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Post by PaperGrace on Jan 6, 2018 10:28:10 GMT -5
I know we're not even a week into 2018, but I already want a mulligan. The General (now 6!?) and I have been sick ALL YEAR.  The Doctor (7 1/2) isn't yet through med-school and is no help at all. Sick house = in need of serious cleaning intervention.  PaperGrace  The Doctor  The General Saturday, January 6th 2018 Made signs for the living room per Peter Walsh Challenge (I'm all over the boards today): "Don't put it down, put it away." "Toys do not belong on the couch!" "Recharge controllers & put away games!" We might add some for other rooms later. Since The General isn't really reading much yet we added illustrations to get the point across:  Put away Xbox controllers made lunch put lunch dishes in the sink -- finally w/ an assist from picked up living room floor put dirty clothes in hamper one sinkful of dishes |
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Post by momof3boys on Jan 6, 2018 16:53:59 GMT -5
I love this! The sign is adorable and clever!
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Post by PaperGrace on Jan 7, 2018 17:06:08 GMT -5
Thanks! I hope having them help make the signs will keep them invested. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sunday, January 7th, 2018 Spent some time rearranging the drawers near the front door. The hope is that it will become our new system for handling incoming papers. Did some dishes cleared their dishes from breakfast and from lunch on the first ask ...about to do the 'inspection tour' task from Apartment Therapy challenge... *edit* Okay, that took me about 20 minutes -- walked through house and wrote down 3-5 tasks for each room that would improve their use. Outside/Porch: Dump pumpkins and flowerpots into the hole in the garden. Install hooks to hold folding wagons up on the wall. Clear area around porch railing and set up the recycling bins there. (All of this will have to wait until it isn't below zero of course, and no, I didn't go out to survey.) Kitchen: Borax shelves, spray w/H2Orange. Get moth-proof canisters. Get second drawer insert for plasticware. (re)Plastic the windows. Unpack boxes. Bathroom: Put up towel rack (I've already bought it). Anchor corner rack or buy better one. Find a new shelf for the medicine cabinet. Put up toothbrush holder. Livingroom: Set up Wii-U and organize consoles on entertainment center. Do something about the computer graveyard. Purge/repack/map boxes in corner-maybe put in shelf. Our room: Sort out bookshelf (isn't currently being used for books). Lighting solutions? Set up charging station for computers/phones. Make closet useable if possible. Boys room: Swap for bigger dresser or single dresser for each of them. Finish putting up curtains. Tent the bunkbed. Re-organize hand-me-downs. Bookshelf above toystorage. Other: Re-establish mealtime routines, paperhandling systems, and family calendar. |
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Post by PaperGrace on Jan 14, 2018 10:31:02 GMT -5
Sunday, January 14th, 2018 Today's Smilies  PaperGrace  PaperHusband The Doctor The General Fed kids breakfast Cleared table and seating area Sorted clean clothes Put away clean clothes Husband and I got a few more things done, but we didn't really get the kids on board for much. We decided that since they have a four day weekend, we should take the first day were all home together a little on the easy side. |
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Post by def6 on Jan 14, 2018 16:25:46 GMT -5
Love this PaperGrace Straight forward and to the point.This is great management and team building.  |
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Post by PaperGrace on Jan 15, 2018 15:47:55 GMT -5
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Post by PaperGrace on Mar 29, 2018 6:59:15 GMT -5
The children have vetoed the online sticker chart (for now), but I wanted to update how the last month or so has gone. Lots of C+ parenting days, we've been off and on sick all year it feels like, and I'm just getting out of the muck. I haven't quite gotten PaperHusband on board with having the boys do much housework, but they are getting into a good night-time routine of picking up toys that have come out of their room, and getting things ready for the next day. On the weekends the boys play the dice game with me, and put in about an hour and fifteen minutes broken up into fifteen minute chunks from mid morning to late afternoon. I haven't been doing a great job on the small goals I'm setting in my in-person support group, we're exploring the why. I have been doing a great job doing anything but whatever my small goal was...  that might tie in to the why. Okay, that took me about 20 minutes -- walked through house and wrote down 3-5 tasks for each room that would improve their use. Outside/Porch: Dump pumpkins and flowerpots into the hole in the garden. Install hooks to hold folding wagons up on the wall. Clear area around porch railing and set up the recycling bins there. (All of this will have to wait until it isn't below zero of course, and no, I didn't go out to survey.) Kitchen: Borax shelves, spray w/H2Orange. Get moth-proof canisters. Get second drawer insert for plasticware. (re)Plastic the windows. Unpack boxes. Bathroom: Put up towel rack (I've already bought it). Anchor corner rack or buy better one. Find a new shelf for the medicine cabinet. Put up toothbrush holder. Livingroom: Set up Wii-U and organize consoles on entertainment center. Do something about the computer graveyard. Purge/repack/map boxes in corner-maybe put in shelf. Our room: Sort out bookshelf (isn't currently being used for books). Lighting solutions? Set up charging station for computers/phones. Make closet useable if possible. Boys room: Swap for bigger dresser or single dresser for each of them. Finish putting up curtains. Tent the bunkbed. Re-organize hand-me-downs. Bookshelf above toystorage. Other: Re-establish mealtime routines, paperhandling systems, and family calendar.  Pumpkins dumped (er... smashed) into the garden. Some porch clearing so that bins aren't in the path, but still not where I want them to be. Towel rack up in bathroom. Corner rack anchored. Entertainment center sorted. Computer graveyard stashed elsewhere. Some purging of the corner box mountain, and resorted. Estimation: three large totes out to goodwill or the strange exchange. Bedroom lamp refurbished (but it's so nice now that I've put it next to my bed, and now need another lighting solution for the other side of the room). Re-organized hand-me-downs. Paperhandling systems revisited, cross your fingers. Well... started. Family calendar is up to date, but takes effort to keep up, it isn't a routine, and I'm starting to resent having to "nag" PaperHusband to put his workschedule on it (or even tell me his shifts). We've also cleared off the kitchen table, sorted 2/3 of the mess in our bedroom, and made a plan/budget to purchase furniture for the boys that will help keep books off the floor and clothes where they belong with any luck. ALSO ALSO we've handled M-I-L's move in the middle of that. |
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Post by PaperGrace on Mar 30, 2018 16:30:22 GMT -5
Surprise! The landlord and the gas company are coming in to measure walls and make a plan for changing to all new appliances in one week, while we're out of town. We pretty much just have this weekend to work on getting the apartment presentable, while also doing Easter and preparing for the mini-local-vacation that my family is taking us on.  |
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Post by hollyhock on Mar 31, 2018 6:39:27 GMT -5
Good luck with your weekend plans.
How nice to get new appliances. Enjoy.
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Post by PaperGrace on May 24, 2018 12:17:52 GMT -5
Thanks Hollyhock!
Wow. April & May happened somewhere in there.
Our mini-vacation was a good outing, but not particularly relaxing, we did have fun.
I'm apparently not getting a new heater, but probably will get a new cookstove. New heater was going to require moving a window higher up on the wall. Yikes.
Still not meeting my small goals effectively. Perhaps I'll try posting them here too. The in-person group is keeping me sane. I've been super overwhelmed and crazy busy.
The Doctor's re-evaluation for special education is happening, there's a lot of talk about Autism.
Work has been crazy busy and chaotic, with lots of changes happening rapid-fire without a lot of time to assimilate information and make new plans.
I think despite keeping busy I'm having a flare up of depression, it may be stress triggered, or may "just" be exhaustion, I'm getting very fragmented sleep again. I'm not enjoying good things the way I'd like. I'm summoning enough energy to handle public speaking gigs, or running workshops -- but I'm like a marionette with the strings cut once the event is over. It isn't a good feeling.
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Post by PaperGrace on Oct 19, 2018 8:54:54 GMT -5
Wow, it's mid-october and I'm back to feeling the way I was at the end of May... "I'm summoning enough energy to handle public speaking gigs, or running workshops -- but I'm like a marionette with the strings cut once the event is over." Still isn't a good feeling. Summer was a blur. The in-person support group is still going and is still a huge help. I've met the most fantastic people who struggle with clutter and/or acquiring, all different ages and "flavors" it's really incredible. The boys don't have school today, so I'm home from work and hoping to get a head-start on my weekend chores (also, I have all sorts of weekend obligations, so... it's not so much a head start as it is 'my only chance')  Got the boys to do a 5 minute tidy with me. Breakfasted. Got out space heater just in case. To Do: Clear area around heater. Get husband to get AC & Fans out to the barn. Clean out fridge. |
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Post by PaperGrace on Oct 28, 2018 7:17:40 GMT -5
Didn't report back, but did get a lot done last entry. AC and Fans are still inside... I hate having to rely on someone else to get things done, but I've hurt myself doing tasks above my ability too often to try to just be a tough guy. Fridge didn't get done either, but that I can do on my own, I just have to suck it up and get started.  |
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Post by puppybox on Nov 2, 2018 23:31:26 GMT -5
ok i've read your whole year's diary now.  what a rough year. so glad you found the in person group, that sounds wunderbar. i hang out in working in threes, off and on. <3 ya |
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