a minute....or two

I only have a minute or two to type.
I have been very busy.
The boys are back in school, I watch a little girl 4 days a week, my sister Carrie is getting married in less than 2 weeks and my goal is to make Jeff very happy. (a little birdie suggested he wasn't happy)
Now to do all of this I have to be very organized.
I have changed my whole house around to do this.
To make more room for my stuff that is in JEFF's garage, to be moved into the house. (you know, cause it isn't my garage, I am just allowed to do laundry in it. Am I a little bitter about this statement? um...yes.)
To keep up with this organization I am constantly on the go.
Okay, so maybe not constantly. But I have the changed the rules around here in regards to the boys. I am not as laid back with them. They have walked all over me all summer.
No worries, I am still the relaxed, laid back kind of girl I always was, but I have laid down the law with the boys. Jeff wants me to make them do push ups if they break a rule.
Sorry honey, NOT happening. But they CAN NOT play outside with their friends, play video games, or watch TV if they break a rule.
And if these friends come to the door, the boys fully aware that they are grounded still ask if they can play, I yell really loud..." NO THEY CAN'T!!! They are grounded, tell them to stop being dorks and stop breaking rules in the house! Then they can play!"
Sometimes, it feels VERY good to say NO!
It seems to be working.
Mikey is almost two and VERY terrible which is making my life hard.
Emma is moody and girlie but, loves having another little girl here. She is learning to play with other people and learning to share.
By the way....
I have made Jeff very happy. (he told me so)
And once my sister Carrie gets married... I am hoping life gets back to where it should be.
I do LOVE the organized house I now live in. (Which I need to say, was my goal all along after I got back from girls camp and I still have to concur the linen closet and kitchen cabinets which hard to do with little ones all around)
okay, so that was more than 2 minutes, but if you only knew what was happening while I was typing...or what I now have to clean up......why do they have to be so loud and messy.
P.S. anyone know where my lens is? It fell out of my glasses yesterday and I can't find it anywhere.

Routine

Routines.
Everyone needs rountine, right.
I have a routine.
I love my summer routine.
Cause it changes everyday.
I loved sleeping until whenever we all got up.
I loved just sitting and watching cartoons with the kids until I couldn't stand the mess anymore and we cleaned it all up.
I loved being able to do whatever and when ever we wanted.
but now that school is back in session, we have to get a routine going.
I need the routine.
and Emma needs the routine.
She will be in kindergarten next year. Wow!
she will have the routine.
None of my kids were ever really on a routine.
I am not sure if that is a good thing or not.
Some may say yes, but in my gut I say not really.
Yes, structure is good.
But my kids are easy to adjust to things. Change comes easy and they adjust fast. It isn't the end of the world if they have to change the day.
But then, they might be more disciplined if I had stuck to a routine.
Oh well, if anyone has any tips on how to get better on this awful word...ROUTINE.... it hurts just to type it...
Never mind. I will just wing it. See that's me.
I DO NOT like big change....but a little is always good.

Failed

I have failed as a mother and a scrapbooker!!!!!
I forgot to take the first day of school pictures!!!!
No, do not argue with me and disagree.
I know better.
I have been taking them the first day of school for 10 years.
10 years!!!!!!!!
I will try and post some of the handsome boys that live here as soon as they come home from school clean...okay, so almost as clean as when they left, which isn't saying much, because half the time I have to make them change their clothes, because "they have nothing to wear"and put on dirty smelly clothes that they wore the day before!
We put all the kids clothes in one room.
Yep that is right. One room Just dressers and a closet full of Sunday wear and dresses.
All the boys in one room and Emma and Michael in another room. No one has dressers or baskets of clothes and I can tell you for a fact their room still isn't clean!!!!!
It is an improvement and their rooms just have blankets and pillows and the never allowed drink cups and food crumbs on the floor.
It does make life easier until I hear the dreaded.... "I have nothing to wear!"
We also made a few changes and since they no longer clean their room by throwing all the dirty clothes for me to wash out in the garage, they have certain days set aside for them to wash their own clothes. I have 3 laundry baskets with 2 kids names on each to share. Emma and Michael, Caleb and Sam, and Matt and Nate.
They are in charge of their own washing and drying of the clothes in said basket. I am in heaven.
I am still doing laundry from the big "super duper move furniture clean up the house" day.
The mountain was beyond control. Jeff took pity on me and got it under control. It was too overwhelming for me. Plus, he was already cleaning his precious garage.
I weed through the clothes as I fold them.

I LOVE THROWING THINGS AWAY!

I sorted 11 (13 gallon size) bags, 3 boxes, and 5 storage containers of clothes. I got it all down to 3 storage containers in Emma's closet and 4 storage containers in the boys closet, plus 2 small boxes. (mostly winter and Mikey, Emma, Caleb and Sam's hand me downs)
We got rid of 13 (13 gallon size) bags of clothes.
We are planning on getting even more organized and cleaning out my closet and room. (which will in turn help Jeff organize his garage.)
I know amazing.
Because of this I failed.
I forgot the pictures.
I didn't get everything back into it right place until a few days later.
Oh well.
I will do it soon and probably post the pictures on my private family blog.
If, I can get them to stand with each other I will try for a group shot, (it is never easy and never very fun) I will post the group shot here.
*deep sigh*
After a long conversation with my mom, we figured out that boys are not easier to raise then girls.
Yes, they might have less stuff, but they still cry like girls.

First

Today is the first day of school.
I miss them.....a little.
It nice to have the quiet.
Kinda.
I like the noise.
Pardon me, I had to stop blogging and change a smelly diaper.
I still have noise.
As of this very moment, I have a screaming almost 2 year old on my floor. He didn't want me to put a new diaper on him. (I hope this means easy potty training when it comes time) as for now, I know it means he really just wants to be naked.
Today, I am watching a darling little girl named Katie. True story.
She is playing with Emma. And it is fabulous.
They love to color and play playdoh, and play with my hair.
I love it.
And Emma gets the interaction with other people besides her brothers and boys cousins. That's right she gets girl time. Which she will need when she does start school.
I haven't decided if it is gonna be this year or skip preschool all together. Sammy did and he is doing great in school. As great as a little boy can be.
yep, Mikey is still screaming.
I tried, offering Pretzel fishes, I tried Momma loves, and I tried shoes (his all time favorite) I think he misses the boys.
We decided last week to go back to Susanville for a mini vacation and visit our good friends up there. We had a blast.
And yesterday we had a last minute mini-mini day trip to Dillon's beach. We didn't get there until almost lunch time and left at 4pm.
Mikey update - Finally, he stopped screaming. (Emma even told him to stop, i guess she couldn't take it anymore.) He got a drink and went outside. Only to come back in after 5 minutes, squealing about a smashed fruit snack on his foot. I guess it was an emergency. Soooo loud this child.
Yes, he is the baby and a tad bit spoiled....okay, a lot spoiled. But it is not just me that does all the spoiling. He has 6 other people who give him what he wants all the time!!!! okay so really only 5, Emma doesn't like sharing.
Back to the beach trip. The boys didn't mind going for such a short day trip. They had lots of fun.
As soon as we got home and I cut our Little Caesars Pizza into smaller portions, changed my beach clothes and scarfed down a few pieces, I left with Caleb and Nathan, to buy new school shoes. I love Ross. I got 4 pairs of school shoes for $97. I originally bought 4 new backpacks at Costco, but when I found out the boys didn't need new backpacks, I had Jeff take them back, and I got new shoes instead.
I haven't even touched the school supply list. and I missed the sophomore orientation meeting, and 8th grade meeting. So my boys will be at school supply-less. I did make them lunch.
I have goals while the boys are at school.
catch up on my soaps, eat bon bons, Get in a nap....nah, i am kidding. I have so much organizing to do.... no really, my husband just told me so.
First a quick cleaning....who am I kidding.... quick.
1 house, 4 bedrooms, living room, family room, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and 6 kids.....I wonder if I will get to blog again.
no worries, I will.