A.C. (After Christmas)

Our post-Christmas happenings, were a bit scattered.

First of all, we enjoyed 1 week off from school...that was really nice! ;0) We also enjoyed a break from all extra-curriculars...but that break extends for one more additional week. I looooove all of the programs the kids are a part of...but the occasional break from being "Taxi Driver" is a nice change of pace too. :0)

This week we attended the Big Bay Balloon Parade...our 3rd year in a row!  The prior 2 years we have jumped on the trolley, and have taken that down to the parade. But this year, I decided to leave the "trolley drama" behind us, and spend the additional $5 to drive ourselves down to the parade. It was toooooootally worth the extra $5!!!

We had so much fun with our friends...

 

 

 

 

 

...especially when our friends are the bearers of bagels...

 

...AND donuts, lol!...

 

Time to snuggle up...

 

...and actually watch the parade...

 

 

 

 

 

(Just look at THIS chance shot!)...

 

 

 

I love this parade tradition we have!

After the parade, our week consisted of only 2 things...

1. For me, I had an unexpected surge of "Must.Organize.All.Things.Disorganized." Our house is very small...so on the daily I keep our house clean and tidy...or in a heartbeat, this very small house can look quite chaotic. I'm not sure if it was all the new Christmas presents that the kids got or what, but all of a sudden, everything felt very disorganized, lol.

So my first projects were organizing the kids' toys. I was so pleasantly surprised when I went to Target and found the organizing things I wanted to purchase for the kids rooms, to all be on sale!!! :0)))

Now all of Bea's toys are sorted and stored in these cute little cubbies...

 

And now all of Wyatt's (thousands of) Legos are displayed in these cubes...

 

The most intense organizing project I completed this week, was dealing with these...

 

What are these? These are my post-marriage-but-pre-baby idea of fun and organization, lol. Inside each of these categorized binders are clippings from magazines of various things...there are multiple recipe binders (categorized by meal, of course), "general" crafts, "Special Occasion" crafts, scrapbooking, diet/fitness techniques, etc.

 

I took pride in these binders...

Years ago.

But in the heat of my organization frenzy this week, my eyes locked on to these binders, and I knew I had to do something about them. I haven't touched them in what felt like forever. I have a personal policy of not keeping things around that I haven't used in forever. I needed to go through them and pull out only the necessities.

What a job that was.

Going through those binders was bittersweet. On one hand I remember fondly what it was like to have time to clip magazine articles and categorize them so neatly. I remember what it was like to actually MAKE the recipes in those binders, and COMPLETE the project ideas that were in those binders. I actually WAS "Pinterest" before "Pinterest" was invented, LOL! But on the flip side, those memories were of a totally different season in my life...almost a lonely season. So while I think it's natural as a young/busy mom to occasionally pine for a break in the day/week, I also fully acknowledge that this season (the young/busy mom) is the season I have been pining for since the day I could play house with my Cabbage Patches and Strawberry Shortcakes!

So in the end, I tossed HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS (maybe thousands?) of papers into the recycle bin...but I DID keep about a dozen project-idea-articles from those binders that I thought I would realistically accomplish...because after all, I am not all "mom," there is still some of the "individual" Elizabeth under this skin. :0)

2. While I was fully engulfed in the organizational fog, the kids' post-Christmas plans were ALL about playing!!!...and 99% of that time, it meant, playing LEGOS!...

 

I never had an actual doll house when I was a little girl...but I was the QUEEEEEEN of playing doll house, so I just made do with whatever items were at my disposal to use as a house and/or furniture. As I was constructing Bea's organizational cubical, the urge to "play house" came flooding back! These cubes would be the PERFECT rooms for a doll house!!! So when my organization projects were completed, I joined in on the play, and I showed my girl a thing or two on playing doll house! :0)

 

 

It was SO MUCH FUN to play house again...setting up the furniture...dressing the dolls...and placing them strategically in the house. I can hear Barbara Streisand singing now..."Meeeeeemorieeeees...."

 

So that was it for us!

SSSSSHHHH...if you can keep a secret I'll also tell you that I snuck out of the house after the kids were asleep, and I met up with my sister and my mom for ladies night...(thank you hunny!!!) :0)

 

It's sad when the "most fresh produce they have had all week" comes from the 2 fresh strawberries on their strawberry shortcake dessert, BAHAHAHA!!!

 

Now that's truthfully the down-low on our up-and-up! Until next week!...