this. My parents let me keep my room the way that I wanted it. They cringed at how messy it often was, but they rarely ever complained. We often tease my dad (Hi Dad!) because he is the kind of guy who carpeted the garage so we could wipe our shoes off before we got into the vehicles. I respect the idea of having a neat and orderly home. I value taking care of the possessions that Boss and I have worked so hard to buy. All of those things truly are important to me, and I want to instill these values in to my children as they grow.

Yet on the other hand, I want our home to be well lived in and loved. It is our home. Our place of refuge from the storm. It is not a museum, and I don't ever want it to feel as such. Little shoes strewn about remind me that sweet little feet live in this home. That makes me thankful. Crumbs on the table tell me that little bellies are now full. Books on the counter are a sign that learning went on inside these walls today. People live here, and sometimes I love the reminders that my home is an active and busy place. It is a constant struggle for me balancing tidiness and life. Because often times life is not tidy. At times it can be quite messy. And sometimes messy is good.

So what do I do? I strive daily to find that balance. I teach my children about the importance of caring for the earthly possessions we have been blessed with. Twice a day we do a quick pick me up. Once before Boss gets home from work, and then again before bed. We light candles, put away the shoes, pick up our school supplies, and put away the toys. Twice a day we do this. This keeps the house from completely getting away from us. But in between those times, we live. We eat cupcakes not caring if crumbs get on the floor. We get out checkers before we have put away the crayons. We play dress up and change our outfits 50 times. We snuggle on the couch and leave the blanket strewn about when we are done. We just live, finding that balance between tidiness and life.

And on the days that everything gets completely away from me? I just sit back and thank God for it all, because I know that one day I will miss this. I will miss tripping over tiny shoes and picking up baby dolls and plastic tiaras. I will miss sweeping up goldfish cracker crumbs, and finding pacifiers lying around in every nook of the house. There will come a day that neat and orderly will be all that exists, because our babies will have flown the nest and Boss and I will be on our own. On the really crazy, messy days I remind myself of these simple things, and it helps to get me through. Because Susie Homemaker I am not, but a Momma I am.