Saturdays are our big cleaning day. Everyone gets their downstairs jobs done and then we clean bedrooms. A few weeks ago we instituted a system where if you don't do both these things you don't get to go out with the family to eat lunch. Since we're such a big family it's usually the only time we all go out to eat together, unless it's a special occasion. Two weeks ago not everyone did their jobs and were left at home while everyone else went out. It did not go over well for the ones left behind. Last week there was much complaining and whining and yelling about having to do their jobs, but they eventually got done. This week everyone were rockstars!!! We got the downstairs cleaned up really well and the bedrooms done!!!
We had a nice time together at lunch and it was really nice to come home to a clean house.
We had a nice time together at lunch and it was really nice to come home to a clean house.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Decluttering update:
It is coming along. Nothing drastic has happened since the dressers/clothing and cabinets. I have rearranged a couple of drawers in the kitchen. This seems to have been one thing too many for Griffin because he stopped me one day and said, "I can't find anything in this kitchen, Mom. You keep moving it all around." To which I said, "I'm sorry. Would you like me to give you a tour?" He answered, "Yes. I think I might need it!" 😂😂😂
Next step is the master closet. I am actually looking forward to getting all my clothes out (the ones I hang up since I went through all the clothes in the dresser already as I "KonMarie" folded and put them away) and going through them. Once that's done I REALLY want to get all the junk we've stored in there sorted and either reorganized or put elsewhere.
The kids have really taken to the new folding and storing style (standing up instead of stacked). I make Joselyn and Griffin put away their clothes once I've folded them. They are putting them back the way they should be, with some supervision. Layla and Brianna have been really good about picking out their jammies and clothes without dumping their whole buckets, which means I end up washing clean clothes because I don't know which ones are really dirty or didn't get put away once they found what they were looking for. I'm hoping once I'm done with my closet to tackle the kids' closets.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
This evening Kyra and Addy went to Ryan's Aunt Leslie's for a sleepover with their second cousins, Avery and Coley. These girls are the daughters of Ryan's cousin Cole and his wife, Brittany, on the Baker side of his family. It has been really nice having Ryan's Uncle Mark and Aunt Leslie living close by. They usually invite us over a couple times a year to have dinner or usually to swim in their pool in the summer. Lately, they've scheduled those get-togethers when Cole and/or their other kids, Cassie and Zach, can be there too. They are so sweet and generous and I'm glad we've been able to spend time with them and get to know them over the years.
While the big kids are playing at their sleepover, Ryan and I, decided to take the other four kids out to dinner and to play. Which means a super fancy dinner at McDonald's. The kids had a great time and we even ran into some other church members. We didn't know who they were, but their son was like the Pied Piper. He got 12-15 kids, one as young as 2-years-old, to stop running around screaming and playing to play a game- a version of Simon Says, with a bit of a twist, "Captain's Coming". It was a little freaky to look over and see this tall kid surrounded by all these little kids playing this game and them being enthralled by it. We got to chatting with the boy's parents while the kids were playing and realized we were both members. Sometimes the church is a small world.
Comments