Shake it

Did you watch Bewitched when you were younger? How nice would it be to just wiggle your nose, and *POOF* everything back in to shape?

Or, wouldn't it be great if you could just pick the house up and shake it clean, and then hose it down with some Lysol, and very neatly put everything back in its place? Actually, I like the wiggling of the nose idea better.

I guess until I master my magical powers, I'll just have to shake it a different way. By turning up the loud music, and dancing around with the cleaning products.

How is everybody feeling at your house? There's something going around. I still have one kiddo home, and probably another one on the way shortly (just waiting for the school nurse to call back).

Hopefully, we are getting it out of the way before the holidays come. This is what's going on in our little town today...

It seems like the Christmas preparations start earlier and earlier every year, doesn't it? I know at the drug store we go to, they had Halloween stuff in one aisle, and Christmas stuff in the next. (I try and cover my eyes as we pass that aisle).

Maybe catching up on housework, etc...is only for those who can wiggle their noses, and I should just stop fantasizing about it.

I am all caught up on my 365 project though, so that's something...35 days down, and still going strong!

I just read an article that says, it takes 66 days to establish a good habit, so I have 31 more days before I'll do any more boasting. Maybe I should apply that theory to housework. That sounds completely awful, doesn't it? That darn Samatha Stephens had it easy!

Quote of the day - The hard must become habit. The habit must become easy. The easy must become beautiful. - Doug Henning

Frost

It seems as I get older, I find myself liking winter less and less. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is. I don't like the cold, or driving in the snow, or the amount of time and effort it takes to bundle and unbundle everyone in our comings and goings. Every year, around February or March, I ask myself the same question..."Why do I live here (in Ohio)?"

I know why I live here though, because I love the change of seasons, the soft grass, the rich soil...things you can't find in places where it's warm and sunny most of the year...like Florida.

Yesterday, and this morning we had frost on the ground. I don't like frost, because it means the dreaded snow will be here soon. I do like Robert Frost however. This poem is one of my favorites, and it has me thinking about a lot of different things today...about poetry in general, about aging, changing, and family...

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
- Robert Frost

The first time I came across this poem was as a teenager, reading The Outsiders, by S. E. Hinton. Her books always killed me. I cried at the end of everyone of them (Rumblefish, That was Then, This is Now), and would carry that angst around with me for days afterward.

Nature's first green is gold...like springtime, and childhood, and innocence...her hardest hue to hold.

I had an amazing childhood; rich in family and people who loved me, full of wonderful places to explore. It wasn't without it's drama, but I was oblivious to all of that at the time.

I was that scrappy, dirty kid; a tomboy, with an overactive imagination. I was outside from sun up to sun down...even in winter, I think...(shudder). It was glorious...golden...but now it's fall...then leaf subsides to leaf.

I miss my family (they all live in Florida), especially my grandpa (he lives in heaven). That's a picture of my cousins and I, with my grandpa pulling us (that totally does not look safe!), down by the river, where they lived...my favorite place in the whole world. I'm in the front of the wagon, with the orange bathing suit...it had a giraffe on the front, I remember.

But, seasons change, people change, life changes...that's how it works; it's the nature of things, nothing gold can stay...but it's okay, 'cause it allows for things like rich soil, and soft grass...and memories that keep you warm through the winter.

Quote of the day - To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. - George Santayana

Virtual Coffee

Oh, I'm so glad it's coffee day! I feel like I've been through some spinning vortex, and just shot out on the other side. I think it all started with me coming down with the flu, and then being swamped with Halloween and birthday festivities...along with the usual madness.

I'm hoping that we can meet somewhere for coffee today, because I really have to get out of my house! Oh, wait, all three of my kids are home sick today...again...even Macy, who begged me to let her go to school, but she was the only one with a fever, so they're all here. I guess it really will have to be Virtual Coffee today, but boy I really need to get out of here for a little while.

That photo at the top is my coffee cup that Griffin broke this morning, and that's my coffee all over the counter...and so it goes...sometimes it's just too much. Things like this happen constantly at my house, and it can get pretty stressful after a while. It feels like layers, getting piled on thicker and thicker...I think I'm suppose to say "Uncle" or something, but I rarely say "Uncle", which, in some twisted way, is why I think I've been bestowed this heavy burden...'cause someone up there thinks I can take it...I guess it's an honor...or just bad karma.

Speaking of layers...This is what the top of every surface of our house looks like...

Here's the story...it just may be funny to me someday...
Thursday...heart pumping, adrenaline cleaning of the house...vacuum cleaner (shop vac) breaks...4:00pm kids get home from school, costumes on, take downtown for trick-or-treat, visit dad, and my parents (borrow their shop vac)...home, showers, bed. Friday...get kids up and off to school, arrive at Macy's school with party stuff, doughnut dangle, claw game, pumpkin toss, watch parade, leave in the middle of the party to run over to Madison's school to watch her parade, finish party at 11:45am, take all kids home, including a friend of Madison's, go grocery shopping with all in tow, go home...more heart pumping, adrenaline cleaning, plan events for slumber party...scavenger hunt, caramel apple making, other games...5:00pm, 9 girlies (ages 8-11) plus Griffin swarm the house, begin above mentioned activities, dinner time, take orders, preheat oven...forgetting that store bought cake was in the oven, open windows, take smoking cake outside, put clothes back on streaking brother, and quiet screaming girls, finish working on dinner. Are you with me so far? This is where I should have said "Uncle".

Along with hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and french fries, we were having milkshakes too. The girls were having fun helping me make them, until someone came in and told me that Griffin had stolen the container of strawberry Quick, and dumped the whole thing on the floor in his room. So, next, I'm in his room on my hands and knees vacuuming up a pile of pink powder with the borrowed shop vac...then I hear the girls screaming again, "Oh my gosh, look at that!" I turn to see...well...I couldn't really see anything, but a cloud of pink. My step dad didn't put a filter in the vacuum cleaner before I took it home. So, yeah, my house is covered in a layer of pink powder. It's everywhere! The girl were having fun; making footprints, and writing their names in it though, but it was kind of embarrassing to explain to the parents the next morning..."In case your daughter blows her nose, and it comes out pink..."

When I called my mom, and told her what had happened, she laughed and said, "Well, it is breast cancer awareness month. You're just doing your part." Thanks mom. I'm sure I could think of a better way.

Uncle, uncle, uncle! There I said it. Do you see why I need to get out of here for a little while? Maybe next week we'll go out for coffee...if I make it till then. :)

Head on over to Amy's and see what everyone else is up to today.

1st and Ten (or more)

I've mentioned this before, but I have to tell you again. I'm not a scrapbooker, but one of my favorite things is the holiday book I made for each one of my kiddos.

It's just four holidays in the year, what I call the dress up holidays...Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, and Christmas. Each book starts with their first holiday...for Madison it was Halloween, Macy - Fourth of July, and Griffin - Christmas.

It's a little book, with only one photo on a page. It is so fun, and amazing to look back on, and see how much they've grown, and they love looking at them too...especially remembering what they were for Halloween each year.

I was going to just add the first ten years, but Madison is eleven now, and I don't want to stop...so here we go. I think I'll keep doing it as long as they'll let me!

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween! Griffin caught on this year, which means now I have to share his candy...darn!

P.S. Don't blink!

Happy Halloween!

IT'S HALLOWEEN

It's Halloween! It's Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
And we shall see what can't be seen
On any other night.

Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls,
Grinning goblins fighting duels,
Werewolves rising from their tombs,
Witches on their magic brooms.

In masks and gowns we haunt the street
And knock on doors for trick or treat.
Tonight we are the king and queen,
For tonight it's Halloween!

Jack Prelutsky