The Continuation

It rained, it poured, and then it snowed, and snowed and snowed. Thursday night. It snowed so much that there was NO way there would be school the next day. I didn’t get to making that igloo because instead, I had to receive 91 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. (That is 91 boxes that hold 12 individual boxes each) They were delivered to the house in the middle of the snow storm, and we carried them to the basement for lack of anywhere else they would all fit. Then, for three hours I sorted through them making piles per girl. All of these piles will have to be brought back upstairs when they are picked up.

These pictures are AFTER the biggest sales person picked hers up!

Remember my ability to say YES? Or rather my lack of ability to say NO? Well this is the result. I had the girls help me until after 10pm while the snow poured down outside, knowing there was no way they would have school the next day. I then shot off an email that they could be picked up after 4pm on Sunday because it’s the only time I will have when I am either home, dressed properly, or not cleaning.

You want to know the funny/sad part to this story? I volunteered to help with cookies last year and did all of the online ordering. This year I didn’t really volunteer but let it happen to me again and was asked to simply house the cookies, divvy them up and pass them out. I thought that was a great deal! I didn’t realize 14 girls vs. 7 last year makes a huge difference and their parents are some serious cookie sales people! (I’m not THAT naïve, people!) Also, my daughter must have missed the meeting when the cookie ordering stuff was passed out. I got some emails about cookies being sold but I thought we were still in pre-cookie sales time and figured we would sell a few boxes during the REAL sales time. So imagine my shame when I am sorting 91 CASES of cookies and WE/I didn’t sell one darn box! In all honesty, I am not a fan of these cookies. They don’t taste good.

I woke up Friday to a winter wonderland and you guessed it, school! They had school because they have run out of FREE days off. This was the 2nd worse weather day we have had and they had school. It was a mixed blessing. Although the kids were tired and unprepared, I had taken a vacation day so I could see my little Betty Ford give her Presidential speech and I can’t afford to take too many vacation days like that.
She did Betty and Gerald, proud and of course sitting in that auditorium made the tears flow because I am weird like that.

I haven’t heard how the Spanish project did, but lucky me, we have moved on to a laundry project!
My son has to do ten loads of laundry. I am pretty sure he has had several weeks to accomplish this but now we have to have it done by Monday.
Ten loads in three days is not THAT out of the question for my family, BUT, it means that I am going to do ten loads of laundry and take pictures of him pretending to help me. I will say he helped me in the way of getting the laundry done. I also will say that I do not do laundry properly. I do laundry like a poor man. Lots of cold water, loads piled high, no fabric softener or fancy stain removers and I mix my colors and textures. You know what is really frustrating? He found a dollar the ONE time he was actually folding a SOCK.

On Friday morning, while the snow poured down we went to see the house I told you about. I don’t think it’s in my future anymore. It has been badly abandoned (lots of cigarette butts, beer and liquor bottles, garbage, water in the basement and a variety of odd furniture scattered in it's small rooms). I can see past that, but even after a flip, there just isn’t enough space for a family of five. It could have been a great opportunity but, not trying to be picky, I couldn’t have fit my couch, the TV and a dining room table in the living space let alone any of the other things I have.

When we walked through the house, as bad as the condition it was left in, I could just feel the house putting its best foot forward. There were some doors in the basement and garage that had a vintage charm that really stood out against the ugliness. With as much garbage and water it didn’t smell horrible and there was no sign of critters AT ALL. (Thank goodness for freezing temps) The sun glistened off the snow covered trees casting beautiful light into all of the windows. I have been in houses with a bad overall feel, but this one had a potential feel. I feel bad saying no, but thankfully the hubby agreed with me. I know the right smaller family will love it. I also feel like this has opened us up to getting ready to move/change, something.

I have never appreciated my log cabin home more today than on Friday after seeing that house and watching the news. I will not complain about cleaning it tomorrow. I will not give the dust bunnies a second thought, and I will enjoy ever darn load of laundry I can do. Because key words: I STILL CAN DO all of it.