Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Importance of Routine
Routines are so desperately important when you have kids, and even more so when you have children who must remain on schedules. Things have been much less hectic in our house since I went back to the adopted FlyLady routines. I have always done well when I do the flylady thing, but I " fall off the wagon " too often to have adopted them in earnest.I adore having my sink clean and shiny, and my stove certainly belongs in that category as well. A dirty stove collects dirty dishes, as does the dirty sink. Having it extra sparkly means that I hesitate to put a dirty dish into the clean sink. That means I WASH the dish... And then I don't have a sinkful of dirty dishes! I have a dishwasher full of dirty dishes - and part of my routine is running the dishwasher.
Except that I run the dishwasher waaaaaaaayyyy late at night - usually around midnight when M's last feed is running. No one is eating at midnight - so the sink stays clean till morning. And it gets unloaded during breakfast ( Robby helps ). And so on goes the cycle that leaves me clean dishes!
And all the routines work like this in our house. This morning, I had clothes laid out for myself, and went from the bed into said clothes.... and I was ready for my day. I grabbed M's clothes ( folded! in her drawer! ) when I grabbed her, and she was ready for her day. I will work on Robby!! Today he used his stool to pick his clothes out of the closet - he even ALMOST matches! So proud!
These are where my routines live. They are color coded index cards - one per routine, and the index card on the side is the diaper bag checklist. The top routine is the morning routine, and if you'd like to know what I do in the morning, feel free to zoom in by clicking on the picture.After the morning routine, I have a " naptime tackle " - this I do only while Mila is asleep. Mopping, Vacuuming, and cleaning her highchair is part of this. If she doesn't nap, I try to do them later, but for the most part, skipping a day on these is not the end of the world.
The afternoon routines - loading the dishwasher, pulling out dinner, etc, are very important, and often the hardest to accomplish. Its also one of the longer routines. However, it keeps me on track throughout the day and I'm not left trying to do it all at night.
Obviously, the night time routine is the one I enjoy the most. Its hard to tell from the photo, but the entire list is enclosed in plastic, and the small plastic bag to the side holds a dry erase marker. As I finish a task, I cross it off of the list. This keeps me motivated - I love seeing the entire list crossed off, because I know I've DONE it. I was able to do it!
Its really been wonderful for me to feel so accomplished. Mila is getting all her meds, on time, everytime. The diaper bag is fully stocked - I am never at a loss for wipes. Dinner is not a rushed, ohshitnothingsdefrostedmaybeweshouldorderapizza.
Robby cleaned up his room today after a playdate. I've worked really hard to get his room put together in a way that he can keep it clean and clean it up by himself if it is not kept clean. I went to Ikea yesterday and bought him a second hanging shelf organizer. He is sooo happy that he has a spot for everything! When he is happy, I am happy!!!
Today is day 11 of 12 eating salad. I missed a day. But my sink was still shined!
New Camera !!
I got a Canon Powershot s5.
I am in love. Its heavy and bulky and feels solid in my hand.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Random, Non Child Photos
Mila's Meds - Lasix ( heart ), Zantac ( Acid ), Captopril ( Heart ), Losec ( Acid ), and a water flush to clear the tube. She gets all of these twice a day, and the Captopril three times. You can see my syringe collection in the background, next to the chopping block.
The Finished Product, served over rice.
Happy Sunday
It is sunny and warm outside. The house is all clean, minus a few dishes from lunch that I will handwash. The dishwasher is finished running and will be unloaded before my inlaws are here this evening for dinner. Mila is napping, Robby is out shopping with Sophia, and Alex is at work.
My sink has been shiny, I am on Day 10, (thats right DAY TEN!) of eating a healthy salad, and all the beds in the house are made. There is no damp laundry in the washer getting moldy, my bathroom is neat and put together, my toilet is clean, and my floors are freshly mopped.
I am awaiting the arrival of vomit on the freshly mopped floors, mind you.
I am back on the Flylady wagon. I am feeling very calm and collected these days without my house in Chaos. Its amazing how fast the house would go back to being a trainwreck ( hello, dirty socks on the floor - they breed into underwear and shirts! ), but I am working very very hard on getting everything into alignment. I want, very very much, to be better and keeping everything organized, and I want to instill that in Robby. I want the desire - and the ability - to keep things from exploding into pigpenness to be something I can give my children.
I am the worst housekeeper. I find it easier to ignore a mess than to spend the five minutes cleaning it up. And it is LITERALLY five minutes most of the time! I mean, how hard is it to pick up the toys instead of complaining about them? Why does it take so much effort to move my dishes from the table into the dishwasher, without letting them collect in the sink? Why, why oh god, have I not learned to do this before?
Every night, I am spending fifteen minutes getting ready for the next day. Just 15 minutes and my mornings are so much calmer. Gone are the days of spilling coffee grounds into the water resevoir, juggling a squirmy almost toddler in my half sleep. Gone are the days of transversing the neck breakingly steep stairs in the dark, mindless of toys cluttering the way, awaiting a soft foot on a hard corner. GONE! Gone I tell you!
My nighttime routine - the most important one - is also among the shortest. Here it is, in its entitery :
Load & Run Diswasher
Pick up Toys
Give Mila 11 oclock feeding & meds
Wipe Counters & tables
Clean Feeding Pump Set
Load Coffee Pot
Shine Sink
Take Pills
Its wonderful. I cannot tell you how wonderful. I wish the world would know - my house is CLEAN.
My sink has been shiny, I am on Day 10, (thats right DAY TEN!) of eating a healthy salad, and all the beds in the house are made. There is no damp laundry in the washer getting moldy, my bathroom is neat and put together, my toilet is clean, and my floors are freshly mopped.
I am awaiting the arrival of vomit on the freshly mopped floors, mind you.
I am back on the Flylady wagon. I am feeling very calm and collected these days without my house in Chaos. Its amazing how fast the house would go back to being a trainwreck ( hello, dirty socks on the floor - they breed into underwear and shirts! ), but I am working very very hard on getting everything into alignment. I want, very very much, to be better and keeping everything organized, and I want to instill that in Robby. I want the desire - and the ability - to keep things from exploding into pigpenness to be something I can give my children.
I am the worst housekeeper. I find it easier to ignore a mess than to spend the five minutes cleaning it up. And it is LITERALLY five minutes most of the time! I mean, how hard is it to pick up the toys instead of complaining about them? Why does it take so much effort to move my dishes from the table into the dishwasher, without letting them collect in the sink? Why, why oh god, have I not learned to do this before?
Every night, I am spending fifteen minutes getting ready for the next day. Just 15 minutes and my mornings are so much calmer. Gone are the days of spilling coffee grounds into the water resevoir, juggling a squirmy almost toddler in my half sleep. Gone are the days of transversing the neck breakingly steep stairs in the dark, mindless of toys cluttering the way, awaiting a soft foot on a hard corner. GONE! Gone I tell you!
My nighttime routine - the most important one - is also among the shortest. Here it is, in its entitery :
Load & Run Diswasher
Pick up Toys
Give Mila 11 oclock feeding & meds
Wipe Counters & tables
Clean Feeding Pump Set
Load Coffee Pot
Shine Sink
Take Pills
Its wonderful. I cannot tell you how wonderful. I wish the world would know - my house is CLEAN.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Seriously!
I am on a ROLLLLLL baby!
I'm eating salad. In a cleaaaaaaan house!
Its so nice to come downstairs and not trip over a toy, step on a lego, or spill coffee grounds while trying to hold Mila and make coffee. My sink is clean and shiny, I do not smell dirty dishes, and the counter is free and clear.
The lack of crap is practically orgasmic. Who knew one could derive so much pleasure from not falling over discarded toys while walking down a flight of neck breakingly steep stairs? 15 minutes in the morning, around an hour later in the day, and some very very tiring 15 minutes just before bed. That last pickup is the hardest - I don't actually WANT to put all the crap away, but if I don't, it WILL be there in the morning. And thats when I really, really don't want to see crap.
Robby had a blast at the Purim party Thursday night. We'd had a playdate earlier in the day - I forgot my camera. Mila was bopping around in the ball pit, shrieking with laughter, and I had no camera to record it. Of course. Because I cannot ever have the camera at the right moment. ( Disclaimer for credibility : I had the camera. But it had no memory card and no battery. ) Anyway, we went home for a few hours for nap before the purim party started, and then got to try out our new Kangaroo PET pump walking around. Not one single flow error! Today, I'mma try it in the CAR!
Robby had his face painted like spiderman at the party. OMG you would have thought the world was ENDING when it was time to wash it off. After playing at galaxyland, then running around like, well, spiderman at the party, Robby was just exhausted at 11:30pm when we headed home. But his skin is very delicate and I didn't really want spiderman on his pillowcase, so it had to come off. I explained to him that he'd get pimples ( and he would ) if he didn't take it off. And wouldn't you know it, he DID have some irritation under the paint. He FREAKED OUT when he saw the red spots because THE PIMPLES WERE GOING TO GROW AND EAT HIS FACE AND THEY'LL NEVER GO AWAY AND HIS HEAD WILL JUST EXPLODE WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Needless to say, he was asleep before I got to kiss him goodnight. He was THAT tired.
Yesterday, I washed my floor. Again. Actually, I washed my floor three times in two days. No, I'm not turning into a germaphobe. I am trying to keep the floor washed well to avoid M putting stuffin her mouth ( Melba Toast Crumbs, Anyone? ) that isn't really food worthy anymore. The moment I finished mopping the floor - it was still damp, for crying out loud - she puked on it.
I hate mopping.
I'm eating salad. In a cleaaaaaaan house!
Its so nice to come downstairs and not trip over a toy, step on a lego, or spill coffee grounds while trying to hold Mila and make coffee. My sink is clean and shiny, I do not smell dirty dishes, and the counter is free and clear.
The lack of crap is practically orgasmic. Who knew one could derive so much pleasure from not falling over discarded toys while walking down a flight of neck breakingly steep stairs? 15 minutes in the morning, around an hour later in the day, and some very very tiring 15 minutes just before bed. That last pickup is the hardest - I don't actually WANT to put all the crap away, but if I don't, it WILL be there in the morning. And thats when I really, really don't want to see crap.
Robby had a blast at the Purim party Thursday night. We'd had a playdate earlier in the day - I forgot my camera. Mila was bopping around in the ball pit, shrieking with laughter, and I had no camera to record it. Of course. Because I cannot ever have the camera at the right moment. ( Disclaimer for credibility : I had the camera. But it had no memory card and no battery. ) Anyway, we went home for a few hours for nap before the purim party started, and then got to try out our new Kangaroo PET pump walking around. Not one single flow error! Today, I'mma try it in the CAR!
Robby had his face painted like spiderman at the party. OMG you would have thought the world was ENDING when it was time to wash it off. After playing at galaxyland, then running around like, well, spiderman at the party, Robby was just exhausted at 11:30pm when we headed home. But his skin is very delicate and I didn't really want spiderman on his pillowcase, so it had to come off. I explained to him that he'd get pimples ( and he would ) if he didn't take it off. And wouldn't you know it, he DID have some irritation under the paint. He FREAKED OUT when he saw the red spots because THE PIMPLES WERE GOING TO GROW AND EAT HIS FACE AND THEY'LL NEVER GO AWAY AND HIS HEAD WILL JUST EXPLODE WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Needless to say, he was asleep before I got to kiss him goodnight. He was THAT tired.
Yesterday, I washed my floor. Again. Actually, I washed my floor three times in two days. No, I'm not turning into a germaphobe. I am trying to keep the floor washed well to avoid M putting stuffin her mouth ( Melba Toast Crumbs, Anyone? ) that isn't really food worthy anymore. The moment I finished mopping the floor - it was still damp, for crying out loud - she puked on it.
I hate mopping.
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