Cleaning House!!

So, I've been making some changes around here (well Hubs and me both, actually).  First, I decided it was the best thing for everyone involved to stop babysitting as much during the week.  I feel like I've put us into a pickle financially because we were counting on that income. However, it got to where it was taking a toll on the kids and I, and I couldn't give the little boy what he needed, so it's for the best. I feel to an extent, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. At the same time, financially I don't know what our next step is. I have some ideas as far as supplemental income, but none of them will be possible without God's blessing.  Hubs is also applying to get a 2nd job.  So prayers for the right thing to come along, as well as success with his current job. 

I think I am just at the point where I felt I needed to take a step back and focus on my own family, and the kids, and do what was best for them. I will say this, though. I have so much more energy now. Even though my house is far from spotless (I sure it will never be that way)  I have more time and energy to get things straightened up, and I am to the point where my house isn't always trashed anymore! So that is good!  I am finally making some headway on laundry. I am able to get 2-3 loads done a day, and we are able to get the door shut, so that's progress..right? 

I have also decided that it's probably best if starting in the Fall, I don't keep kids -other than my "nephew" who I'm still watching, but he's easy peasy. I love him to bits! He's not really my nephew at all.  He's actually Jacob's cousin's ex-wife's son if you can figure that one out in your head, lol.... and nephew seems easier to explain to the kids, lol.  His mom and Jacob grew up together (as did her ex), and they go way back. In my book, they might as well be brother and sister.

But I think when Joshua starts school it will be so much easier on everyone if I can focus on them and their schoolwork.  That being said, while I am on the hunt for curriculum for the Fall, I figured I would take some steps to help get everything more organized. We have a cube book shelf in the living room, but Jonah is constantly pulling all the books out and sometimes ripping out pages. I went through it this morning and had to throw some books away that were torn beyond repair.  Well, actually, if you can follow how my brain works, I should back up a bit.

Jonah friendly bookshelf. Happy Happy!

 

Our old "school cabinet" was literally falling apart. Literally. Jonah had pulled one of the doors completely off, and the other door was buckled in the middle and it didn't take much for me to yank it off. I decided that with the new year coming, I was going to take this summer to get smart, and organize all our school things.  It may not be pretty, but it's a lot more functional now.  

So basically, I just moved everything around.  Since I have the stockpile shelves but they are getting bare, I combined some of the food shelves and some of the personal care product shelves all onto the same Cabinet. Then I took things like cereal and snacks that we use on a daily basis, and moved them into the old school cabinet. THEN, I moved all the stuff from the school cabinet into the pantry, which was pretty much empty except for some pots and pans. I got Jacob to cut me some makeshift dividers and now I know where everything is. I was able to take stock and see what I have and what I need. I have separate places for Joshua's books and Hannah's books. l was actually surprised to see how many art and craft supplies we actually had-It's way more than I realized, and now I have access to it all!  It may not be very pretty, but it is certainly much more functional.


 This is the before. Well, sort of. This is about halfway through the process of cleaning and shelving.

These are the after pictures.  See what I mean about the art supplies? TONS!

So then I decided we needed a neater place to store our books. The living room shelves would be fine, except they are right on Jonah's level to destroy. So now the shelf that was holding all my personal care products, now holds only books. I have it so he shouldn't be able to reach them as easily, and we will be able to keep them nice for school. I have a stack of easy readers and bob books for Josh, as he continues through his 100 easy lessons book. I have various "Why" and "How" books that Hannah loves to just sit and read when she's bored. It's a great way to teach them without even realizing it! I also have the sets of chapter books we are working on collecting (so far, we have The Cul de Sac kids, and we are working on Junie B. Jones and some other series books.)  Then on the top I have books that we use for Reading in school, since this past year she really liked those Children's Illustrated books for literature.

Looks like a trip to my favorite place, the Goodwill bookstore, is in order!

So, yeh. That's what I've been up to posting about all the cleaning and organization stuff I've been doing. Now you can know what I've been doing. I am about the least organized person I know. And of all the things I can spend money on, that is not one of them!!  But it has been nice to get rid of the clutter. Ok, well let me get off here and go make some lunch for these kiddos!!