Where Have I Been?

My blogging is long over due. Not because I don't have anything to blog but because frankly, I have too much. There was the vacation up north with the in laws. Followed up by seriously considering buying a new house. Finding the dream house only to have it squashed by repair work needed and it already being at the top of our budget. Next was finding another house we love, making an offer, having it accepted, and listing our house for sale.

Listing our house meant crazy quick work at organizing that one room I had been putting off for months, okay you got me, years (dun, dun, dun...) the basement. And also fixing all those little things that are wrong with your house but for some reason you don't take the hour to deal with it you just put up with it. Why do we do stupid things like that? Oh I know because they are "Brad jobs" he likes to almost finish something then move on to a new task. I guess I really need to learn some "man jobs" so I can just do them and quit complaining huh?!

The big kicker and summer eater.... well that is the lovely phone call I received from members of my mother's church asking me if I " knew the situation at her trailer." Well yes, I've known the situation my entire life. But, really I didn't totally know the situation. If I had it would have been dealt with already. What is this situation? Well it is my mom's hoarding of course but with an added bonus this time- a mouse infestation. Her home turned into a garbage dump over run with mice, the whole place their toilet. Fantasic, just what I wanted to deal with.... I mean how many times am I going to have to clean her house out? I'll tell ya what this better be the last time!

She didn't call us, nope she called her church, and thank God she did because I just don't know what I would have done. I mean it would have been taken care of but how? Ugh! I shutter at the thought. The church called me three days into their cleaning frenzy, and barely a dent was made. Words can't even describe the disgusting conditions. How could any human chose to live in that? It baffles me.

So now my sister and I are taking over everything for our mother. We took over her finances and are trying to dig our way out of the credit card, QVC, donate to any charity that calls mess that she has created. We found her a new home because living in my daughters room was not going to work for long! And we are dealing with what to do with the trailer and it's belongings, what goes where, making a new system so she never goes back to living anywhere close to how she was, all the little details that add up to so much work.

Sometimes I sit back and am baffled by all the things I manage to do at the same time but most times I feel as though there was so much more I could have done but didn't. Even with all the craziness my short summer has seen I still think there is more I could have done so far. ( like blogging, why wasn't I blogging?) That is what you get for being an efficient person I guess.

I hope the rest of my summer is just as busy but in a better way! I want to sell our house quick and move before school starts even though we are staying in the same district.  I want to do more fun activities with the kids. The sun allergy makes the free stuff like park trips hard but we can find something. Getting my mom's life in order is something I can't wait for as well. I want the garbage dump trailer to be gone and behind us, I want all the money stuff in order, and the day to day life for her planned out with all the things she needs to have a successful life set up.

I have been successful in one summer goal- my house is organized- it is beautiful- show room status at all times! I LOVE it and the new house will definitely be put together the same way. Day to day life is much less stressful when there is less clutter. I still have to work on getting the kids to do more but one step at a time right? But you know me, I like to do 4 steps at a time.....

Please Keep the Linens off the Floor!

Have you ever solved a problem you've had for a long time and then thought to yourself, wow I must be an idiot- why didn't that solution occur to me years ago??? Obviously I have, and just did.

Two problems actually, have recently been solved in our home. The solution- oh so simple- not an Oprah "Ah-ha" moment but more like an "Oh duh!" moment.

I'd like to blog and say oh I am a genius- sadly, I don't think I can this time...but who knows, maybe you have one of these problems and have not yet solved it? I can hope right?

Problem # 1- Sheets on the floor or shoved down under the comforter on the boys beds. Do they use the sheet? Nope. So why do I keep putting it on? Solution- no more sheet on their beds- and I mean the top sheet, the one that wraps around there mattress can stay.

Problem #2- Hand towels on the floor. Who wants to pick a towel up off the floor next to the toilet to dry your hands off? I don't! Same thing in the kitchen- ok well not the same, there is no toilet in my kitchen! But the towel that should be hanging on the oven door was always on the floor. Solution- clothes pins! One clothes pin on the kitchen towel and two on the bathroom towel. I figured this gem out about a month ago after replace the bathroom hand towel once or twice a day. Now I have to remember to swap the towels out on a regular basis since I didn't have a schedule for this. No towels on the floor- it is spectacular.

So did I solve a problem for you? Are you having an "Oh duh!" moment?