Sunday, February 24, 2008

A Rare Day!

Today was the kind of day that I wish would occur more often! Pretty successful on several counts:: I got some organizing done, cleaned up the girl's closets and drawers, the older two girls amused themselves with a cardboard road and town and I got Youngest to take a nap!


I just got my schedule for the upcoming children's consignment shop Spring sale, which means busy days are ahead for us. I start working for the shop mid-March which leaves me about 3 weeks to sort through clothing and toys to sell. I got a good start this morning going through the drawers and closets, pulling out too-small clothing and shifting to the next girl if it was desired. I have to save some of Youngest's clothing in case this baby is a girl, but I can sell the 18-month outfits because summer clothing in the middle of winter just won't do for the baby.

Kind of bittersweet for me, to pull the size 3 out of my newly-turned 4 year old's drawers and to pull the 18 month sizes out of my now 2 year old's closets. Many of Middle's clothing was still pristine, because she has an affinity for dresses and skirts and snubs her nose at pants and long sleeves. I finally wised up and had her sit with me to tell me what she didn't like, because what's the use of folding and re-folding clothing and tidying up a messy drawer, if she is never going to use it??

Oldest asked for permission to draw roads on an old cardboard box. She and Middle happily set about making roads and tunnels from a paper towel tube and brought out people and houses to play. They've been at it for several hours now, making the house the quietest I have ever experienced while they are awake!! I've even managed to write this post without being constantly interrupted!

Another happy moment:: I got Youngest to take a nap today. She has been resisting naps lately, and by dinner time is quite cranky and content to drink only her milk instead of eating her food, even if it is something she likes. No shameful begging and pleading on my part will make her take a bite, and if I manage to get a bite in her, she holds it in her mouth without chewing, the saliva building up and leaking through the corners of her lips until I give in and make her spit it out.

The potty training is going well. Yesterday was an off day for her and I changed her sodden underwear and pants no less than 8 times. Today is much better, with me asking her every 15 minutes if she needs to pee. Only one mishap so far, and I am counting my blessings!

Hubby has gone off to help a friend cut up logs for firewood. Here's hoping he brings home another load of wood to see us through the last bit of winter.

We had lots of robins in the yard today!! They give me hope that Spring is around the corner after all! I always like seeing the first robins of the year and they excite me knowing that warmer weather is on it's way!

8 comments:

Elsie Button said...

Jenny Jenny Jenny you are amazing - you entertain and look after and feed and do everything for THREE (gorgeous) children AND you have another on the way - you are SUPER mum! seriously. my brain frazzles with just one (as gorgeous as she is!)

IndianaJones said...

I could use a day like that! Lately naps aren't happening...potty training around here sounds like your yesterday almost everyday except she always seems to be sitting on my bed or her bed so I have to add changing her pants and bedding...needless to say I'm far from productive right now...I'll just keep reading and living vicariously through your blog:)

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

Thank you for the reward. And thank you for the reminder that children don't need expensive plastic toys to keep themselves occupied. How you manage all this amazes me.

D-HOR said...

OH my gosh Jenny - how freaking COOL is that cardboard road thing? And the tunnel??? How is that not genius!!? EEEEEEEEEEEE!!! That is SO DANG CUTE!! What creative kids you have.

Awww YAY YAY YAY for the Robin and warmer weather right? Come on Spring!!

AAAAAANNNDDD Thank You so much for the "E" award. You're so sweet and your comments about my blog were true but still cracked me up. I'm really not P.C. huh? :P Thank You again :)

Wendy said...

Robins! I'm a little jealous. When we see robins here, we know that spring has arrived. Of course, a HUGE snowstorm is predicted for this evening into tomorrow. I'm not thinking spring is all that close for us ;).

I love the cardboard road. I'm wondering how I can get my kids to do that ... quietly ;).

Glitterstim said...

What an excellent day! You must have such a feeling of accomplishment!

And I know the bittersweetness of clearing out those closets and drawers.... It goes by too fast. I'm glad you're chronicling it all in a blog!

Thanks :o)
BJ

jenny said...

Elsie-- Me? Super Mum? Hardly! But I am glad I can set off an illusion to make you think so!! :o)

Summer-- I have potty training days like that too! The poor couch gets peed on just about daily! I learned a good trick-- put a plastic tablecloth or shower curtain on the couch then cover with slipcover. Now you only need to wash the slip cover and no soggy pee pee cushions!

Coffee-- You deserve the award hon!! I amaze myself at the end of the day sometimes... :o)

Hor-- PC or not, I love ya!! :o) I can only take so much correctness and it feels good to let loose on your blog! I might be a mom and wife now, but once upon a time I was a potty-mouth ne'er do well!! :o)

Wendy-- we were supposed to get some of that snow, but it just missed us and all we got was rain. I hope you didn't get hit too hard. I didn't put the cardboard road idea into their heads, so don't ask me how they thought of it!! I was just thrilled to get some quiet around here!!

Bj-- Oh yes, that's the whole idea of the blog-- to remember the things I will likely forget. It's funny how my sister and I remember different things and I am sure it will be the same for my kids.. Oldest will remember the ice cream we had, Middle will remember how cold it was and Youngest will remember the clothes we wore-- or something like that.

Molly said...

Looks like a good day for sure! I always love the feeling of a clean, organized closet and a bag or two of extras on the way out of my house. And I love how your girls occupied their day with a cardboard box - very creative!

We too have robins in the yard and I am thrilled to just sit and watch them. They are too beautiful.