Cleaning out!
Cleaning up.
Throwing out.
Packing away.
Pruning.
Yup, it's the end of our year! I know that happens for most people, at the end of December or the beginning of January. For us, there is a very distinct marker in our year and it's when the boys leave in June. As we pack them up and give the cottage a head-to-toe cleaning, we then turn our eyes to our own house. The urge to clean & purge sets in. We pack up and move out all the old junk. Reorganize closets.
June is the end of one garden season as well. All the warm season stuff (tomatoes, etc.) have stopped producing because, well, it's just too stinking hot! July gives the garden a break and then the beginning of August starts up again. I've been outside today, ripping out old plants, moving some things into the shade so they can survive the month of July, fertilizing one more time. And it felt good!
Are you like me? Doesn't' it feel good to just get rid of stuff? Whether it be old tomato plants or bags of cast-offs, it lightens the load!
Spiritually this has to be done too. Checking up, tuning up and renewing the heart. As my friend Janet and I often talk about, when you have kids, you just can't afford to let those "weakness" areas lie. You have to do something about them. I've been working on one of mine lately, realizing that if I don't do some improving, I will pass those same tendencies on to Shannon and Forest.
I'm great at starting things and I don't mind being interrupted. I like to do the dishes in small spurts- you know, 5 dishes here, another 5 later. This is a good thing when you have little kids around, because as we all know, you never finish anything with them around!
BUT this is a bad thing . . . in that it's easy to start things and then not get back to finish them.
Whether it's picking up toys or finishing dishes, or later in life starting school work and not finishing . . . I want my kids to learn to complete things and do it well. Their dad is awesome at this. He finishes everything he starts. Every time. And to the best of his ability. I learn from him in this area :) And we're working on it. I am mentally making myself stay at the sink and finish those silly dishes. Pick up all the books before going to play a different game. Finish folding the WHOLE basket of laundry instead of just half. It's a process but it's on my mind now. Exciting stuff.
So now- we've said our good-byes to the boys and finished this year. We have a new director and changes are already being made. Good things that, while at the moment are painful, are going to result in new growth. And that is amazing and so exciting! After 10 years of frustratingly watching stagnation, you have no idea how excited we are.
Monday we leave for NY, to see the family!!!!!!!!!!!! And you ALL know how excited I am about this!!!!! Three days . . . can hardly wait! And with that, I'm going to go shower, clean and try to find useful ways to bide my time until Monday :)
Throwing out.
Packing away.
Pruning.
Yup, it's the end of our year! I know that happens for most people, at the end of December or the beginning of January. For us, there is a very distinct marker in our year and it's when the boys leave in June. As we pack them up and give the cottage a head-to-toe cleaning, we then turn our eyes to our own house. The urge to clean & purge sets in. We pack up and move out all the old junk. Reorganize closets.
June is the end of one garden season as well. All the warm season stuff (tomatoes, etc.) have stopped producing because, well, it's just too stinking hot! July gives the garden a break and then the beginning of August starts up again. I've been outside today, ripping out old plants, moving some things into the shade so they can survive the month of July, fertilizing one more time. And it felt good!
Are you like me? Doesn't' it feel good to just get rid of stuff? Whether it be old tomato plants or bags of cast-offs, it lightens the load!
Spiritually this has to be done too. Checking up, tuning up and renewing the heart. As my friend Janet and I often talk about, when you have kids, you just can't afford to let those "weakness" areas lie. You have to do something about them. I've been working on one of mine lately, realizing that if I don't do some improving, I will pass those same tendencies on to Shannon and Forest.
I'm great at starting things and I don't mind being interrupted. I like to do the dishes in small spurts- you know, 5 dishes here, another 5 later. This is a good thing when you have little kids around, because as we all know, you never finish anything with them around!
BUT this is a bad thing . . . in that it's easy to start things and then not get back to finish them.
Whether it's picking up toys or finishing dishes, or later in life starting school work and not finishing . . . I want my kids to learn to complete things and do it well. Their dad is awesome at this. He finishes everything he starts. Every time. And to the best of his ability. I learn from him in this area :) And we're working on it. I am mentally making myself stay at the sink and finish those silly dishes. Pick up all the books before going to play a different game. Finish folding the WHOLE basket of laundry instead of just half. It's a process but it's on my mind now. Exciting stuff.
So now- we've said our good-byes to the boys and finished this year. We have a new director and changes are already being made. Good things that, while at the moment are painful, are going to result in new growth. And that is amazing and so exciting! After 10 years of frustratingly watching stagnation, you have no idea how excited we are.
Monday we leave for NY, to see the family!!!!!!!!!!!! And you ALL know how excited I am about this!!!!! Three days . . . can hardly wait! And with that, I'm going to go shower, clean and try to find useful ways to bide my time until Monday :)
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