Just journaling

We were supposed to get several inches of snow today, but I haven't seen a flake yet. Just more rain. We stayed home from moms' group because we're all still sick. We're just sick enough to be contagious, tired, grumpy and draggy, but not sick enough to actually be in bed.

I'm sitting on the sofa with DH's laptop, listening to Christmas music and drinking a huge glass of water.

This is an introspective, personal post . . . very much a journal entry. So if you're looking for humor and insight or helpful information, well, you might want to skip the rest.



All three girls are quiet for the moment. Baby E fell asleep on a blanket on the floor at my feet. She's snoring, poor thing; she can hardly breathe with her nose so stuffed up. AJ is in bed, reading an "I Spy" book and finding the objects hidden in the pictures. She's gotten so great at reading lately. And MM just came down to inform me that she found her special blanket and tell me something about a toy; whereupon she immediately got sent back to bed. :)

The girls and I have been reading "Little House in the Big Woods" during the day while I nurse the baby. My sister Amy gave us the set of Little House books for Thanksgiving, and we're enjoying it immensely. It makes me want to simplify life and enjoy the small things. Sometimes I think we have so much "stuff" and so many activities that they keep us from really appreciating the little things that make life so rich.

I made some swope bread and did laundry this morning while the kids did puzzles and colored. We ate the bread with chicken lunchmeat and baby carrots for lunch. Then we did about 30 minutes of an exercise video. It was fun watching the kids laughing and trying to follow the instructions as we all tripped over our own feet.

I'm hoping to incorporate regular exercise into our routine several times a week, especially with the weather not conducive to the kids' playing outside. Maybe it will help everyone's mood and energy levels. The girls have been getting on each other's nerves (and mine in the process!) and being unusually whiny and grouchy the last few days. I'm sure being sick has something to do with it.

I'm tired and lethargic, especially with being under the weather. But I'm starting to wonder if napping when the kids do is actually helpful or not. I wake up so groggy that I'm not much good for the rest of the evening, and then I'm not sleepy at bedtime. The older kids don't really nap any more, so their quiet time is flexible. Maybe it would be better to just go to bed earlier instead, or at least take shorter rests earlier in the day.

We're so far behind on housework it's ridiculous. The floors haven't been vaccumed and thoroughly mopped for probably at least a month. I can't remember the last time I dusted, and we have piles of disorganized clutter everywhere.

I always have such big plans for getting organized and getting a consistent routine, but I allow things like illness and busy-ness to derail me. We have people over anyway, but I feel embarrassed about things like the books and papers piled in the dining room and the crumbs on the floor. There are a few things we generally do well at, though . . . at least we always have clean clothes to wear and clean dishes to eat and cook with. Sometimes I wonder exactly what it would take to not feel like I'm always behind and a failure at housekeeping.

Mainly, I'm just tired of being sick and tired and not having the energy to keep up with even the minimal goals I set. This time of year, with young kids in the house (and around crowds of other kids in Sunday School, mom's group childcare, home group, etc.) it seems like we catch every bug that goes around. The combination of fatigue, illness and dreary weather isn't the greatest for a perky mood and great energy. :)

I think I'll lie down to rest a bit while feeding Baby E, who is waking up, and then try to get at least the main areas of the downstairs vaccuumed instead of taking a nap. I'm sure Baby E would love to ride in the sling while I vaccuum. Then, if I still have the time and energy, I'll set the timer for 15-minute increments and work on the kitchen, laundry, and another zone. Maybe I'll even get to a 27-fling boogie. The girls would probably like to help with that when they get up, before they do some schoolwork.

As FlyLady says, "You can do anything for 15 minutes" and "progress, not perfection."