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Tina P.
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| Posted: March 06 2007 at 1:46pm | IP Logged
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I finally managed to make myself a blogroll (if your blog isn't on it, it's because it was a painful process for me to find who I managed to put on there last night ... and I even shamelessly stole from others' blogrolls). And I can't figure out the banners and other lists and categories. I don't even want to try yet, since I was up past 1:00 am last night trying to decipher the blogroll quandary. Does anyone know how to alphabetize the blogroll?
I still have tons of books to sell and am doing absolutely nothing about it. I did try to take pictures the other night and lost not only those, but wonderful recorded memories of my kids as well when I tried to upload them onto the computer. 
I can't keep up wtih the condition of my house. I found the door to my pantry broken yesterday. How did that happen? I can't seem to find a place for everything, muchless put everything back into place.
I have yet to make my house my HOME. I peek into your houses on your blogs and see beautiful touches that I know are completely your own stamp. I'm tempted to completely rip apart my kitchen and rearrange it, but that's another post entirely.
And, no surprise here, I can never keep on track with school. We're working on last week Wednesday's world history. 
Why not? Others can do it. I have friends whose lives are so ... so calm and peaceful. They can invite friends over to their house without even a thought of preparing (for hours, in our case ).
I'm seeking peace and order in my home first. Then I'd like to systematically make my home my own as the spirit moves me. Any advice? Better yet, do any of you organizational geniuses want to visit me long enough to start me on an organizational rehabilitation program? 
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: March 06 2007 at 2:24pm | IP Logged
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Well, Tina, I don't think I have any advice for you.I can really only commiserate. I struggle, too. I am messy and disorganized and with each child it gets worse.
I am slowly learning to get rid of things. And buy less "stuff". As I put away clothes for the next child, I ask myself if I really want to put that on another child. Is it stained, faded or did I never really like it anyway but it was given to me? I have realized that with each child I end up getting new(newer) clothes and many items I have don't get used anyway. So I am actually packing up clothes for Goodwill.
I have also starting giving away toys. They don't need or even want most of them. Again, the little ones will still get gifts from others, or even from us, so there will be toys for them when they are ready for them.
I am up to my ears in paper. It is baffling. But with lots of little girls who love to color, it is out of control. I thought we were moving to a paperless society! 
Hang in there. We all hit those brick walls where we look around and can only cry. Well, maybe not ALL of us, but you and I aren't the only ones. Give yourself a break. Your dh is gone this week, right? Get the kids to help you clean one room, preferably one with a comfortable chair! Make some tea or coffee and sit down and relax.
Spring isn't far off and things will look better. In the meantime, I will pray for you. Know that you are not a failure and you are definitely the only one who needs organizational rehabilitation. I am right there with you!
Now I am going to do my bills which is why I sat down at the computer.
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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Tina P.
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| Posted: March 06 2007 at 2:29pm | IP Logged
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teachingmyown wrote:
| Know that you are not a failure and you are definitely the only one who needs organizational rehabilitation. I am right there with you! |
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This cracks me up! Look at how you wrote what I've bolded. This confirms that I am the only disorganized person in the whole world!
I started crying when I read this post, but you nailed it in the end.
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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teachingmyown
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| Posted: March 06 2007 at 2:32pm | IP Logged
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Oh my! That is too funny!!! Let me try again: you are NOT the only who needs organizational rehabilitation! I hope those are tears of laughter. Boy, I sure am good at making you feel better, huh?
That's what I get for letting my 15 yr old kick me off the computer before I proof-read!
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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JennGM
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| Posted: March 06 2007 at 2:43pm | IP Logged
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Tina,
I'm going to fuss at you! Don't be so hard on yourself right now. You've just come off a very trying time in your life. Your body is recovering, and right now, everything can seem to be bleak. Be easy on yourself!
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Maryan
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| Posted: March 06 2007 at 2:59pm | IP Logged
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Tina, Messy and Disorganized here! Unlike those naturally tidy people, I am a scatterbrain and have to remind myself everytime to shut the cupboard doors after I take something out! This would drive my dad crazy! My dh just doesnt' understand how I couldn't remember to shut it.
I complained about this state to JennGM's mom and she recommended FlyLady -- I tried to do it to a TEE for awhile, but it was too much for me. So I try to use a modified version of her principles (basically wear shoes, shiny sink, de-clutter daily, and 15 minutes of work alternated with play and rest). This method is helping this messy, scatterbrain here.
If you need inspiration (I can't clean without inspiration), I found her books funny! She has tons of stuff on her website, though I find it visually a little bit "too much." And she also sends out e-mail reminders which were also "too much" for me.
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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Maryan
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And I second/third/fourth the no fussing! Having seven wonders of the world is so much more awesome than an organized house or blogroll!
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Maryan
Mom to 6 boys & 1 girl: JP('01), B ('03), M('05), L('06), Ph ('08), M ('10), James born 5/1/12
A Lee in the Woudes
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JenniferS
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| Posted: March 06 2007 at 3:09pm | IP Logged
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I could have written some of these posts!!! When you mentioned cleaning for hours before anyone can come over, I had to check and make sure I wasm't the original poster!!!
Jen
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: March 06 2007 at 3:24pm | IP Logged
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Tina, dear, you are too hard on yourself.
I only have 5 at home and I am overwhelmed most of the time. My house is a disaster area (except the living room which I do manage to keep fairly clean in case someone shows up at the door unannounced). To have guests I would have to rent a backhoe to clean in time!LOL!If cleanliness is next to Godliness then I guess I am going to burn!LOL!
I dropped my blogroll from my blog because I couldn't keep it current and didn't want to leave anyone out. Now I just use bloglines to keep up with all of the blogs I visit and even that is not up to date as I'd like.
I am the most disorganized person I know! If I have a meal planned it is a reason to celebrate! My simple onethingaday cleaning schedule is too hard for me to follow.Home management binder? I started it but now I can't FIND it!LOL!
Keeping up with paperwork is killing me!We just ran out of fuel oil because I lost (and therefore did not pay) that bill. Thank the Lord it is warm today!
Anyway...just sayin'...you are NOT alone!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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joann10
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Theresa, you lost your home mamagement binder---I lost our calendar- (or I should say, someone lost the calendar- it is usually on the wall, but one day it was gone)
I now have to reschedule 9 dental appointments. I am a little scared to call the receptionist at the office about that.
Tina, I think alot of people are in the same boat as you are--we just try to keep it a secret.
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momtomany
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| Posted: March 06 2007 at 5:12pm | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
To have guests I would have to rent a backhoe to clean in time!LOL
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This cracked me up!! I have often told dh that I need a backhoe to take care of this house!
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Mary Ann in PA
wife to MIchael, mom to Elizabeth, Becca, Tim, Peter, Andrew, Sarah, Matthew, John, Leah and Joseph
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Cay Gibson
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I'm so disorganized that the Flylady is like an annoying fly in my household. I've never been able to adapt to her presence.
Through the years I've gotten better at letting go. Remember, I was raised in a stellar home. I've come a long way but it's like glitter. You can't ever brush it all off. With each child I found it a blessing to let one more thing go, one more expectation. I found it more freeing.
Toys! I couldn't stand the waste of money without giving toys and clothes to CareHelp or putting it in a garage sale. One day a hs friend admitted to me that she had just thrown away eight bags of clothing someone had given her family. Simply threw it all away. The kind people felt that because she had 8 children she could use them. But that surplus only added to what they already had and it was overwhelming to her when she could not justify the extra clutter, wasted space, and loss of her comfort zone. It was more practical to chunk it.
Surprisingly, that one conversation gave me courage.
Now any clothes that are torn, ripped, or stained get thrown away. My little girls clothing gets sent to the many girl cousins who have been born under them. Any toys that are broken, have missing pieces, have sat in the corner for a year gets thrown away.
It helps to put the children responsible for doing things. They either clean up their room or you close their door. There are several times a week my girls can't go play at the neighbors until they have cleaned up their room. Right now their version of clean is the trundle pushed under the bed, covered in unfolded blankets, and the toys lined up along all four of the bedroom walls.
The older 3 children do their own clothes. I don't care if their clothes are folded and put in a drawer or just used straight from the clothes basket. That's fine as long as they are cleaned and put back in their room.
Each child has a dish week for loading and unloading the dishwasher. And, yes, there are weeks like last when I did all the dishes myself because I couldn't get anyone to help and two of the children were arguing about whose week it was anyway. (Our trip to DisneyWorld got us messed up a bit.  )
My 9 yr old de-lints the furniture once a week (we have dogs).
And, yes, I pay someone to clean the floors and dust...my teenage daughter. She needs the money and I need the help.
I've learned that I don't need to save every stitch of artwork. That's been a hard bridge for me to cross. Generally at week's end I gather up the coloring pages and drawings off the kitchen island, the kitchen counter, the coffee table, the two computer desks, the two tables, the floor, the window seat... ...and pick a couple to store in their childhood bins (which are located in the attic). The papers get set on the hallway sewing machine and get brought up to the attic every couple of months, whenver I send Garrett up the laddar.
Despite all this,
my house is not perfect. It simply is what it is.
All the above does for me is keep my sanity.
As for as school, I feel constantly behind and by year's end am never sure what we covered or what was retained. I have found that the things learned and retained have been the things I never taught and certainly never planned. That alone speaks volumes.
I've gotten long once again and must scratch up supper.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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chicken lady
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Tina you are in good company, maybe one of our dear moderators can link you to the thread we had going..."It is what it is" Check out Cay's post she referenced the thread.
I only have 5 dc running around here, plus alot of farm animals, we have McGovern style chaos Since we have Chari coming to see us in June it is my goal to declutter before then No promises...just a goal!! Just laugh at yourself, and admire others organization strengths, it keeps me going!!! I figure I am here to make ever other mom feel better about themselves and their homes And remember it is what it is, you are who you are, and we are blessed to have you
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Elizabeth
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molly wrote:
| Tina you are in good company, maybe one of our dear moderators can link you to the thread we had going..."It is what it is" Check out Cay's post she referenced the thread. |
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Shhh...I'm the link fairy, here to make your link wishes come true.... I'm ducking out now...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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SuzanneG
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lapazfarm wrote:
Home management binder? I started it but now I can't FIND it!LOL!
Keeping up with paperwork is killing me!We just ran out of fuel oil because I lost (and therefore did not pay) that bill. Thank the Lord it is warm today!
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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chicken lady
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Thank you link fairy
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Matilda
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I just want to say "thank you" for acknowledging that it is OK to have difficulties in the homemaking area. It is so easy to think "I must be the only one". I am learning so many valuable lessons here!
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Tina P.
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All of my supportive friends, you really have to look at this! I made progress tonight. I have a long way to go, but I am encouraged. Thanks for all your kind words.
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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Chari
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Hmmmm, Tina, maybe you can do like Molly and try to be decluttered before I arrive ...anyone else need us to visit???? 
MY house is not messy....on one side of the house, the side I decluttered .......
I am ALWAYS behind in school, like by YEARS
If I had more than 1 day with you, I would help you.....I am VERY good at organizing.........it is my ongoing management that fails me
Hmmm.......going to visit Willa for a week, wonder if she needs any help? 
Shhh......don't tell her yet, she does not know
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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Chari
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BTW....your room is lovely.......is this where we will have tea? ........and your blog posts fun to read
Molly, please DO NOT let my visit be a source of stress for you .......that would make me feel sad 
Blessings on both of you.........on all of you!
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Why am I so slow about everything I do?
