Yes I can

This week has been a little rough. My body is doing crazy things. Talking to my husband has become less regular. The weather is not helping things. I feel overwhelmed about all the things that I have to do, on top of the things that I WANT to do. Ugh.

My kids rooms are just disasters. While they have been cleaned numerous times, and been slightly organized, the STUFF that is in there has not been really gone through, and organized, well, since we moved here. And since our stuff is part of what is overwhelming me, I decided to attack my sons room. Last weekend, I saw these fantastic red and white and blue and white baskets. Since the overall theme in his room is spiderman with a little bit of space thrown in (I know, they don't go together, but he likes them both. Who says you cannot be spiderman in space???) the baskets were not only the perfect colors and the perfect size and shape, but they were 40% off!! So I picked them up. And since I feel that having my children involved in the cleaning of their rooms (even though it would be infinitely easier to do it on my own) today, with the half day, was a great time to start it.

We worked a lot of the afternoon. He helped put things away, and I started a bag of toys to be put in the goodwill box. We decided what would go in the new baskets. He got the hose of the vacuum and got the edges of everything, and did a fair amount of vacuuming. I emptied and got rid of these plastic drawers that we have had since we lived in Germany, and put everything that was in them in other homes. We are going to hang his spiderman clock, and his galaxy poster. He and I are both THRILLED with how his room is looking. I put together these wire cubes that we have used before (which are red!!), and put his new globe and a few other things in there.

This is only the beginning. My kids rooms are the easiest to tackle, as they have less stuff than I do, and honestly, throwing away or giving away their toys is a lot easier than getting rid of my stuff. The playroom (well, the loft that will hopefully be more than a playroom if I have my way) is next on the list, as well as my daughters room. I have also bought both of them new dressers (yay for craigslist!!!) as they have both had sterilite plastic drawers for their entire lives as dressers.

I am on a roll my friends. I have a bench in my garage that I got for an insane deal at World Market that I am excited to use and put baskets under for all our shoes. Then take the shoe racks that are downstairs up to my room to try and take control of my shoes. Once the shoes are gone, I will have this space next to my washer for storage or whatever the heck I want. I have a mantle that is waiting for me to put photos on and decorate with my glass bottle Eiffel towers. I finally have an idea of what kind of couches I want in my living room, which I just might be able to get this year! I want to have real bedroom furniture or at least use what I have better and add a few bits of color, or heaven forbid, actual curtains!!!!!

At the same time, I feel as if I am going through two extremes: feeling very low, sad and unhappy, low energy and not caring what my home looks like(not for any actual reason usually, but sometimes I do have a reason) to having all this energy, feeling happy, and actually having a vision of what my home could be, and then even the realization that I CAN accomplish my vision! (Well, within certain reason of course. I have a pretty big idea of what I want. Someday.) That feeling of power, of self esteem, of control over what I can control is amazing.

Right now, my goal is to do as much as I can before my husband comes home for R&R. Not too much time, and not too little. It is a realistic goal, and is totally possible if I take those little bites every day, every week......you eat an elephant one bite at a time. There will be set backs (because my kids are just like yours. you turn your back on the thing you just picked up/organized/put away and it is right back out. sigh.) But I have GOT to hold onto this feeling of accomplishment, of satisfaction, of happiness, of la joie de vivre. It will get me through until the sun comes out again. I hope.