I'm exhausted tonight. In trying to get things caught up before my surgery, I may have overdone it a bit. I have a couple of loads of laundry to do tomorrow - some sweaters and the girls' bedding, and I should be caught up again. I have to admit I've really enjoyed the new machines we got, and I'm finding it much easier to keep caught up on laundry with them.
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to wash the bed pillows and was pleasantly surprised at how clean they came. It's nice to know that I can wash them at home instead of lugging them down to the laundromat. Besides, I probably would have thrown some of them in the trash rather than taking the chance of someone seeing how dirty they were. Sort of like cleaning the house before the cleaning crew gets there, because you'd be embarrassed they'd see how messy your house really is. Funny how that works, isn't it?
While we were changing the bedding on our bed today, I took the cover off the memory foam mattress topper to wash. We discovered that it is the memory foam that is wearing out instead of our mattress. That was some welcome news, considering how inexpensive memory foam is anymore. We're thankful we only have to replace it and not the whole mattress.
So I will go to bed exhausted tonight but very thankful for the accomplishments of the day. I was even able to get on the treadmill and walk for 30 minutes. Unfortunately, I've missed about 5 days on it since I started walking daily back in October, but I'll take it. At least I haven't given it up entirely in spite of illness, back pain and the general achiness and fatigue of fibro.
I think our bed is trying to seduce me. I hear it tenderly calling my name with whispers of sweet dreams.
I think I'm going to give in...
Showing posts with label laundry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label laundry. Show all posts
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Monday, November 19, 2012
Yay! for Ramblings
11 pairs of jeans
6 gloves
1 backpack
1 pair of jean shorts
3 shammi cleaning cloths
and room for the girls' denim jackets, even though I didn't include them.
That was what was in the first load of laundry in our new washing machine, and even though we had a pretty big top loader before, there's no way I could have fit that many clothes in one load before. I'm in shock at how much I can wash at once, and I'm thrilled! It's already cut the time I've spent in the laundry room down drastically, and we just got the machines on Saturday. I think I'm finally going to be able to get caught up and stay caught up on my laundry now.
Yay!
Because the new washing machine is a front loader, it uses much less water, so our water bill will go down. But the best part is that because it uses so much less water, there is less water to drain out of the tub, which means there is less water going down the drain. I know you're wondering how long it took me to realize all that, but I really was getting to a point. The fact that there is less water being drained out means that the overflowing drainage pipe behind the washing machine should be a thing of the past!
Double Yay!
I'm still walking on the treadmill. Haven't missed a day. Started Week 7 on Saturday. The first week, I pushed myself hard and was able to complete a total of 1 hour 46 minutes. It was so hard. My fibro flared non-stop, and there were many times I wanted to give up and skip it, but I am important enough to do it for me. So I kept on keepin' on. I just ended the 6th week on Friday. I'd done 6 hours 40 minutes and 9.3 miles total. I'm going to do my best to do no less than an hour a day from now on. I'll keep it at an hour for a couple of weeks before adding anymore time, but I'll be trying to increase the mileage each week.
So. Yeah. I'm happy about that.
Yay! Again.
I've been feeling my age, though. Got my first pair of bifocals almost 2 weeks ago. They're going back today, and I'm going to get a single vision lens. I can't handle them. Every time I wear them, I end up with a horrible headache and a watering eye that drips down my face, not to mention the nausea. I'm thinking that progressive bifocals are just not for me. I may try lined bifocals at some point in the future, but for now, I think I'll just get a pair of reading glasses to use in conjunction with my regular glasses.
The lack of nausea, headaches and drippy eyes will be yet another yay!
Never finished cutting the trees down in the backyard, but I can't breathe around the molds, mildews and pollens that rear their ugly heads this time of year. I don't know when it will happen, but we will get them done.
I got the tomatoes all prepped to freeze and then forgot them in the fridge when everyone was sick. They had to go in the compost bin. But I did get the apples all processed and ended up with 10 pints+ of yummy goodness for my effort. We'll be enjoying them for awhile.
Yay!
And besides it being the time for turkeys and holiday celebrations and such, it's the perfect time for homemade soups. It seems like every year I forget how good homemade soup is, and I get to experience the yumminess anew every Fall. We enjoyed our first homemade soup last week, and it was, well, yummy.
Yay!
I also just hung up the phone. Someone is interested in the bunk beds I've had up on Craigslist for a few weeks. It will be so nice to have the room they're taking up in the garage!
Um. Yay!
And I'm done rambling for now, but I'll be back.
Yay!
6 gloves
1 backpack
1 pair of jean shorts
3 shammi cleaning cloths
and room for the girls' denim jackets, even though I didn't include them.
That was what was in the first load of laundry in our new washing machine, and even though we had a pretty big top loader before, there's no way I could have fit that many clothes in one load before. I'm in shock at how much I can wash at once, and I'm thrilled! It's already cut the time I've spent in the laundry room down drastically, and we just got the machines on Saturday. I think I'm finally going to be able to get caught up and stay caught up on my laundry now.
Yay!
Because the new washing machine is a front loader, it uses much less water, so our water bill will go down. But the best part is that because it uses so much less water, there is less water to drain out of the tub, which means there is less water going down the drain. I know you're wondering how long it took me to realize all that, but I really was getting to a point. The fact that there is less water being drained out means that the overflowing drainage pipe behind the washing machine should be a thing of the past!
Double Yay!
I'm still walking on the treadmill. Haven't missed a day. Started Week 7 on Saturday. The first week, I pushed myself hard and was able to complete a total of 1 hour 46 minutes. It was so hard. My fibro flared non-stop, and there were many times I wanted to give up and skip it, but I am important enough to do it for me. So I kept on keepin' on. I just ended the 6th week on Friday. I'd done 6 hours 40 minutes and 9.3 miles total. I'm going to do my best to do no less than an hour a day from now on. I'll keep it at an hour for a couple of weeks before adding anymore time, but I'll be trying to increase the mileage each week.
So. Yeah. I'm happy about that.
Yay! Again.
I've been feeling my age, though. Got my first pair of bifocals almost 2 weeks ago. They're going back today, and I'm going to get a single vision lens. I can't handle them. Every time I wear them, I end up with a horrible headache and a watering eye that drips down my face, not to mention the nausea. I'm thinking that progressive bifocals are just not for me. I may try lined bifocals at some point in the future, but for now, I think I'll just get a pair of reading glasses to use in conjunction with my regular glasses.
The lack of nausea, headaches and drippy eyes will be yet another yay!
Never finished cutting the trees down in the backyard, but I can't breathe around the molds, mildews and pollens that rear their ugly heads this time of year. I don't know when it will happen, but we will get them done.
I got the tomatoes all prepped to freeze and then forgot them in the fridge when everyone was sick. They had to go in the compost bin. But I did get the apples all processed and ended up with 10 pints+ of yummy goodness for my effort. We'll be enjoying them for awhile.
Yay!
And besides it being the time for turkeys and holiday celebrations and such, it's the perfect time for homemade soups. It seems like every year I forget how good homemade soup is, and I get to experience the yumminess anew every Fall. We enjoyed our first homemade soup last week, and it was, well, yummy.
Yay!
I also just hung up the phone. Someone is interested in the bunk beds I've had up on Craigslist for a few weeks. It will be so nice to have the room they're taking up in the garage!
Um. Yay!
And I'm done rambling for now, but I'll be back.
Yay!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Can you keep a secret?
I probably should have worn a mask today, but I didn't. One of these days I'll learn.
After working in the laundry room and doing as much laundry as I could (3 loads of sweats before I ran out of pretreater), I worked for a few hours on Bugster's birthday gift. I'm taking before and after pictures, which I will post once I'm done, but I dare not say what I'm doing. She reads my blog. Sometimes.
When she was younger, she had a habit of finding out what her birthday or Christmas presents were entirely too often. Often enough that we finally told her that, if she found out what her gift was before the special day, she wouldn't get it. In spite of the fact that she claimed she never went looking for the presents, (she claims I was horrible at hiding them but don't believe her), she sure was good at finding them. I don't recall taking anything away. We threatened once, but I think we kept it and gave it to her for whatever the next holiday was. Let's just say it was an effective deterrent.
We've learned to hide her presents better than we apparently did when she was little. It helps that she has her own home now, and she isn't over heresnooping all the time. I'm just wondering, if I'm going to be able to keep this one under wraps before we celebrate her birthday.
She's definitely going to want this one. =)
After working in the laundry room and doing as much laundry as I could (3 loads of sweats before I ran out of pretreater), I worked for a few hours on Bugster's birthday gift. I'm taking before and after pictures, which I will post once I'm done, but I dare not say what I'm doing. She reads my blog. Sometimes.
When she was younger, she had a habit of finding out what her birthday or Christmas presents were entirely too often. Often enough that we finally told her that, if she found out what her gift was before the special day, she wouldn't get it. In spite of the fact that she claimed she never went looking for the presents, (she claims I was horrible at hiding them but don't believe her), she sure was good at finding them. I don't recall taking anything away. We threatened once, but I think we kept it and gave it to her for whatever the next holiday was. Let's just say it was an effective deterrent.
We've learned to hide her presents better than we apparently did when she was little. It helps that she has her own home now, and she isn't over here
She's definitely going to want this one. =)
Friday, March 2, 2012
Laundry, hooks and court dates. Oh my!
Today was a good day. It feels good to be doing something again. It's like the fog has lifted in my brain, and I'm back to working on dehoarding and being productive once more.
I was able to get 6 loads of laundry done today, and I got one more thing crossed off the list I made the other day. I hung up a set of hooks in the workout room in order to hang the packs Hubster uses when he runs. I can't believe how much better it looks, and it feel so good to know they have a permanent home, and we'll be able to find them when we need them. We may hang another set tomorrow, so he can hang some of his running clothes when he gets home from a run. It will be nice to have an actual place for them, too.
I am happy to announce that the spam filter is working once again on my blog. Hopefully, it will continue working, and I won't have to put the word verification back on anytime soon.
And the best news of all? The attorney called, and we finally have a court date for mid-May to finalize guardianship for the girls.
It will be so nice to be done once and for all.
I was able to get 6 loads of laundry done today, and I got one more thing crossed off the list I made the other day. I hung up a set of hooks in the workout room in order to hang the packs Hubster uses when he runs. I can't believe how much better it looks, and it feel so good to know they have a permanent home, and we'll be able to find them when we need them. We may hang another set tomorrow, so he can hang some of his running clothes when he gets home from a run. It will be nice to have an actual place for them, too.
I am happy to announce that the spam filter is working once again on my blog. Hopefully, it will continue working, and I won't have to put the word verification back on anytime soon.
And the best news of all? The attorney called, and we finally have a court date for mid-May to finalize guardianship for the girls.
It will be so nice to be done once and for all.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Travel plans.
Things went well for Scooter with her first day back to school in several weeks. She fell asleep on the couch shortly after she ate, and she didn't give a second thought to going to bed - just got in her jammies and snuggled into her flannel sheets.
I didn't handle the early wake up time nearly as well. I overdid things in the workout room a bit when we were sorting boxes of books yesterday. It kept me from being as productive as I'd have liked to have been, but I was able to get 4 loads of laundry done and some of the bedding changed. It's better than nothing, but I'm hoping to get a bit more done tomorrow.
It's going to take awhile to get back on a schedule of zero dark thirty wake up calls. I think it's going to take me crawling into bed in the next 15 minutes and snuggling up under the blankets.
I think Scooter had the right idea...
I'm off to LaLa Land.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tiptoe Through The Tulips?
When I woke up this morning, I felt like I could hardly move. Walking on concrete for as long as I did yesterday makes me ache from head to toe. I'm just thankful it's not always as bad as it was today. I'm sure I'll feel much better tomorrow.
Spent part of the morning in the laundry room getting the laundry sorted and the floor swept. Moved the freezer, so I could vacuum the dust underneath. I found a colony of dust bunnies but was able to thwart their attempt at a takeover of the laundry room. For now. I'll have to wipe the herds out a little more often to keep them under control.
Hubster and I got the cubbie units put together and set up in the girls' rooms. They look great, and the girls are thrilled with them. They're excited about what I'm going to be doing with the baskets we got to use in them, as well.
The baskets we picked out are fabric lined cardboard, but the cardboard seems pretty sturdy. I think they'll hold up fairly well, but thankfully, they're only $5 each, if we need to replace one from time to time. But they're just white and... well... plain. But I have ideas floating around in my head, and I'm going to have some fun with them.
The fabric is just a thin cotton, so I'll have to apply gesso to it first to get it ready to paint. I'll be painting different flowers on Hopper's baskets, because she has flowers in her room that resemble the type I've doodled since I was a kid. I'm not sure how many of them I'll be painting, but I'll have some fun with it. If she gets tired of the look of the flowers, I can paint the opposite ends of the baskets in a different design, and she can mix things up a bit.
Scooter adores butterflies, so it's a given that I'll be painting butterflies on some of her baskets. But I thought of another idea I may go with for the other side. I may either paint on giant butterfly using all the baskets, so it would look almost like a set of puzzle blocks when the baskets are put back in the cubbies, or I may paint some sort of a garden scene. I figure it would be a fun way for her to get used to where things go, and if she takes more than one basket out at a time, she'd be able to see where they go by putting the puzzle back together. I'll sketch a few designs out on paper and ask her what she wants me to do.
I'll likely sketch something for Hopper, too.
She's probably going to want a big picture on one side of her baskets once she sees Scooter's. :)
Spent part of the morning in the laundry room getting the laundry sorted and the floor swept. Moved the freezer, so I could vacuum the dust underneath. I found a colony of dust bunnies but was able to thwart their attempt at a takeover of the laundry room. For now. I'll have to wipe the herds out a little more often to keep them under control.
Hubster and I got the cubbie units put together and set up in the girls' rooms. They look great, and the girls are thrilled with them. They're excited about what I'm going to be doing with the baskets we got to use in them, as well.
The baskets we picked out are fabric lined cardboard, but the cardboard seems pretty sturdy. I think they'll hold up fairly well, but thankfully, they're only $5 each, if we need to replace one from time to time. But they're just white and... well... plain. But I have ideas floating around in my head, and I'm going to have some fun with them.
The fabric is just a thin cotton, so I'll have to apply gesso to it first to get it ready to paint. I'll be painting different flowers on Hopper's baskets, because she has flowers in her room that resemble the type I've doodled since I was a kid. I'm not sure how many of them I'll be painting, but I'll have some fun with it. If she gets tired of the look of the flowers, I can paint the opposite ends of the baskets in a different design, and she can mix things up a bit.
Scooter adores butterflies, so it's a given that I'll be painting butterflies on some of her baskets. But I thought of another idea I may go with for the other side. I may either paint on giant butterfly using all the baskets, so it would look almost like a set of puzzle blocks when the baskets are put back in the cubbies, or I may paint some sort of a garden scene. I figure it would be a fun way for her to get used to where things go, and if she takes more than one basket out at a time, she'd be able to see where they go by putting the puzzle back together. I'll sketch a few designs out on paper and ask her what she wants me to do.
I'll likely sketch something for Hopper, too.
She's probably going to want a big picture on one side of her baskets once she sees Scooter's. :)
Monday, January 23, 2012
How do I know, if I'm a hoarder? Pt 4 - Too many categories.
I've always struggled with sorting things. It's not that I can't sort. I can. But something I have in common with other hoarders is sorting things into too many categories.
For example, in the past, instead of just being able to close the box of crayons and put them away, I would have to sort them into like colors. It wasn't good enough to sort all the shades of red together. I'd have to sort them into shades of red starting with the pink on one side and ending in purple on the other. And it's something I did every time I'd put the crayons or markers away.
And laundry?
Towels are sorted into:
*Kitchen
*Darks
*Whites/lights
*Bathroom
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Reds
Clothes are sorted like this:
*Sweats
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Pants
*Black/BlueJeans
*Khakis
*Dress clothes
*Light Weight Clothing
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Medium Weight Clothing
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Heavy Weight Clothing
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Sweaters
*Light Weight Sweaters
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Medium Weight Sweaters
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Heavy Weight Sweaters
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*All other shirts
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Sheets
*Darks
*Lights
*Underwear
Thankfully, the kids are grown now, and I don't have to do all the sorting I did for their clothes when they were little anymore. I generally washed them separately from the rest, because their skin was much more sensitive. So add all the categories above to baby clothes, and you can understand why I've struggled with laundry over the years.
And when I clipped coupons? Yeah. I pretty much micromanaged my coupons. I stopped using them, because it was so time consuming. And toys? Oh my goodness. I'm not even going to go there. And this doesn't even scratch the surface of all the things that I need to sort in a day.
Needless to say, it's exhausting.
I've been able to curb the sorting of crayons and markers. And the toys the girls with are not the type that need sorting as much now. I still have a lot of their old toys, but they'll be sorted into 3 main areas when I get to them. Keep, donate & trash. And I will be getting rid of most of them.
But I don't know that I'll ever be able to sort the laundry any differently than I do now. For whatever reason, I can't seem to put the categories into bigger groups. I can handle crayons just being crayons.
But I can't handle laundry just being laundry.
For example, in the past, instead of just being able to close the box of crayons and put them away, I would have to sort them into like colors. It wasn't good enough to sort all the shades of red together. I'd have to sort them into shades of red starting with the pink on one side and ending in purple on the other. And it's something I did every time I'd put the crayons or markers away.
And laundry?
Towels are sorted into:
*Kitchen
*Darks
*Whites/lights
*Bathroom
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Reds
Clothes are sorted like this:
*Sweats
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Pants
*Black/BlueJeans
*Khakis
*Dress clothes
*Light Weight Clothing
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Medium Weight Clothing
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Heavy Weight Clothing
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Sweaters
*Light Weight Sweaters
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Medium Weight Sweaters
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*Heavy Weight Sweaters
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Whites with any sort of non-white trim
*All other shirts
*Reds/Pinks/Purples
*Oranges
*Darks
*Colors
*Whites
*Sheets
*Darks
*Lights
*Underwear
Thankfully, the kids are grown now, and I don't have to do all the sorting I did for their clothes when they were little anymore. I generally washed them separately from the rest, because their skin was much more sensitive. So add all the categories above to baby clothes, and you can understand why I've struggled with laundry over the years.
And when I clipped coupons? Yeah. I pretty much micromanaged my coupons. I stopped using them, because it was so time consuming. And toys? Oh my goodness. I'm not even going to go there. And this doesn't even scratch the surface of all the things that I need to sort in a day.
Needless to say, it's exhausting.
I've been able to curb the sorting of crayons and markers. And the toys the girls with are not the type that need sorting as much now. I still have a lot of their old toys, but they'll be sorted into 3 main areas when I get to them. Keep, donate & trash. And I will be getting rid of most of them.
But I don't know that I'll ever be able to sort the laundry any differently than I do now. For whatever reason, I can't seem to put the categories into bigger groups. I can handle crayons just being crayons.
But I can't handle laundry just being laundry.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Nap time.
The other day, I worked on something that's been hanging over my head for several months. When she came down for Bugster and Bubster's wedding this summer, my sister got some skirts and sundresses for Scooter. Scooter loves skirts of all lengths, but she especially loves broomstick skirts and the like, so we were thrilled when my sister found these for her at a garage sale when she was visiting.
The only problem was that neither sundress fit right, and the skirts were a little too big around for her. So a couple of nights ago, I used the seam ripper and took the bodices off the 2 sundresses. My eyes were killing me by the time I was done, because I am at the age when I'm seriously needing bifocals, but I got them off without too much hassle, and I didn't even slice the tip of my finger open with the seam ripper. I'll call it a win.
My sister also picked up a little babydoll-type blouse that fit Scooter sort of funky. The bottom of the blouse wasn't really flared much. It had a bit of a crisscrossed halter look at the top and tied behind the back with little off the shoulder sleeves that drove Scooter crazy. So I took it apart. I took the halter and ties off, added some elastic to the back of it, and I made it into a little skirt. Scooter will wear it with a pair of leggings underneath, and she's thrilled to have yet another skirt to choose from when getting dressed.
I have a couple more skirts I have to make some adjustments to today, and I've got to do a little mending, but the sewing machine won't be on the table by the time evening hits. It will be put away downstairs in it's semi-permanent place once again. Actually, I had at least intended to get it put away when I started writing this post a couple of days ago, but I didn't finish my mending like I thought I would. If I don't get it wrapped up tomorrow, I will get it back downstairs. At least the sewing machine is put in its case, isn't taking up table space, and is waiting patiently for me to decide what to do with it.
I had to go downstairs last night to look for the elastic for the skirts and to grab some thread. When I was looking for the elastic, I found 6 bobbins for my sewing machine that I hadn't seen in years. I was so excited! This will make my life so much easier! It's been rough working with only 1 or 2 bobbins over the years. They've already been put in my sewing box, so I'll know where they are the next time I use my sewing machine.
When I was downstairs looking for stuff in my craft area, I so wanted to just start sorting things again. It's the first I've felt like that in quite awhile. I just wanted to get lost in sorting for a few hours, but the boxes are going to have to wait. I need to make sure that I have as much done as I can to be ready for the guardian ad litem's visit to the house. She's not going to care how much I need to sort in the craft room. The laundry is a much bigger priority, and the 3 loads I got done yesterday barely dented the pile.
The pile looks comfy enough to jump in, though. Sort of like a leaf pile without all the dust and scritchy scratchy things.
Maybe I'll just pretend it's a bed and take a nap.
The only problem was that neither sundress fit right, and the skirts were a little too big around for her. So a couple of nights ago, I used the seam ripper and took the bodices off the 2 sundresses. My eyes were killing me by the time I was done, because I am at the age when I'm seriously needing bifocals, but I got them off without too much hassle, and I didn't even slice the tip of my finger open with the seam ripper. I'll call it a win.
My sister also picked up a little babydoll-type blouse that fit Scooter sort of funky. The bottom of the blouse wasn't really flared much. It had a bit of a crisscrossed halter look at the top and tied behind the back with little off the shoulder sleeves that drove Scooter crazy. So I took it apart. I took the halter and ties off, added some elastic to the back of it, and I made it into a little skirt. Scooter will wear it with a pair of leggings underneath, and she's thrilled to have yet another skirt to choose from when getting dressed.
I have a couple more skirts I have to make some adjustments to today, and I've got to do a little mending, but the sewing machine won't be on the table by the time evening hits. It will be put away downstairs in it's semi-permanent place once again. Actually, I had at least intended to get it put away when I started writing this post a couple of days ago, but I didn't finish my mending like I thought I would. If I don't get it wrapped up tomorrow, I will get it back downstairs. At least the sewing machine is put in its case, isn't taking up table space, and is waiting patiently for me to decide what to do with it.
I had to go downstairs last night to look for the elastic for the skirts and to grab some thread. When I was looking for the elastic, I found 6 bobbins for my sewing machine that I hadn't seen in years. I was so excited! This will make my life so much easier! It's been rough working with only 1 or 2 bobbins over the years. They've already been put in my sewing box, so I'll know where they are the next time I use my sewing machine.
When I was downstairs looking for stuff in my craft area, I so wanted to just start sorting things again. It's the first I've felt like that in quite awhile. I just wanted to get lost in sorting for a few hours, but the boxes are going to have to wait. I need to make sure that I have as much done as I can to be ready for the guardian ad litem's visit to the house. She's not going to care how much I need to sort in the craft room. The laundry is a much bigger priority, and the 3 loads I got done yesterday barely dented the pile.
The pile looks comfy enough to jump in, though. Sort of like a leaf pile without all the dust and scritchy scratchy things.
Maybe I'll just pretend it's a bed and take a nap.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Dehoarding: 1. Stress: 0.
We haven't felt well since we went on vacation to my nephew's wedding. There have been chills, fevers, lethargy (Hopper actually slept 25 hours straight the other day, and the girls slept about 18 hours straight last night), body aches, (my elbow has hurt so much I can hardly use my right arm and have been using one of those band things around my forearm that are used to treat tendinitis and wearing leg warmers to keep the elbow warm), and some rather unpleasant side effects of the intestinal sort. It's been rather discouraging. I'm just hoping we're almost done with this bug, since we've already had it right at a week.
The good news is that we're unpacked from the trip. I just have to put the suitcases away and finish up the laundry. I quite liked having the laundry room floor clear of dirty clothes, so I'll be working today and tomorrow to finish up the rest of them. It's been so nice knowing we have a place for everything to go, too. It's the first time in 18 years we've had a place for all of our clothes. It definitely helps that we got rid of probably two-thirds of the clothing we had, and I'll be working on getting rid of even more.
This is only the second vacation we've taken since I discovered that I have a hoarding problem. The first was last June when we went back home for Mom's birthday celebration. When we went back home then, we put the car-top carrier on the car and loaded it up and filled the back of our car. I can't think of a time we haven't used the extra space on vacation.
Car top carriers are great for transporting those extra things you don't have the space for in the car, but they also make you a major target for thieves who can tell at a glance you're away from home. They also tend to be cumbersome to store, and as much as they're convenient, they're not. It can be quite the pain to attach them to the top of your car, and it's not entirely convenient to retrieve your belongings standing on a step stool. So it seemed really strange to try to go on vacation this year without using it.
Things are always a bit tight in the back of the car. We have a small station wagon that can't possibly even be half the size of the one my family had when I was younger. (Those things had storage!) Still, we were able to get everything we needed for clothing for 2 weeks for 4 people, the pinata which was quite large, 4 winter coats, 4 sweatshirts, some items Mom asked me to take out to my sister's house and a few pillows from home in the back of the car. Granted, Hubster had to rely on the side mirrors only, but it really wasn't an issue.
And not having to load or unload the car top carrier was huge! It may have even saved us from having an accident. The carriers are not all that aerodynamic, so the wind can really bat you around the highway. On the way to Rochester, the wind was so strong, Hubster didn't dare take either hand off the wheel. There were several times that the wind buffeted the car enough that we nearly ended up in the ditch the way it was. I don't doubt that's where we'd have landed, if we'd had the car top carrier in place.
Honestly, I think we'd have ended up using the top of our car for storage for our vacation, if I hadn't started the dehoarding process over a year ago. Realizing we all have hoarding tendencies and trying to change the result of those tendencies made all the difference in the world for this trip. Obviously, the car top carrier situation was huge, but that wasn't the only thing.
It used to take me forever to get things packed for a trip. Because we had so many clothes, I was always doing laundry up until the last possible minute. There were times I'd forget to wash a much needed item, and we'd have have to haul it along to launder it while we were on vacation, or we'd have to buy something new when we arrived to replace it. And because the laundry was stacked in baskets in several rooms in the house, it would literally take days for me to pack.
I could never seem to sort out in my mind what shirt would go with what pants with what socks, etc., when I never had the room for the clothes to all be in the same area. I would think one set of clothes would make the perfect outfit only to find the right colored shirt in the dirty clothes. It was exhausting and incredibly stressful. I would get by on no more than 5 hours of sleep nightly for a full week or more before heading out of town. Considering I need a minimum of 8 hours to function properly, I felt like a zombie most of the vacation.
My, what a difference a year makes!
I was able to pack the girls' suitcases in less than 30 minutes.
Total. For. Both. Of. Them.
It took me about 10 minutes to pack my own bag, and The Hubster packed his, so I didn't have that to do. I was in shock that it took so little effort and so little time to get everything ready to get on the road for a 10 day vacation.
There was still stress. There always is. But the amount of stress getting out of here for this trip compared to vacations in the past is minuscule.
Just one of the many perks of dehoarding.
I think I'll keep it up...
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Catching Zs on Mother's Day Eve.
Woke up this morning with chest and head congestion. It could just be a result of having our windows open over night. I'm really hoping that I'm not getting what the rest of the family has been dealing with lately, but I'm not holding my breath. I've had a headache for the better part of the day. Shoot, I've had them the better part of the week, and I'm not one to typically get headaches. I guess I'll know before too long.
I got 5 loads of laundry washed, dried, folded and put away. I got 5 totes of clean clothes packed away for further sorting once things slow down around here. They're clothes that Bugster will eventually go through to see, if she wants to use any of them for her little ones.
And then...
All things considered, I'm happy with what I got done today.
I got 5 loads of laundry washed, dried, folded and put away. I got 5 totes of clean clothes packed away for further sorting once things slow down around here. They're clothes that Bugster will eventually go through to see, if she wants to use any of them for her little ones.
And then...
Are you ready for this?
I found MORE laundry!
Thankfully, it wasn't a huge box. It was just a plastic under the bed storage tote full of clothes I'd washed before I put them in storage years ago. The bad thing is that they smell super musty-on the verge of mildewy, even. I'm not sure what happened that they smell the way they do. I think it has to do with the basement flooding 2 years ago and then the tote going into the storage pod on the drive. It doesn't matter why they smelled so rank. They won't smell that way for long. I've got the washing machine full and soaking overnight, and I'll finish the rest up in the next day or so.
I worked downstairs today in the craft area, too. I spent a couple of hours straightening things up, so the area was more conducive to sorting boxes and actually putting things away permanently. I still have a ton to do down there, but rearranging things and picking up a bit made it possible to empty 2 boxes before stopping for the night.
I worked downstairs today in the craft area, too. I spent a couple of hours straightening things up, so the area was more conducive to sorting boxes and actually putting things away permanently. I still have a ton to do down there, but rearranging things and picking up a bit made it possible to empty 2 boxes before stopping for the night.
All in all, I'm satisfied with what I got done today. I feel it was a product day. I'm just finding it amazing that even when I feel like I have productive days I'm not getting nearly as much done as I did when Mom was here. She was such a tremendous help!
Still. I have to remember what my grandfather used to say about situations like this. "When you're feeling bad about not getting everything you wanted to get done in a day, you need to look around and see what you did get done."
I got enough done, and I'll sleep well tonight.
Still. I have to remember what my grandfather used to say about situations like this. "When you're feeling bad about not getting everything you wanted to get done in a day, you need to look around and see what you did get done."
I got enough done, and I'll sleep well tonight.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Mack Attack!
Last night while minding my own business, my voice got up and left. I think it was bored with the conversation. Then, when I woke up this morning, I not only felt like I'd been run over by a Mack truck, but I felt like it had backed up and decided to try it again.
Twice.
We've got the crud that's going around, although it hasn't hit my lungs just yet like it has Scooter's. I have just been hit with overwhelming fatigue. Hopper has had the fever and the fatigue (she slept 21 hours the night before last and 16 hours last night), but she has no cough just yet. The Hubster missed 4 days of work from it last week, and Frank had it a few weeks ago. Bugster's lungs have been zapped with the crud, and she sounds horrible on the phone. So far, it appears as though the only one who has escaped unscathed so far is Bubster. Hope he doesn't end up with it, too.
I'm trying to take it easier physically. I don't want this crud to get the better of me. So I decided to work on paperwork.
A couple of weeks before Mom left to go home, she helped me in the garage. That's where we found all the extra boxes of laundry, after I thought we'd gotten it all done a few weeks prior. We cleared out at least 1/3 of the garage. We have this huge empty space now and can actually see the back wall of the garage. Before, we could barely make it out of the kitchen, and there was just a small path out to the porch.
The clothes that were out there have been sorted, washed, thrown, donated or given away. I mentioned the other day that we donated 49 bags of clothes that had come in from the garage and 23 bags from the laundry that I'd been working on for the last 9 years or so. What I failed to mention is that I sent at right at 60 bags home with Mom for my sister's family, and I probably threw at least 50 bags, if not more.
The clothes that are still here are either going to be sold, worn, or put away for Bugster to go through to see, if she wants any when she has little ones of her own. They've been sorted according to size, folded and neatly put in some of the rubber totes that I emptied out and scrubbed with bleach. The totes will be stored in the garage inside large plastic bags, so there's absolutely no chance of bugs, mice or dust getting them dirty, so they'll take up a little bit of that free space we opened up.
What won't be taking up the free space is paperwork. After I dusted 2 dozen or so boxes of paperwork in the garage and brought them into the kitchen, Mom wiped them all off with a bleach-soaked cloth to disinfect them. Then she stacked them all neatly in the study for me to sort through. I started on them today.
I got through one box fairly quickly. It was full of proofs of purchases for items I was going to send in for rebates or special offers. There were soup labels, yogurt lids, cereal box tops, and the cardboard pieces that are torn away on boxes of tissues, so the contents of the box are accessible. The box was full to the top, and 99.9% of it went in the trash or in the shredables. And as tempting as it was to save the soup labels and cereal box tops for the local schools to send in for credit, I allowed myself to throw them away. To let go.
Then I started on the next box. It's a hard box to sort through. There's a lot in there I need to save. The medical records from many of the visits back and forth to Virginia are in the box, as well as the results of Bugster's genetic testing we had done 20 years ago. She's going to need that in the next few years, so I'm glad I came across it.
I'm about halfway through the box and I'd like to finish it before I go to bed, but I'm okay with it, if I don't get it finished up until tomorrow.
I can feel a caravan of Mack trucks lining up to run me down.
Twice.
We've got the crud that's going around, although it hasn't hit my lungs just yet like it has Scooter's. I have just been hit with overwhelming fatigue. Hopper has had the fever and the fatigue (she slept 21 hours the night before last and 16 hours last night), but she has no cough just yet. The Hubster missed 4 days of work from it last week, and Frank had it a few weeks ago. Bugster's lungs have been zapped with the crud, and she sounds horrible on the phone. So far, it appears as though the only one who has escaped unscathed so far is Bubster. Hope he doesn't end up with it, too.
I'm trying to take it easier physically. I don't want this crud to get the better of me. So I decided to work on paperwork.
A couple of weeks before Mom left to go home, she helped me in the garage. That's where we found all the extra boxes of laundry, after I thought we'd gotten it all done a few weeks prior. We cleared out at least 1/3 of the garage. We have this huge empty space now and can actually see the back wall of the garage. Before, we could barely make it out of the kitchen, and there was just a small path out to the porch.
The clothes that were out there have been sorted, washed, thrown, donated or given away. I mentioned the other day that we donated 49 bags of clothes that had come in from the garage and 23 bags from the laundry that I'd been working on for the last 9 years or so. What I failed to mention is that I sent at right at 60 bags home with Mom for my sister's family, and I probably threw at least 50 bags, if not more.
The clothes that are still here are either going to be sold, worn, or put away for Bugster to go through to see, if she wants any when she has little ones of her own. They've been sorted according to size, folded and neatly put in some of the rubber totes that I emptied out and scrubbed with bleach. The totes will be stored in the garage inside large plastic bags, so there's absolutely no chance of bugs, mice or dust getting them dirty, so they'll take up a little bit of that free space we opened up.
What won't be taking up the free space is paperwork. After I dusted 2 dozen or so boxes of paperwork in the garage and brought them into the kitchen, Mom wiped them all off with a bleach-soaked cloth to disinfect them. Then she stacked them all neatly in the study for me to sort through. I started on them today.
I got through one box fairly quickly. It was full of proofs of purchases for items I was going to send in for rebates or special offers. There were soup labels, yogurt lids, cereal box tops, and the cardboard pieces that are torn away on boxes of tissues, so the contents of the box are accessible. The box was full to the top, and 99.9% of it went in the trash or in the shredables. And as tempting as it was to save the soup labels and cereal box tops for the local schools to send in for credit, I allowed myself to throw them away. To let go.
Then I started on the next box. It's a hard box to sort through. There's a lot in there I need to save. The medical records from many of the visits back and forth to Virginia are in the box, as well as the results of Bugster's genetic testing we had done 20 years ago. She's going to need that in the next few years, so I'm glad I came across it.
I'm about halfway through the box and I'd like to finish it before I go to bed, but I'm okay with it, if I don't get it finished up until tomorrow.
I can feel a caravan of Mack trucks lining up to run me down.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Santa has left the building.
Christmas is finally over for the family who lives in the Closet.
Mom left for home Sunday.
It's amazing how empty the house is without her and her adorable little dog, but we will be eternally grateful to have had her here for so long! I am incredibly blessed to count her as one of my best friends. Ever.
She encouraged me to keep going, even when I felt like I had no more to give while cleaning out the different rooms, and I'm so thankful for that. We accomplished so much while she was here, and I have every intention of keeping on keeping on.
At Mom's urging, I started keeping track of the loads of laundry I did after we found the boxes of laundry in the garage. I started working on them back on April 4th. In the last 15 days, I've done 73 loads. Of those 73 loads, 7 or so were bedding, towels or clothing we use day to day.
And just when I thought I was done, I wasn't. Shortly after The Hubster left to take Mom home, I went to the laundry room to get a load started in the washer. I looked around the room to assess what I still had to do when I spotted a box I'd seen in there but hadn't really paid it any attention.
We'd brought some Christmas things in from the garage to put away with the holiday decorations. I've mentioned before that the laundry room is also where we store the decorations behind sliding closet doors and the box was sitting by the closet. The box was sitting on a large tote of Christmas wrap that had been brought in from the garage, so when I saw it sitting there, I assumed it was decorations.
You know what they say about assuming.
I opened the flaps of the box expecting to find ornaments when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a box full of laundry that meant something dear. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all. Here I'd thought I'd finished the last of the laundry from years ago except for the 2 dresses I had left that needed to be washed separately from the other clothing.
Instead, I found the box is full of clothes from my childhood. I took the time to sort it today after finishing up the girls' bedding in the wash and got the first load started to soak. I squealed when I saw my Holly Hobbie pillowcases from when I was a child. I adored Holly Hobbie, and finding the pillowcases, both the one my parents bought for me and the one Mom made me just made me happy inside and out.
There were also some of my favorite shirts from high school which will work for Scooter and her eclectic choices that make up her mix and match style. One of my favorite outfits Mom made me as a kid was in there, too. Not only did she make me the shirt and pants that matched, but she made shorts as well. I remember feeling so special when I wore that little outfit! And while my girls are too big to wear it, I am saving it. If we have no granddaughters to wear it eventually, I will save some of it for a quilt I have planned to make from a few of my favorite things.
I also found the vest my grandmother lovingly knit for me when I was about 10. It's yummy robin's egg blue with a pretty pink accent. Gramma always knitted vests or scarves or hats for us kids. We loved getting her packages in the mail and could hardly wait to try them on. Many a school picture was taken in a vest Gramma knitted for us. Seeing the vest brought back many happy memories in an instant. There was also an olive green shawl with a salmon pink accent that I'm sure Gramma knitted. I'll have to ask Mom. She'll remember.
Needless to say, this last box of clothing opened a floodgate of memories for me. I had mixed emotions, but by and large they were happy memories. I'm anxious to see how well they clean up, what I'll decide to save, what I'll have to toss, and what will be in good enough shape to donate.
Speaking of donations...
I've been donating the clothes we're getting rid of to a local thrift store. Well, it's sort of a thrift store. They have all sorts of items in there that they sell, but they don't actually sell the clothes. They give them away to whomever might come in and need them. Last Friday, I took 49 bags of clothes down to them. It was so nice to get them out of the house and even nicer knowing that they will help out people who need clothes for their families.
There were several bags of clothes that went to the trash after they were torn up in the washing machine, or I couldn't get the stains out. But there were actually very few things that remained stained once I was done with them, and some things came clean that I'd never in a million years expect to get clean.
For example a hoodie that had set in stains for the last 18 years:
Was I ever surprised when this is how it looked when I was all done with it!
Mom thinks I should send the last two pictures to the makers of Shout, Era Laundry Detergent, OxiClean and Clorox to give them an idea of what their products together can accomplish.
In every load of clothes I washed that came from the garage, I started out filling the washing machine with hot water, adding a large scoop or two (it depended on how dirty the clothes were) of OxiClean, a cup of Clorox, half a cup of Era and then I sprayed the stains until they were wet with Shout. I followed this routine no matter what color the clothes were. Where the clothes had been stored so long, and there was evidence of mice, I wasn't willing to take any chances with not getting them clean. After a few minutes of dissolving the cleaning products in the hot water, I changed the water temp from hot to warm or cold and would then run the washing machine on the longest cycle it has. I was in shock at how many clothes came out perfect right away.
Those that still had stains went into the sink that held OxiClean water to soak the clothes for a few days. Ninety-nine percent of the stains came out after soaking, if they didn't come out in the first wash. Of the clothes that were donated, there were maybe 5 pieces that had stains no bigger than my little fingernail. The rest looked new.
Most are gone now, and the ones I have left are either being used or packed away for Bugster and Bubster's future babies.
Best of all? As soon as I finish the last few loads of laundry from the box I just discovered, I will be completely caught up on laundry for the first time in 20 years.
How unbelievably freeing!
Mom left for home Sunday.
It's amazing how empty the house is without her and her adorable little dog, but we will be eternally grateful to have had her here for so long! I am incredibly blessed to count her as one of my best friends. Ever.
She encouraged me to keep going, even when I felt like I had no more to give while cleaning out the different rooms, and I'm so thankful for that. We accomplished so much while she was here, and I have every intention of keeping on keeping on.
At Mom's urging, I started keeping track of the loads of laundry I did after we found the boxes of laundry in the garage. I started working on them back on April 4th. In the last 15 days, I've done 73 loads. Of those 73 loads, 7 or so were bedding, towels or clothing we use day to day.
And just when I thought I was done, I wasn't. Shortly after The Hubster left to take Mom home, I went to the laundry room to get a load started in the washer. I looked around the room to assess what I still had to do when I spotted a box I'd seen in there but hadn't really paid it any attention.
We'd brought some Christmas things in from the garage to put away with the holiday decorations. I've mentioned before that the laundry room is also where we store the decorations behind sliding closet doors and the box was sitting by the closet. The box was sitting on a large tote of Christmas wrap that had been brought in from the garage, so when I saw it sitting there, I assumed it was decorations.
You know what they say about assuming.
I opened the flaps of the box expecting to find ornaments when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a box full of laundry that meant something dear. I laughed out loud at the absurdity of it all. Here I'd thought I'd finished the last of the laundry from years ago except for the 2 dresses I had left that needed to be washed separately from the other clothing.
Instead, I found the box is full of clothes from my childhood. I took the time to sort it today after finishing up the girls' bedding in the wash and got the first load started to soak. I squealed when I saw my Holly Hobbie pillowcases from when I was a child. I adored Holly Hobbie, and finding the pillowcases, both the one my parents bought for me and the one Mom made me just made me happy inside and out.
There were also some of my favorite shirts from high school which will work for Scooter and her eclectic choices that make up her mix and match style. One of my favorite outfits Mom made me as a kid was in there, too. Not only did she make me the shirt and pants that matched, but she made shorts as well. I remember feeling so special when I wore that little outfit! And while my girls are too big to wear it, I am saving it. If we have no granddaughters to wear it eventually, I will save some of it for a quilt I have planned to make from a few of my favorite things.
I also found the vest my grandmother lovingly knit for me when I was about 10. It's yummy robin's egg blue with a pretty pink accent. Gramma always knitted vests or scarves or hats for us kids. We loved getting her packages in the mail and could hardly wait to try them on. Many a school picture was taken in a vest Gramma knitted for us. Seeing the vest brought back many happy memories in an instant. There was also an olive green shawl with a salmon pink accent that I'm sure Gramma knitted. I'll have to ask Mom. She'll remember.
Needless to say, this last box of clothing opened a floodgate of memories for me. I had mixed emotions, but by and large they were happy memories. I'm anxious to see how well they clean up, what I'll decide to save, what I'll have to toss, and what will be in good enough shape to donate.
Speaking of donations...
I've been donating the clothes we're getting rid of to a local thrift store. Well, it's sort of a thrift store. They have all sorts of items in there that they sell, but they don't actually sell the clothes. They give them away to whomever might come in and need them. Last Friday, I took 49 bags of clothes down to them. It was so nice to get them out of the house and even nicer knowing that they will help out people who need clothes for their families.
 |
| 40 of the 49 bags of clothes that were donated. |
For example a hoodie that had set in stains for the last 18 years:
 |
| NEVER in a MILLION years!! |
Was I ever surprised when this is how it looked when I was all done with it!
 | |
| Some little girl is going to love this hoodie! |
In every load of clothes I washed that came from the garage, I started out filling the washing machine with hot water, adding a large scoop or two (it depended on how dirty the clothes were) of OxiClean, a cup of Clorox, half a cup of Era and then I sprayed the stains until they were wet with Shout. I followed this routine no matter what color the clothes were. Where the clothes had been stored so long, and there was evidence of mice, I wasn't willing to take any chances with not getting them clean. After a few minutes of dissolving the cleaning products in the hot water, I changed the water temp from hot to warm or cold and would then run the washing machine on the longest cycle it has. I was in shock at how many clothes came out perfect right away.
Those that still had stains went into the sink that held OxiClean water to soak the clothes for a few days. Ninety-nine percent of the stains came out after soaking, if they didn't come out in the first wash. Of the clothes that were donated, there were maybe 5 pieces that had stains no bigger than my little fingernail. The rest looked new.
Most are gone now, and the ones I have left are either being used or packed away for Bugster and Bubster's future babies.
Best of all? As soon as I finish the last few loads of laundry from the box I just discovered, I will be completely caught up on laundry for the first time in 20 years.
How unbelievably freeing!
Monday, April 4, 2011
That which changed our Life Before. Part 1
I've been on an emotional roller coaster today going through the laundry that had long been forgotten. They seem familiar and yet foreign to me. They bring back faint memories of a life that once was but passed too quickly. These clothes are the window to my past. To our past. And the memories associated with them are bittersweet.
You see, these clothes represent a moment in time when all was well with the world. When life was simple. When life wasn't all about hospitalizations and illness and loneliness and and emptiness that overwhelmed me. They were from our Life Before, and while I am no longer in that dark place today, I feel I need to acknowledge it, that I might realize I did the best I could and I can leave it in the past...
The Hubster was in the United States Marine Corps, and we were stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. I was so proud of him for serving our country, and I was proud to be a Marine's wife. Granted, there were a lot of separations from being in the field for weeks at a time, and there was loneliness from missing 'home' that was over 1500 miles away, but overall we were happy.
We lived off-base in the community of Jacksonville in the Fall of 1992. The house we lived in had major problems that we didn't realize until we'd been there several weeks. It seemed I was always sick, and there was a good reason for it. There was mold and mildew growing up the walls inside the house. I had to move furniture and take pictures off the walls every few weeks and bleach the walls to get rid of the mildew and mold. The house apparently had no moisture barrier under the foundation, and it allowed for entirely too much moisture in the house. It was beyond miserable. I just never felt like I could breathe. I knew I had asthma as a kid, but when I would ask the doctors, if it could have possibly come back, I always got the same answer. My lungs sounded clear.
I did my best to carry on. I walked Bugster to kindergarten and home from school every day, and I stayed home with Hopper while Bugster was in school. I loved the time we had together. However, it wasn't long before I found out we were expecting Scooter. I had a few complications, as it was a high risk pregnancy, but I was falling in love with our little baby more and more every single day.
Fall turned into Winter which slowly turned into Spring. In March of '93, we were approved for base housing, and we were thrilled. We were beyond ready to get out of that horrible and moldy house. I felt like I could finally breathe again and waited in anticipation for moving day.
In the meantime, we found out that Hopper needed to have heart surgery. They couldn't do the surgery at Camp Lejeune, so we traveled up to Norfolk to see what they could do up there. We were scared to death. The mere mention of heart surgery tends to stop a parent's heart mid-beat with fear, and we were no exception. We were scared.
Mom traveled the 1500 miles to be with us to help out when Hopper went in. She helped us move into base housing, and we all left for Norfolk the next morning. We had an appointment first thing to have Hopper checked out by the pediatric cardiologist prior to her surgery.
Mom went with us to Hopper's doctor appointment, partly for moral support, partly to act as another set of ears to listen to what the doctor had to say should we forget something he said, and mostly, because none of us could see her sitting in the hotel waiting for us and worrying. We were all very thankful she was there, as things didn't go exactly as planned.
You see, these clothes represent a moment in time when all was well with the world. When life was simple. When life wasn't all about hospitalizations and illness and loneliness and and emptiness that overwhelmed me. They were from our Life Before, and while I am no longer in that dark place today, I feel I need to acknowledge it, that I might realize I did the best I could and I can leave it in the past...
The Hubster was in the United States Marine Corps, and we were stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC. I was so proud of him for serving our country, and I was proud to be a Marine's wife. Granted, there were a lot of separations from being in the field for weeks at a time, and there was loneliness from missing 'home' that was over 1500 miles away, but overall we were happy.
We lived off-base in the community of Jacksonville in the Fall of 1992. The house we lived in had major problems that we didn't realize until we'd been there several weeks. It seemed I was always sick, and there was a good reason for it. There was mold and mildew growing up the walls inside the house. I had to move furniture and take pictures off the walls every few weeks and bleach the walls to get rid of the mildew and mold. The house apparently had no moisture barrier under the foundation, and it allowed for entirely too much moisture in the house. It was beyond miserable. I just never felt like I could breathe. I knew I had asthma as a kid, but when I would ask the doctors, if it could have possibly come back, I always got the same answer. My lungs sounded clear.
I did my best to carry on. I walked Bugster to kindergarten and home from school every day, and I stayed home with Hopper while Bugster was in school. I loved the time we had together. However, it wasn't long before I found out we were expecting Scooter. I had a few complications, as it was a high risk pregnancy, but I was falling in love with our little baby more and more every single day.
Fall turned into Winter which slowly turned into Spring. In March of '93, we were approved for base housing, and we were thrilled. We were beyond ready to get out of that horrible and moldy house. I felt like I could finally breathe again and waited in anticipation for moving day.
In the meantime, we found out that Hopper needed to have heart surgery. They couldn't do the surgery at Camp Lejeune, so we traveled up to Norfolk to see what they could do up there. We were scared to death. The mere mention of heart surgery tends to stop a parent's heart mid-beat with fear, and we were no exception. We were scared.
Mom traveled the 1500 miles to be with us to help out when Hopper went in. She helped us move into base housing, and we all left for Norfolk the next morning. We had an appointment first thing to have Hopper checked out by the pediatric cardiologist prior to her surgery.
Mom went with us to Hopper's doctor appointment, partly for moral support, partly to act as another set of ears to listen to what the doctor had to say should we forget something he said, and mostly, because none of us could see her sitting in the hotel waiting for us and worrying. We were all very thankful she was there, as things didn't go exactly as planned.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
When in doubt, punt.
Christmas has never lasted so long as it has this year. We've experienced yet another Christmas Miracle. Mom is staying another week, and we are so happy she is! There are high wind warnings all the way from our house to hers, along with snow and rain. It's just not safe for her to head home right now. She thought about heading home in the middle of the week, but she said she'd stay until next weekend, if we tackled the garage while she's still here.
Today, we were in the middle of a full out blitz.
Tonight, we're exhausted, but feeling good at what we've accomplished so far.
I'm also feeling a bit overwhelmed at what awaits.
Besides the customary tools, dust and mouse poop that are in the majority of garages in America, we found boxes of toys, paperwork and laundry.
Yes. I. Said. Laundry.
Lots and lots of laundry. So that 50 loads or so I did last week? It doesn't even compare to what lies ahead. I'm guessing I have 50 to 75 loads of laundry to do. I'm hoping I'm overestimating, but only time will tell. I will be keeping score.
In the deep, dark recesses of my mind I vaguely remembered there was laundry to do in the garage. However, it's been there so long that it just became part of the landscape. Just a dot on the horizon that's not really noticeable in the big scheme of things that is the garage.
What I didn't realize was just how big that dot actually was. Turned out it wasn't just a shadow on the horizon. It was the mountain rising up in the distance. Even though it wasn't totally unexpected to find the laundry in the garage, I have to admit that even I was surprised at exactly how much there was waiting for me or how long it had been waiting.
There was one box that had been sealed up and sent through the Postal Service from my parents' house to the house we rented in North Carolina when I was pregnant with Scooter and The Hubster was still on active duty. Scooter will be 18 this summer. The box was still sealed with the original tape.
Let's just say that life became exceptionally overwhelming during that pregnancy and didn't really slow down until recently. Truth be told, I'm not sure that life really slowed down as much as I have been able to speed up. I'll eventually blog about what life was like in more detail, but all that talk about speeding up? Yeah. It's it's a minute by minute thing. In fact, at this moment, I'm slowing down considerably and am having a rough time staying awake.
On that note, I think I'll go crawl into bed, so I'll be ready to go in the morning. And while I know we won't finish everything in there tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to making an even bigger dent in the mess and getting started on the laundry on Monday that Mom has so graciously sorted for me.
I'm sure I'll be dreaming of a winning game plan all night long.
Today, we were in the middle of a full out blitz.
Tonight, we're exhausted, but feeling good at what we've accomplished so far.
I'm also feeling a bit overwhelmed at what awaits.
Besides the customary tools, dust and mouse poop that are in the majority of garages in America, we found boxes of toys, paperwork and laundry.
Yes. I. Said. Laundry.
Lots and lots of laundry. So that 50 loads or so I did last week? It doesn't even compare to what lies ahead. I'm guessing I have 50 to 75 loads of laundry to do. I'm hoping I'm overestimating, but only time will tell. I will be keeping score.
In the deep, dark recesses of my mind I vaguely remembered there was laundry to do in the garage. However, it's been there so long that it just became part of the landscape. Just a dot on the horizon that's not really noticeable in the big scheme of things that is the garage.
What I didn't realize was just how big that dot actually was. Turned out it wasn't just a shadow on the horizon. It was the mountain rising up in the distance. Even though it wasn't totally unexpected to find the laundry in the garage, I have to admit that even I was surprised at exactly how much there was waiting for me or how long it had been waiting.
There was one box that had been sealed up and sent through the Postal Service from my parents' house to the house we rented in North Carolina when I was pregnant with Scooter and The Hubster was still on active duty. Scooter will be 18 this summer. The box was still sealed with the original tape.
Let's just say that life became exceptionally overwhelming during that pregnancy and didn't really slow down until recently. Truth be told, I'm not sure that life really slowed down as much as I have been able to speed up. I'll eventually blog about what life was like in more detail, but all that talk about speeding up? Yeah. It's it's a minute by minute thing. In fact, at this moment, I'm slowing down considerably and am having a rough time staying awake.
On that note, I think I'll go crawl into bed, so I'll be ready to go in the morning. And while I know we won't finish everything in there tomorrow, I'm really looking forward to making an even bigger dent in the mess and getting started on the laundry on Monday that Mom has so graciously sorted for me.
I'm sure I'll be dreaming of a winning game plan all night long.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Regrets. I've had a few.
So. The weather is not conducive to Mom going home this weekend as planned, so we have another Christmas Miracle headed our way!
This has seriously been the best Christmas ever!
Also, the pressure is off, because the in-laws won't be stopping by after all. The Hubster doesn't have any time available to take off work, and Bugster can't miss out on her externship, so they decided they'll just see us this summer.
I've been working on the laundry for the last several days. Mom made the comment that I'd done more laundry than a laundromat sees in a month, and while it wasn't quite that much there was a lot of laundry. I lost count of how may loads I did, but there were at least 50 loads just in the last week.
I washed everything from sweaters to backpacks to coats to gloves and mittens to baby clothes to baby socks, bibs and blankets. Then I sorted them and either put them away, put them in storage, gave them to friends, or bagged them up to be donated. In fact, I dropped off 23 bags of clothes and gently worn shoes and 2 boxes to the local thrift store.
I will never have to deal with them again, and I couldn't be more relieved.
It's hard work.
Not the laundry itself. Well, I suppose doing 50+ loads this last week hasn't really been easy, but I do enjoy doing laundry, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. But the laundry that is so hard to deal with is the stuff that tugs at the heartstrings. It's hard to say goodbye.
Like the sweatshirt that I made when Bugster was little. I made one for The Hubster, myself and each grandparent. They said "Bugster loves ______!" with the blank filled in with Gramma, Grampa, Mommy or Daddy. I have hung onto ours for the last 22 or 23 years. Bugster will be 24 next week, so we've had them since she was just tiny. And yesterday, I took the step to cut Hubster's sweatshirt up, threw the front of it in the trash and put the rest in the rag basket.
It was so hard to making the decision. I felt like I was throwing away a piece of Bugster's childhood. But once the decision was made, and the deed was done, I felt liberated.
Free.
That is until I started sorting through the baby clothes and blankets I'd saved back for Bugster and Bubster for their babies should they want to use them to try and pare them down. Some of the decisions were easy. I saved the beautiful knit baby blanket my sister had made for Bugster and some beautiful little outfits that both sets of grandparents had given the girls. Most still looked new.
But I got rid of a couple of other beautiful hand-knit blankets that were given to us when Bugster was born that we never used. Our girls have very sensitive skin, and some of the yarn used to knit the blankets was just plain itchy. I didn't use the blankets on the girls, because I didn't want to make them miserable with itchiness, but I didn't know how to get rid of them. After all, they were given in love, and somehow, getting rid of them felt like I was throwing that love away. Dismissing it.
Still. I did make the very hard decision to give them away.
And then guilt set in. Guilt over the fact that the little things still looked new. Guilt that I hadn't let them wear the outfits often enough for them to even look worn. But they were all so special to me, that I saved them for 'special occasions'. The problem was that it never seemed like occasions were quite special enough to wear the outfits, so some of them had only been worn once or twice before they were outgrown.
The regret weighed heavily on my all day long.
To top it off, my arms ached from missing the babies they used to hold. I can't seem to wash baby clothes without feeling and smelling the little ones who used to wear them as though they're still asleep in the other room waiting for me to rock them and hold them and love them.
Sigh.
It's been a rough week emotionally. But I made it through.
I'm down to only having 2 loads of laundry left from the huge amount of clothing that had been in the storage pod. The other 2 loads I have waiting to be run are towels and dark clothes that are clothes that we currently wear. It's hard to believe that after 10 years or so of trying to sort through the laundry that seemed so impossible, I'm almost done.
For the first time in over a decade, I will finally be caught up on laundry when I go to bed tonight. I will have 9 empty laundry baskets and 2 empty hampers in the laundry room. At least 4 large boxes that had held laundry that have since gone out with the trash, and there are at least eight 18 gallon totes that once held dirty laundry that are now stacked awaiting their next purpose.
I've been stretched mentally and I have survived. I have not been incapacitated by emotions like I have in the past.
It is a small victory, but it is a victory nonetheless.
I'll count it as a win.
This has seriously been the best Christmas ever!
Also, the pressure is off, because the in-laws won't be stopping by after all. The Hubster doesn't have any time available to take off work, and Bugster can't miss out on her externship, so they decided they'll just see us this summer.
I've been working on the laundry for the last several days. Mom made the comment that I'd done more laundry than a laundromat sees in a month, and while it wasn't quite that much there was a lot of laundry. I lost count of how may loads I did, but there were at least 50 loads just in the last week.
I washed everything from sweaters to backpacks to coats to gloves and mittens to baby clothes to baby socks, bibs and blankets. Then I sorted them and either put them away, put them in storage, gave them to friends, or bagged them up to be donated. In fact, I dropped off 23 bags of clothes and gently worn shoes and 2 boxes to the local thrift store.
I will never have to deal with them again, and I couldn't be more relieved.
It's hard work.
Not the laundry itself. Well, I suppose doing 50+ loads this last week hasn't really been easy, but I do enjoy doing laundry, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. But the laundry that is so hard to deal with is the stuff that tugs at the heartstrings. It's hard to say goodbye.
Like the sweatshirt that I made when Bugster was little. I made one for The Hubster, myself and each grandparent. They said "Bugster loves ______!" with the blank filled in with Gramma, Grampa, Mommy or Daddy. I have hung onto ours for the last 22 or 23 years. Bugster will be 24 next week, so we've had them since she was just tiny. And yesterday, I took the step to cut Hubster's sweatshirt up, threw the front of it in the trash and put the rest in the rag basket.
It was so hard to making the decision. I felt like I was throwing away a piece of Bugster's childhood. But once the decision was made, and the deed was done, I felt liberated.
Free.
That is until I started sorting through the baby clothes and blankets I'd saved back for Bugster and Bubster for their babies should they want to use them to try and pare them down. Some of the decisions were easy. I saved the beautiful knit baby blanket my sister had made for Bugster and some beautiful little outfits that both sets of grandparents had given the girls. Most still looked new.
But I got rid of a couple of other beautiful hand-knit blankets that were given to us when Bugster was born that we never used. Our girls have very sensitive skin, and some of the yarn used to knit the blankets was just plain itchy. I didn't use the blankets on the girls, because I didn't want to make them miserable with itchiness, but I didn't know how to get rid of them. After all, they were given in love, and somehow, getting rid of them felt like I was throwing that love away. Dismissing it.
Still. I did make the very hard decision to give them away.
And then guilt set in. Guilt over the fact that the little things still looked new. Guilt that I hadn't let them wear the outfits often enough for them to even look worn. But they were all so special to me, that I saved them for 'special occasions'. The problem was that it never seemed like occasions were quite special enough to wear the outfits, so some of them had only been worn once or twice before they were outgrown.
The regret weighed heavily on my all day long.
To top it off, my arms ached from missing the babies they used to hold. I can't seem to wash baby clothes without feeling and smelling the little ones who used to wear them as though they're still asleep in the other room waiting for me to rock them and hold them and love them.
Sigh.
It's been a rough week emotionally. But I made it through.
I'm down to only having 2 loads of laundry left from the huge amount of clothing that had been in the storage pod. The other 2 loads I have waiting to be run are towels and dark clothes that are clothes that we currently wear. It's hard to believe that after 10 years or so of trying to sort through the laundry that seemed so impossible, I'm almost done.
For the first time in over a decade, I will finally be caught up on laundry when I go to bed tonight. I will have 9 empty laundry baskets and 2 empty hampers in the laundry room. At least 4 large boxes that had held laundry that have since gone out with the trash, and there are at least eight 18 gallon totes that once held dirty laundry that are now stacked awaiting their next purpose.
I've been stretched mentally and I have survived. I have not been incapacitated by emotions like I have in the past.
It is a small victory, but it is a victory nonetheless.
I'll count it as a win.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Socks, socks, everywhere and not a pair to wear.
I've been busy. I'm making progress. Except when it comes to blogging and I hit the wrong key in the dark and lose my entire post.
:::heavy sigh:::
We finally got the remaining clothes sorted and most washed that I've been working on for the last 9 or 10 years. That included washing three basketsful of socks.
Yup. You heard that right.
Three basketsful.
That's a lot of socks.
My wonderful mother, who is still at our home and helping me out, sorted socks. Lots of socks. She sorted. She matched. She mated. All kinds of socks. Teeny, tiny socks from almost 24 years ago when Bugster was a baby to little ruffled socks Hopper and Scooter wore with dresses when they were little to socks that were left here when Bugster moved out of the house to socks that have just lost their appeal. She sorted socks without mates and socks without soles.
We dumped them out on Scooter's bed to get an idea of how big a pile of socks Mom had paired up...
They seemed happy. They bounced around and chattered. When we listened very closely, we could hear the socks whispering that they were so glad to have been reunited with their solemates after all these years. There was much rejoicing.
When all was said and done, and the socks we were keeping were put safely away, there were more socks left in the baskets than we kept. I'll keep the 3rd basket of unmated socks until I get through the rest of the boxes that came in from the storage pod. I'm bound to be able to find mates for some of them in the boxes.
We will likely donate the mated ones from the bed that we didn't keep to a battered women's shelter where they will hopefully help someone out in a time of need. The cherry on the top of the sock pile is that we won't ever have to wash them again or scavenge for mates. They will be out of our house forever!
And there will be much rejoicing!
:::heavy sigh:::
We finally got the remaining clothes sorted and most washed that I've been working on for the last 9 or 10 years. That included washing three basketsful of socks.
Yup. You heard that right.
Three basketsful.
That's a lot of socks.
My wonderful mother, who is still at our home and helping me out, sorted socks. Lots of socks. She sorted. She matched. She mated. All kinds of socks. Teeny, tiny socks from almost 24 years ago when Bugster was a baby to little ruffled socks Hopper and Scooter wore with dresses when they were little to socks that were left here when Bugster moved out of the house to socks that have just lost their appeal. She sorted socks without mates and socks without soles.
We dumped them out on Scooter's bed to get an idea of how big a pile of socks Mom had paired up...
 |
| And they lived happily ever after. |
When all was said and done, and the socks we were keeping were put safely away, there were more socks left in the baskets than we kept. I'll keep the 3rd basket of unmated socks until I get through the rest of the boxes that came in from the storage pod. I'm bound to be able to find mates for some of them in the boxes.
We will likely donate the mated ones from the bed that we didn't keep to a battered women's shelter where they will hopefully help someone out in a time of need. The cherry on the top of the sock pile is that we won't ever have to wash them again or scavenge for mates. They will be out of our house forever!
And there will be much rejoicing!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye...
Today was a good day overall.
I like good days.
Hopper went in to see a doctor today. It apparently is just a viral bug that she has, but the stress has made it worse. The doctor said, if Hopper's fever goes higher than 100° (she was 99.8° today) to bring her back in. In the meantime, we're just supposed to keep her on the nebulizer treatments for a few days until she seems to be doing better. She said her ear looks okay, too, but it's red in there. I looked with our otoscope after she complained that her ear hurt. We'll obviously keep an eye on her, but unfortunately, she will likely have to go in again.
I got a few loads of laundry done. I don't know, if I'll ever fully catch up. It's the nature of the beast, and we all know the Laundry Beast is a big scary dude! Stupid hairy creature, anyway.
While I was in the laundry room, I got distracted. I realized that I still had an entire laundry basket full of recently laundered and folded fabric. So I decided that since I finally have a place to put it, I'd put it away.
One thing led to another, and I got distracted again.
Imagine that.
I decided to sort all the small boxes of craft stuff I had stored upstairs. It's been frustrating having all the small boxes sitting around. I never knew exactly where to find things, and the boxes were unsightly. Something needed to be done. Before I knew it, I'd sorted through several boxes of crafts and found places for everything. It was so exciting getting things put away after all these years.
While I was sorting the craft stuff, The Hubster brought in an antique buffet we bought this summer using the Found Money Fund. There were a couple very minor repairs needed, but overall it was in great shape. One of the repairs that needed done involved putting in a small piece of wood inside and attaching it to the back of the buffet to support the shelf area that holds dishes. It was missing, so the people who we bought the buffet from couldn't even use the buffet for it's intended purpose. I feel sort of bad for them not getting to fully enjoy it.
But I digress....
It was easier to replace this piece with the buffet turned upside down. So we took the drawers out, and set them on the floor. The Hubster was working on it, so I went back to sorting craft stuff. I remarked to my husband that I loved having the nice carpet we have downstairs, so I can go barefoot. (If I go barefoot upstairs, my legs get cold and then I ache all over, so to be able to free my feet from their shoes is so liberating!) I no sooner said this, than I needed to go help my husband with the buffet.
As I went to help hubby, I went a little too quickly and misjudged where the drawers for the buffet were sitting. I cracked the second to largest toe on my left foot as I passed by. Between the pain and the hot flash that ensued at the exact same time I hit my foot, I felt like either getting sick to my stomach or passing out. Thankfully, the feeling passed after a few minutes, but not before my toe started bleeding.
For awhile, I thought I'd broken the toe, but I didn't. The toe isn't really swollen, and it's straight with no bruising. I can even put some weight on it. However, I'm pretty sure I tore the toenail off. I can see where it bent back all the way down by the quick, and it's sore. My loving husband patched it up with a bright blue bandage for now. I'll try to trim part of the toenail tomorrow. If I can't, I may just ask the surgeon to take care of it when I go in. At least I wouldn't feel anything then, and I'm all for not feeling it.
I thought of putting a picture of my sad little toe on the blog, but Bugster talked me out of it. She didn't have to talk too fast. It was only a fleeting thought.
Still. You should thank her.
I like good days.
Hopper went in to see a doctor today. It apparently is just a viral bug that she has, but the stress has made it worse. The doctor said, if Hopper's fever goes higher than 100° (she was 99.8° today) to bring her back in. In the meantime, we're just supposed to keep her on the nebulizer treatments for a few days until she seems to be doing better. She said her ear looks okay, too, but it's red in there. I looked with our otoscope after she complained that her ear hurt. We'll obviously keep an eye on her, but unfortunately, she will likely have to go in again.
I got a few loads of laundry done. I don't know, if I'll ever fully catch up. It's the nature of the beast, and we all know the Laundry Beast is a big scary dude! Stupid hairy creature, anyway.
While I was in the laundry room, I got distracted. I realized that I still had an entire laundry basket full of recently laundered and folded fabric. So I decided that since I finally have a place to put it, I'd put it away.
One thing led to another, and I got distracted again.
Imagine that.
I decided to sort all the small boxes of craft stuff I had stored upstairs. It's been frustrating having all the small boxes sitting around. I never knew exactly where to find things, and the boxes were unsightly. Something needed to be done. Before I knew it, I'd sorted through several boxes of crafts and found places for everything. It was so exciting getting things put away after all these years.
While I was sorting the craft stuff, The Hubster brought in an antique buffet we bought this summer using the Found Money Fund. There were a couple very minor repairs needed, but overall it was in great shape. One of the repairs that needed done involved putting in a small piece of wood inside and attaching it to the back of the buffet to support the shelf area that holds dishes. It was missing, so the people who we bought the buffet from couldn't even use the buffet for it's intended purpose. I feel sort of bad for them not getting to fully enjoy it.
But I digress....
It was easier to replace this piece with the buffet turned upside down. So we took the drawers out, and set them on the floor. The Hubster was working on it, so I went back to sorting craft stuff. I remarked to my husband that I loved having the nice carpet we have downstairs, so I can go barefoot. (If I go barefoot upstairs, my legs get cold and then I ache all over, so to be able to free my feet from their shoes is so liberating!) I no sooner said this, than I needed to go help my husband with the buffet.
As I went to help hubby, I went a little too quickly and misjudged where the drawers for the buffet were sitting. I cracked the second to largest toe on my left foot as I passed by. Between the pain and the hot flash that ensued at the exact same time I hit my foot, I felt like either getting sick to my stomach or passing out. Thankfully, the feeling passed after a few minutes, but not before my toe started bleeding.
For awhile, I thought I'd broken the toe, but I didn't. The toe isn't really swollen, and it's straight with no bruising. I can even put some weight on it. However, I'm pretty sure I tore the toenail off. I can see where it bent back all the way down by the quick, and it's sore. My loving husband patched it up with a bright blue bandage for now. I'll try to trim part of the toenail tomorrow. If I can't, I may just ask the surgeon to take care of it when I go in. At least I wouldn't feel anything then, and I'm all for not feeling it.
I thought of putting a picture of my sad little toe on the blog, but Bugster talked me out of it. She didn't have to talk too fast. It was only a fleeting thought.
Still. You should thank her.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Hope springs eternal.
Today has been long and not as productive as I'd like.
Some days are just like that.
Hopper is stressed over my upcoming surgery. She stresses easily, and it comes out in all sorts of rough ways. Like stressing over her dad going on his run today. We really have no idea what sets her off. Sometimes it happens. Other times, she's fine with him going for his run. Today, she started having a meltdown a good 15 minutes before he left. The meltdown didn't stop for 30 minutes after he was gone.
She was upset he was gone, but she started fixating on something, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what she was saying. While she's verbal, she's not always intelligible, and she was definitely struggling. She also often says, 'no' when she means, 'yes', and vice versa and very often, she doesn't hear what we're saying correctly, so it can be quite the puzzle trying to figure out what she's saying. And while sometimes it can be a bit humorous, it can also be quite traumatic.
For 30 minutes, she cried and tried so hard to tell me and show me what she was asking. She kept trying to act out what she was asking. She would draw her one arm up, so her fist was by her shoulder, and the other arm was outstretched. It looked like she was trying to shoot a bow and arrow.
But she's never even seen one.
I asked her, if it had to do with Daddy's run. No. It didn't. But it resulted in more crying and exasperation.
Was it on a street driving away from here? No. And cue crying.
Was it at the store? Nope. Not there either.
Was she talking about exercises? No. That wasn't it, and the drama continued.
At one point, I joined her in the crying. It's so frustrating to not be able to help her, and it's so hard to see her go through the pain of not being understood.
I asked her repeatedly to show me where it was, if it was in the house. She said it wasn't.
Finally, I just asked her to follow me, and I pointed out some workout things my husband uses to strengthen his forearms. If he doesn't use them, he has a problem with tendonitis. So I took her to them and asked, if that was what she was talking about.
It was.
Finally.
She was trying to find out, if he was going to do his exercises when he got home. He wasn't. But she has such a hard time living in the moment, because she's always looking ahead to what's going to happen or not going to happen next that she just can't relax. Today was a prime example.
After I finally figured out what it was and discerned her unintelligible jargoning, she was fine, but my neck and shoulders are still tight all these hours later. I'm just so glad she was able to go to bed with a smile on her face, and it all but forgotten.
Somehow, I was able to get 6 or 7 loads of laundry done today, even though we didn't get started on the list just yet. We'll be kicking into overdrive to work on it tomorrow. I think we'll be able to get most of it done.
I hope.
I need a bigger win.
Some days are just like that.
Hopper is stressed over my upcoming surgery. She stresses easily, and it comes out in all sorts of rough ways. Like stressing over her dad going on his run today. We really have no idea what sets her off. Sometimes it happens. Other times, she's fine with him going for his run. Today, she started having a meltdown a good 15 minutes before he left. The meltdown didn't stop for 30 minutes after he was gone.
She was upset he was gone, but she started fixating on something, and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what she was saying. While she's verbal, she's not always intelligible, and she was definitely struggling. She also often says, 'no' when she means, 'yes', and vice versa and very often, she doesn't hear what we're saying correctly, so it can be quite the puzzle trying to figure out what she's saying. And while sometimes it can be a bit humorous, it can also be quite traumatic.
For 30 minutes, she cried and tried so hard to tell me and show me what she was asking. She kept trying to act out what she was asking. She would draw her one arm up, so her fist was by her shoulder, and the other arm was outstretched. It looked like she was trying to shoot a bow and arrow.
But she's never even seen one.
I asked her, if it had to do with Daddy's run. No. It didn't. But it resulted in more crying and exasperation.
Was it on a street driving away from here? No. And cue crying.
Was it at the store? Nope. Not there either.
Was she talking about exercises? No. That wasn't it, and the drama continued.
At one point, I joined her in the crying. It's so frustrating to not be able to help her, and it's so hard to see her go through the pain of not being understood.
I asked her repeatedly to show me where it was, if it was in the house. She said it wasn't.
Finally, I just asked her to follow me, and I pointed out some workout things my husband uses to strengthen his forearms. If he doesn't use them, he has a problem with tendonitis. So I took her to them and asked, if that was what she was talking about.
It was.
Finally.
She was trying to find out, if he was going to do his exercises when he got home. He wasn't. But she has such a hard time living in the moment, because she's always looking ahead to what's going to happen or not going to happen next that she just can't relax. Today was a prime example.
After I finally figured out what it was and discerned her unintelligible jargoning, she was fine, but my neck and shoulders are still tight all these hours later. I'm just so glad she was able to go to bed with a smile on her face, and it all but forgotten.
Somehow, I was able to get 6 or 7 loads of laundry done today, even though we didn't get started on the list just yet. We'll be kicking into overdrive to work on it tomorrow. I think we'll be able to get most of it done.
I hope.
I need a bigger win.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Blue Moon
It's been overcast the last several days. Between that and the fact that there is much less sunlight during the day now, I realized it's affecting my mood and is getting worse as time goes on. I've struggled to even blog the last several weeks.
A year ago, when I ended up so sick with the swine flu, I went off some of my medicines to give my liver a break. My liver and spleen were both enlarged from the flu, and I figured they'd get better faster, if I stopped taking some of the medicines I was on. One that I stopped taking was my antidepressant. I went back on it in January, but when I did, I only went back on it at half strength. I'm thinking I may need to go back to my old dose through the winter months. I don't think I can take much more of the lack of motivation and feeling down. I know what I'm like at my best, and this is far from it.
I forced myself to be as productive as possible today. I was able to get the shelf liner in the drawers on the white cupboard I painted earlier. I then sorted through the things I'd taken out of the linen closet and put in the laundry basket several weeks ago. I was able to throw several things, give away others, and put the rest where it was was supposed take up permanent residence. It all fit in one drawer of the cupboard. It's a relief to have it finished.
I also did several loads of laundry today, but I have so many more to do. I'd like to be caught up on it before I go in for surgery, but I'm not going to sweat it, if it doesn't happen. I'm almost caught up on the laundry that we currently use. It's the stuff that's been sitting in the hallway since I took it out of Hopper's room that I haven't gotten around to just yet.
I made a list of things I'd like for us to accomplish this weekend. We'll see how it goes.
I'll count today as a win.
A year ago, when I ended up so sick with the swine flu, I went off some of my medicines to give my liver a break. My liver and spleen were both enlarged from the flu, and I figured they'd get better faster, if I stopped taking some of the medicines I was on. One that I stopped taking was my antidepressant. I went back on it in January, but when I did, I only went back on it at half strength. I'm thinking I may need to go back to my old dose through the winter months. I don't think I can take much more of the lack of motivation and feeling down. I know what I'm like at my best, and this is far from it.
I forced myself to be as productive as possible today. I was able to get the shelf liner in the drawers on the white cupboard I painted earlier. I then sorted through the things I'd taken out of the linen closet and put in the laundry basket several weeks ago. I was able to throw several things, give away others, and put the rest where it was was supposed take up permanent residence. It all fit in one drawer of the cupboard. It's a relief to have it finished.
I also did several loads of laundry today, but I have so many more to do. I'd like to be caught up on it before I go in for surgery, but I'm not going to sweat it, if it doesn't happen. I'm almost caught up on the laundry that we currently use. It's the stuff that's been sitting in the hallway since I took it out of Hopper's room that I haven't gotten around to just yet.
I made a list of things I'd like for us to accomplish this weekend. We'll see how it goes.
I'll count today as a win.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Cutting corners
I need to find the miter box. I tried mitering something today and ended up blowing it, because I didn't have the box to guide my cut. Oh well. It was for the cubbies that go above the stove and refrigerator. I want the end of it to look finished, instead of being able to see the cut edges of wood as they're butted up against one another.
Hubster picked up a piece of half round that I want to put on the cut edges of wood on the only end of the cubbies that will show. It will look like there's a little picture frame on the end, but it will look purposeful. So. Yeah. I need to find that miter box. That's okay. We can hang the cubbies before I finish the end, if need be. I will finish the end of the cubbies up one way or the other. It will happen.
In the meantime, I need to fix the bottom of the cubbies. Today when I was trying to do the miter cut without the miter box? Yeah. I scraped a pretty good gash into the bottom of the cubbies that happened to be sitting bottom up at the time. It just seemed like a convenient place to try to miter. Yeah. It wasn't so convenient. I need to patch it up a bit tomorrow, so it's ready to install. It ain't nothin' but a thing.
I'm feeling quite a bit better both mentally and physically today. Forced myself to go shopping with the girls after school today. It can be draining trying to keep up with them when we're out and about, so we usually try to go as a family, instead of just one of us going with them. And while grocery shopping isn't usually something to write home about, it did me good to get out of the house.
I've gotten quite a bit of laundry done over the last few days, and I have plans to get even more done in the next few. I am also really hoping to get some loaves of apple bread baked up tomorrow. I'll probably try to bake up some apple cake and apple crunch, too. They should all freeze well, and that way I don't have to worry about the apples from our tree going bad.
I'm really hoping to get a lot accomplished over the next couple of days.
A lot needs done.
Hubster picked up a piece of half round that I want to put on the cut edges of wood on the only end of the cubbies that will show. It will look like there's a little picture frame on the end, but it will look purposeful. So. Yeah. I need to find that miter box. That's okay. We can hang the cubbies before I finish the end, if need be. I will finish the end of the cubbies up one way or the other. It will happen.
In the meantime, I need to fix the bottom of the cubbies. Today when I was trying to do the miter cut without the miter box? Yeah. I scraped a pretty good gash into the bottom of the cubbies that happened to be sitting bottom up at the time. It just seemed like a convenient place to try to miter. Yeah. It wasn't so convenient. I need to patch it up a bit tomorrow, so it's ready to install. It ain't nothin' but a thing.
I'm feeling quite a bit better both mentally and physically today. Forced myself to go shopping with the girls after school today. It can be draining trying to keep up with them when we're out and about, so we usually try to go as a family, instead of just one of us going with them. And while grocery shopping isn't usually something to write home about, it did me good to get out of the house.
I've gotten quite a bit of laundry done over the last few days, and I have plans to get even more done in the next few. I am also really hoping to get some loaves of apple bread baked up tomorrow. I'll probably try to bake up some apple cake and apple crunch, too. They should all freeze well, and that way I don't have to worry about the apples from our tree going bad.
I'm really hoping to get a lot accomplished over the next couple of days.
A lot needs done.
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