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Trying to Simplify

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One thing I am good at: getting my kids on a routine.  I don’t think I could bear getting out of bed if I didn’t have an expectation of how my day with two littles would go.  Jonah has had a solid routine for almost two years now, and although it has changed from stage to stage, he knows and expects it.  Let’s just say, you don’t want to be around if he misses a nap.  Penelope already seems like a much more laid-back kid, but even she gets fussy and overtired when our routine is off for the day.

I’m not a drill sergeant.  I will be flexible one day a week.  Sometimes.  :)

It is just really important to keeping my kids and myself happy when we have a flow to our day.  So, here’s where we get to my problem.  I can’t seem to get MYSELF on any sort of routine, and it’s driving me crazy! The house is never cleaned in any order.  The grocery shopping/cooking is random, even when I try to meal plan.  Projects around the house don’t seem to ever get finished.  My hobbies (aka blogging and reading blogs) are inconsistent (ahem, Ipostonceamonth, ahem).  What is WRONG with me?!?! Why is it so easy for me to manage the littles but not myself?

I’m declaring the rest of this month “Simplify and Organize My Life” month.  I want to FINALLY figure out a cleaning/cooking/shopping/planning/project-doing routine for me.  One that works and that is simple enough to actually stick to.  I am a stay-at-home mom for goodness sakes.  The major blessing of that: I HAVE TIME! I need to use my time more wisely and get myself together.  If it’s on the blog, then it has to happen.  Right? :)

I would love any tips or tricks you may have on keeping yourself in a simple, weekly routine.  How do you find the time to get all the chores and personal stuff done without feeling bogged down and crazy? I’m looking forward to posting what I decide to do soon.  First on my list: carve out weekly blogging time.  No, seriously.  I miss this and you all!

Getting Settled

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It seems like moving takes twice as long when you have two littles to take care of amidst the chaos.  We’ve been “moved in” since Feb 2nd, yet I still have stuff everywhere. Sheesh!

Boxes are still waiting to be unpacked, but there has definitely been a big improvement in the stuff area.  I have taken a carload to Goodwill, and I am working on another one. We have filled up our big trashcan several times. I have stuck to my promise that nothing comes into the house unless it has a purpose and a place.  That doesn’t mean we still don’t have a ton of “stuff”, but I’m hoping it is far less than where we started on moving day.

house1We absolutely LOVE this house (ok, my love does not refer to the exterior paint colors but definitely everything else)! I know some people still think it is weird that we choose to rent instead of buy, but I love the flexibility we have AND that we have a home we can love.  The space in this house is incredible compared to our last one.  And the backyard…it is my favorite part of this house.  There is a door off the dining room/playroom that opens right to the deck.  Jonah can run in and out as he pleases.  I can be playing with Penny inside or getting dinner ready while Jo plays in my view right out back.  It is such a blessing.

I’m trying to focus on getting one room done at a time, but I have so many ideas and just want it all done at once.  It is overwhelming at times, but as of now we are living and playing and eating and sleeping.  Here is where we are at the moment:

  • Lucky Penelope is the only one with a “finished” room. She has all her furniture in place and art on the walls.
  • Jonah’s room is basically set up, but we want to add some more big boy furniture and fun art.
  • Our room is liveable, but I need something on the walls. I haven’t quite decided what I want to do in there.
  • The living room is in desperate need of furniture! We are couch hunting now and hope to make a decision soon.  We purchased a new tv stand in February, so we are excited to add to that.
  • The kitchen is functional but needs art and some more organization.
  • The playroom is finally coming along after a couple weeks of chaos and toys everywhere. We have a rug, some toy storage, and a fun wall treatment in there already.  I need to work on adding an art area and more storage.  I’m hoping this room will be the next one “finished”.

So, we are getting there.  As hard as it is to sit in unfinished spaces, I have to keep reminding myself that making a house “home” takes time.  I like to live in the space and see what works best.  Of course we can keep changing things as we go, but for the sake of our bank account, I like to try to make long-term decisions.  I’ll post pictures as rooms get more finished because right now, I promise, there isn’t much to see.

ps: Penny turned 7 months old last week.  I think I still may be in denial.  Did I mention she can sit up alone and she has started eating foods?! Where did the time go…

 

Stuff

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Well, we did it.  We moved in a weekend after signing our lease just two days prior! It was fast, which is definitely not our usual style.  Now that I am on the other side of the move, I’m grateful we did it all so quickly.  I didn’t have to stress about packing or getting the kids adjusted. It’s done, and everyone is happy.

One thing I must say I don’t like about this situation is the UNpacking.  Things got thrown in bags and boxes and dumped into the garage.  I’m glad I don’t have to look at it every day, but I’m going to have to look THROUGH all of it.  One thing at a time.  It is incredibly overwhelming, but it must be done.

It’s amazing how our tiny, 1100 square feet held so much STUFF. How did all of that junk fit? We were definitely not using it all. What’s funny is most people tease me about giving away all our stuff all the time. In reality, we have 5x the amount of stuff I thought we did.  I just wasn’t seeing it all in a huge pile at once. What if we were living in a house twice the size?  Would we have twice as much stuff? Do we fill the space we are in no matter what?

For this house, my goal is to have empty shelves. I want to be able to breathe. Nothing is coming through that garage door unless it has a purpose and a place. That’s my rule for our new house.  I may also add the rule “if something comes in, something else must go out” for any new purchases we make.  I wonder if that could work. What do you think?

ps- I love this print.  I couldn’t even imagine doing this with our stuff right now.  Maybe if we didn’t have kids. :)   Found here.

Ack! We’re Moving!

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Well, about two weeks ago we finally decided we should move to a bigger house.  The 1100 sq ft was starting to feel REALLY tight.  Jonah was running out of room to play, and Penny is going to be mobile soon.  We are just really outgrowing this space.

So, we thought we would start looking for a new rental (yes, we are still renting!), and I started checking Craigslist every couple of days to see what was out there with no intention of making any decisions anytime soon.

Then we looked at a few places. Just to see what they were like.

Then we found THE place.

With the rental market as it is in Baton Rouge, you really can’t pass up a nice place at your price point when you see it.  We said yes, and they said yes, and we signed the marriage license lease.  It was beautiful and FAST!  I have exactly 1.3 days to pack and get settled in the new house.  Yeah, that’s the ridiculous-I’m-freaking-out part.

We will have a few days after that to move smaller items, but we want to start sleeping at the new house Saturday night! Eeeek! I’m excited and overwhelmed but really excited. Can’t wait to show you pics next week!

ps- I brought both of my babies home to our current house.  I’m going to really miss this place. :(

pps- If you are looking for a great little starter home in the Baton Rouge area, email me!

Our Day

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One thing I love about blogging/journaling is that in a year (or five years or twenty years), I can go back and read about our life and what it was like in the moment.  I love capturing a day for what it is.  I love that writing it down keeps it from getting lost among the thousands of days we live.  With two kids instead of one, my days are so much busier and are over in the blink of an eye.  I want to be able to look back and really remember what our days are like.

Here is one: a typical, good day for us around here.

6:30 am

At least one kid is awake, usually Penelope. Jonah is not far behind.  Some days I think they must have walkie-talkies and plan waking up just minutes apart.  No break for mommy in the morning.  I’ve already been up at 4 or 5am with Penny, so when I hear cries again at 6am, I am already tired. Once Jonah is awake, I hear the typical “HEY MOMMY!” coming from his room.  He won’t get out of bed on his own (thank you Lord), so I go in and get him up.  We head straight to the couch for “T.B.” and Jonah gets to watch a couple of shows while he drinks his milk and eats a banana (yes, every day). I feed Penny and/or lay on the couch half asleep.

8:00 am

On a good day, the TV is turned off and we start playtime.  If mommy is really slow-moving that morning, then Jonah gets a bonus show. Penny has been playing on her mat, talking to her toys and to me.  She is ready for her morning nap.  Once she is quiet, I join Jonah in the play room.  I’m usually sipping on coffee at this point but still in pj’s.  This time of the day is what we call “mommy-Jonah time”.  He gets so excited about it.  I always try to do a special art project or play with something messy (like play doh or rice).  I can give him my full attention, which he absolutely loves, and he gets to do something that he chooses. It’s a great way to start our day off and makes sure he knows he is important.

9:30 am

Penny is up again from her nap.  I get her dressed as well as Jonah and myself.  (This is on a good day, remember? Not good days involve jammies til naptime.) If I have any errands to run, this is when we do them.  I don’t like running errands in the afternoon.  I am not a fan of traffic.  This is also the happiest time of day for Penny, so she will do well getting in and out of her carseat.  Some days, instead of errands, we will visit my grandparents.  Jonah calls them Grandma and Grandpa.  They really look forward to our visit and love helping me out by holding the baby and entertaining Jonah.

11:30 am

I like to be back at home by now.  Penny will be ready for her nap.  Jonah will start getting hungry and fussy.  If we aren’t home by now, then I expect meltdowns.  I get Penny to sleep, fix lunch for Jonah (and sometimes even myself), and get him prepped for “rest time.”  I don’t get to call it nap time anymore but “rest time” seems to be just fine.  We get a cup of milk, a stack of books, and (hopefully) one on one time together before his rest.  He is usually asleep by 12:30 or 1:00 pm and will sleep until 2ish.  Remember, this is a good day.

As any stay at home mom will tell you, rest/nap time is sacred.  It is my one chance during my 14 hour work day to breathe, be alone, have quiet, and, oh yeah, get things done.  I try my hardest to relax, nap, catch up on my blogs, or work on a project.  I do NOT clean the house at this time or do other “chores”.  I try to focus on keeping myself sane and happy, so the rest of the day goes well.  I may prep dinner at this time, but that is rare.

2:30 pm

Both kids are definitely up by now.  Jonah may watch another show when he wakes up, or he will choose to have more art time.  We play inside for a bit, and I try to figure out a plan for dinner.  Lately that has been planning where we will go out to eat. On a good day, it will mean checking the status of whatever is in the crock pot.  I like to head outside by 3:30 pm, and we try to stay out for at least an hour.  Both kids LOVE being outside.  We may play with the neighbors or with Jonah’s sensory table (sand, corn, etc).  Other days, we may head to my mom’s for playtime over there, especially on long days when I am really tired.

5:00 pm

We are back inside and putting the final touches on dinner.  Penny is taking her third and final nap of the day.  It is usually pretty short but ensures that I get to eat dinner and feed Jonah. After dinner we read Bible stories and then have more play time.

6:00 pm

I’m usually getting pretty desperate around this time and start running out of fun things to do.  BATH TIME! I hope for long, playful baths: first for Penny while Jonah plays at the sink and then for Jonah.  This is all I can do to keep everybody happy and has really been working for me lately.  Both kids get their last bit of energy out and it signals that bed time is near.  We NEVER have issues about going to sleep.  They are both tired and eager to wind down.

7:00 pm

Quiet time.  Penny is probably in bed and asleep.  Jonah is in jammies and ready to read books.  He is so tired by now.  We read 3-4 books, say prayers, sing a song, and say goodnight.  He talks/sings himself to sleep and is OUT by 7:30pm at the latest.

Now, the kids are asleep, but mommy is not quite done yet.  This is when I clean up, do dishes, finish laundry, prep meals, shower, etc.  I work until about 8:30 pm and then CRASH on the couch to catch up on shows, Facebook, or a regular book. I try to be in bed by 10:30 pm because Penny will be up around midnight to eat again.  And then again at 4ish.  Sleep is precious and well-deserved. It’s been a long but awesome day.  I LOVE this job and wouldn’t trade it for the world!

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So, that’s it! And just a side note.  I am happily married and my husband is a wonderful father.  I didn’t mention him in our routine because his work schedule is pretty crazy.  Some days he is with us in the morning/afternoon.  Some days he gets home for dinner.  Some days he gets home super late.  Some days he has to sleep in and work a night shift. He is always around at some point, and the kids love every second of it.  Jonah especially loves his daddy time, and I love seeing them play together.  I also love the extra set of hands!

Another quick note: I breastfeed exclusively, so Penny eats every few hours throughout the day.  Just didn’t want anyone thinking I never feed my child. :)