organizing with young children.

amy-- i had to laugh when i read your comment on my last post.

honestly, yesterday i went a bit CRAZY!!
ok, a lot crazy.
because my whole house is needing me...
and, everyday i have grand plans of what i'm going to get done...
and, i'm not making ANY progress.
why?
well, because my regular life is so busy and full-time that it's hard to expect that i can add a small thing like, "Organize my whole house" and expect that i'll get it done.
my husband says, "it's not overwhelming honey, just start small, one drawer at a time."
he suggests that i just start with the baby's dresser making a pile of too small clothes...
but i wonder what i'm supposed to do with the pile when i'm done?
and then i remember my storage closet that the kids got into playing dress-up and my heart beats a little bit faster because i know that in order for me to put away too small clothes i have to tackle that closet first.
and, the truth is, i either need to get rid of A LOT... or i need to buy a few more large tupperware boxes.
and, i can't organize because i REALLY need to go grocery shopping-- so my kids have food.
AND
I AM SO SICK OF IGNORING MY KIDS WHILE THEY WATCH TV or PLAY COMPUTER so i can get something done.
my husband even suggested leaving me home alone for spring break while he takes the kids to his parents so i could organize.
and while that sounds mildly appealing...
I DON'T WANT MY WHOLE LIFE TO BE CLEANING MY HOUSE!!!!!!!!!
but... my life CAN NOT function unless my home is ordered.
it just can't.

for example.
my kids CAN'T put away their laundry because their drawers are too full.
i can't find the scissors when i need them because i have 10 junk drawers.
i have stacks of unorganized papers and i keep loosing important things- like the schedule of when and where basketball games/practices are.
and, when my girls pick out their own outfits for church they look like mini-hookers because their dresses are TOO small.
it's my fault-- i have got to sort their clothes so that they can find the clothes that fit them.
yes, everyone says to work WITH the kids... get them to help.
and, helping kids are good...
but not with this-- spring cleaning house overhaul.
it's too hard to do with little eyes saying "OH! Wow! i love that toy that i haven't played with in a year!"
nope.
this is a mother job.


and... i'm ready to TACKLE this.
it's a new day and i have a new plan.

1.  i'm going shopping.
i'm going to buy 3 more large rubber totes.  just to have them if i need them.
i'm also going to buy blag garbage bags for my goodwill.
and, i'm going to buy 2 new preschool workbooks, a new big pack of crayons, and one new pack of play dough, for my little girls.
i'm going to buy PENS because i believe i have 40 pens in my house that don't work and only one that does work, and i can't find that one.
and, a pencil sharpener... a good one.  because i have 280 un-sharpened pencils and my makeup sharpener is just not cutting it!
(i'm also going to buy a TON of groceries-- HEALTHY stuff, because we've been slacking lately and i'm sick, literally, of eating junk...)
i already bought a book on mp3 to listen to while i organize.  i love to learn while i do monotonous tasks!  and, if the truth be told, i'm going to buy some things for my home that i need--
like bunk beds, or book shelves, or a new dresser, or an iphone :).  even though i HATE spending big chunks of money.  i trust that i will know what i need to be ordered and i'm going to get it and not be a martyr to my situation.  we will not go into debt to get things-- but we might not save as much this month as we usually do.
re-decorating is always a good motivator to re-organize.
(last year, we were poor, and i re-did my whole house taking pride in the fact that i didn't buy anything...  i'm not at that same place this year!)

2.  i'm going to straighten up first.
yup.  i'm going to sweep through my whole house making sure it is basically straightened.
i'm going to be strict with my kids-- if they get a snack, they clean it up.
i'm going to unload the dishwasher early and keep my sink clean.
i'm going to throw in a few loads of laundry each morning so i don't get backed up.
i'm going to contain my organizing to one room so that i'm not INSANE with mess during my organizing process.
and, i'm going to severely limit my distractions- turning off the computer, NOT talking on the phone, NOT going to the optional activities-- this includes sending my husband to watch the kids' games even though i really love to go.
it's going to be hard-- but i'm GOING to do this.
i'm giving myself two weeks.

3.  i am NOT going to put my preschoolers in front of the TV.
i'm just not going to do it.
i'm going to pretend that i am SUPER WOMAN!!
i'm going to tell myself that i can organize AND be a great mom to my crazy 5 year old, 3 year old and 10 month old... (and today is a half day, so really i'll have all my punks).
When i have it in my mind that TV is NOT an option, i'm pretty good at finding CENTERS for my kids to play with.
i will pull out something-- maybe animals with blocks and tell them to build a zoo.
they will whine, because they want me to play with them or they want to go on tv... my poor children go through heroine withdraws when i am firm with no tv.  but, it is short lived.
when i am firm, they will begin to play.
sometimes it helps to invite a friend over for them to play with.  sometimes it doesn't.
i'm going to sit them right by me and have them do school work or write their abcs or color on a big box that i'm using to sort.
or stick them all in laundry baskets and tell them that they are lions.
or pull out puzzles.
or play dough.
or...I DON'T KNOW-- but, i'm going to be AWESOME.  seriously.
i'm going to be deliberate with nap time.
i'm going to feed them a healthy lunch, read them one book in my most fun mother voice.  kiss them, tickle them, and INSIST that they nap (or stay in their bed with a book).
i'll probably get frustrated.
honestly, i may turn on the tv after i have put sufficient effort into my mothering...
but, i only feel good about my projects if i FEEL like a good mother first.
because, i am a MOTHER first, not a MAID.

4.  i'm going to organize with a system.
i'm going to have a black bag for goodwill.
a big rubber tupperware for things that need to be stored, a pile for things that belong in a different room, a white trash bag for trash, and a box where i am putting papers that i need to sort.
and, i'm going to have clear packing tape and index cards to label things as i go... i can go back later and print out cute labels.
with kids, labels save my life!
if you want to read how i organize my whole house in two weeks you can read back over my posts for december 2010-january 2011... i really got it done.
this year i'm dealing with just the normal disorder that comes from months of no re-organizing and continued growing... and, having a NEW house.
boy, it takes some time to figure out those systems!
my favorite way to organize is to EMPTY EVERYTHING-- sort it, and then put it all back.
(last year i watched Hoarders while i cleaned-- i would dump everything in a big pile in front of my tv... sort it all and stick it back in the room.  so fun!)
THE KEY TO GETTING ORGANIZED IS TO PURGE!!!!
get in the mindset that you HATE stuff cluttering your life and get RID of it.
don't let yourself get clingy to your things.
things are your enemy!!  :)
it is WRONG for you to keep things you aren't using... it is GOOD for you to GIVE them to people who NEED them!

oh how i am ITCHING TO DO THIS!!
i'm going to do EVERY nook and cranny of my 3400 sq. foot house.
yes i am.
and, i'm going to PRAY my way through my day!!
i'm going to do organize with God's grace.  because i need it.

and, that is my plan.
i am old enough and wise enough to know that it is going to be like taking steps forward in quicksand.
BUT
i have done this before.
and, it is a GOOD thing.
a necessary thing.
it's worth the effort.
some people run marathons every year... i organize my house.
both make your muscles ache-- my bum will not be getting any smaller but emotionally i am so much healthier when my home is in order!!

tie on your bonnets, sisters, we're going to make it to zion!!