Spring Sprucing

Wow.

I can feel my house transforming as I come back from the dead.

Literally.

I finished my last landscaping garden bed yesterday- just cleaning up from winter.

Now I just need to start back at the first one.

We can't afford a huge truck of mulch this year, so I think we'll be weeding!

Pool's open-- kids read outside, climbed trees outside, and did homework outside.

Eve is going to be my challenge-- she is way too confidant and curious around the pool.

We added latches to the gates and doors that lead to the pool area, so Eve follows Rocco under the deck from the backyard to the pool area.  

Under the deck?!  Oh Eve!

I went through my clothes tubs yesterday and got out summer clothes.

While I was at it, I sorted my storage room.

I SORTED MY STORAGE ROOM!!!

Wow!  It feels AMAZING to DO!

I found a whole pile of Ben's preemie clothes that touch a spot in my soul.

There were two flannel blanket dolls that I remember keeping near my in the trauma ICU, visitors to the NICU would swap the doll so Ben could always lay near my smell. Oh Baby.  (Google- Snoedel)

I have a huge box of baby boy, big boy, and baby girl stuff that I can get rid of.

It feels NICE to be wrapping up these stages.

Yes, I loved having children (obviously, I have 8).

But, I am loving being DONE!

I cut lilacs from my trees and scattered them throughout my house!!

They are lovely.

My bedroom smelled so good as I was climbing into bed.

I will admit that yesterday was the first time in a very long time, that Eve really frustrated me.

Todd was mowing and left the gates open.  Eve let Rocco out and he was chasing barn swallows all over the pasture.  She decided to go visit the baby geese out by the pond.

I sat by the gate calling and calling to her, but she just looked at me and kept on walking.

By the time I trekked 2 miles (not really) through moist grass to see her, I was only mildly thawed by her (adorable) description of baby geese who needed her.

I'm trying to figure out how to teach her to obey without scaring the life out of her.  (Not sure I should have told her about the three year old who drowned.)

As I'm feeling better, I'm packing a lot into my day.  I am tempted to think "once I get this done- then I'll slow down."  But, that's a lie.  You are NEVER done. 

I'm glad I have little ones that force me to see the baby geese.  I know when I'm frustrated that it is ME not THEM.  Eve is just three- and she is the same darling three that she was before I had a To Do list.  She deserves my time and attention.  She is absolutely adorably active!

My kids get out late for summer- I'm so glad.  I need another couple of weeks to prepare.  I've decided I NEED time alone in my house each week to straighten up. So, as I sort, I mentally prepare a list of things I can have them do while I straighten.

-play outside

-go on a picnic

-walk to the ice cream shop

-walk to the library

- read outside

-build a fort in the woods/basement

I'm going to buy a big poster board today so we can compile a list of every book we read this summer!

Life is SOOO good.

Oh-- I love bedtime!!