It feels like a million days ago since I last wrote, and yet it’s only been since Friday.
I guess that with the Long Weekend, that does make it a little longer than usual, but I think that the real issue is that we DID. SO. MUCH!
On Saturday we got up, and started to clean/clear out the garage. It’s kinda our “catchall” and eventually things become overwhelming and we “have” to deal with it. It’s terribly embarrassing for me when the big sliding garage door gets opened for Jon to take out the lawn mower or for the kids to get their bikes or the go cart and the garage is so full of crap – especially because in our neighborhood, the East Indians have spotless, eat off the floor garages, and so we are the oddity.
We ended up taking the broken metal framed bunk bed to the metal recycling place, and a WHOLE TON of newspapers and cardboard and other recycling to the Recycling Depot, we returned $27 dollars of cans and tetra packs to the Bottle Depot, and then we took an entire van load of actual garbage (including one broken dresser) to the Dump.
You know how there is always misplaced crap left over after you do a HUGE clean…well, a bunch of that “stuff” is still sitting in my front hall. I have to figure out what to do with it, and actually get it to it’s proper location.
We’ve set aside a bunch of stuff to garage sale, and I think that we are going to Garage sale for the morning, one Saturday, and then Freecycle anything left in the afternoon. I just want to get rid of it all.
I think that as a part of a more simpler life, I’m trying to pare down and get rid of junk and clutter and just have the things that we really need. It’s a mind shift, but I’m up for it….my kids on the other hand…..well, Jeremy is struggling a bit. We stopped off at Value Village yesterday to try and find some shorts for ‘Siah and some Capri’s for Geli. Jeremy desperatly wanted to buy some junky toys, and had a melt down when we wouldn’t let him spend his money on a bag of old McDonalds crap plastic toys.
Jon and I started talking and we are looking into finding him a set of “something” that he can buy a piece at a time and add to it…something like a wooden train set or a track or I dunno……like Lego, where you can buy smaller sets to build a whole. We just don’t want to be wasting money on junk, and we’re trying to teach our kids to not waste money on junk.
How do you teach your kids the importance of investing wisely in things (money, property, clothes, etc) as opposed to the instant gratification of the cheap and easy crap?
Anyway, so Saturday felt like a really long day, especially when you have a tiny baby who can’t get down and play n the middle of everything, but is too squirmy to hold, and besides it hard to accomplish too much while holing him….by Saturday night I had such a sore shoulder and arm. Not Fun!
Sunday was busy, and Jon went down to the States in the Evening, and so i went over to my mom’s place with the kids. As fun as that is, and as nice as it is to have other adults around to talk to and to hlep out, it’s still stressful when you feel like you are on edge about what your kids might get into and what they might do….it’s a trade off, but Mom kept the girls overnight, and so it was only me and the boys that headed home, and both of them were asleep by the time I made it home.
Monday morning, Jon and I and the boys went for breakfast, and then headed out to Langley to pickup the girls. We then hit the Value Village, and by the time we made it home, we had just enough time to run some kids through the bath, and to make a quick dinner and ship everyone off to bed.
It felt like a Sunday night, but it was a Monday which was so weird. Watched a little Bones and House, and then when we should have gone to bed around 10pm, Jon and I chatted until 11pm. It’s good to talk, but I knew that we’d be tired in the morning…especially with how Josiah’s been waking up just about every night somewhere between 12 and 3pm.
Last night ust have been a special night, because the little angel didn’t wake up until 4:30am – which in my estimation is an AWESOME time because it’s still early enough that he would do right back to sleep while I nurse him, and it’s not close enough to the time when I have to get up. BUT……But…well, let me skip around a bit….Jon took ‘Siah back to his crib around 5am, and then we settled back down to sleep.
At 6am or somewhere around there, it sounded like the house next door to us was bombed, or else that a plane had crashed in our cul de sac or that Abbotsford was being bombed…..there was the HUGEST crash of THUNDER and it went on and on and on and on and it sounded so loud and close and it was so startling.
It ended up just being a thunder shower and the rain poured and the thunder rolled…its sounding a bit like a Garth Brooks song right now, but it was amazing to listen to…it woke Xandra up though and she came into our room just a little nervous. It was pretty cool though.
So, that ended off our weekend and started this new week off with a BANG….literally.
Now, I’ve got to tidy the house. It’s not that bad, but it’s the first day the kids are back at school after the weekend and there are lots of little things to do, so I’d better get off here and get busy.
Hi Patti,
I really enjoy reading your blog. I know Matt and Carrissa and that’s how I found your web site.
I wanted to comment on your question, “How do you teach your kids the importance of investing wisely in things (money, property, clothes, etc) as opposed to the instant gratification of the cheap and easy crap?”
Well, we too have experienced that and have learned through a parenting program called, “parenting through love and logic” it’s something that children have to experience for themselves. Us as parents need to provide the empathy when the cheap toy breaks, so we are the good guy and not say, “I told you so”. The sooner and younger they learn this lesson, the better because it’s not a big big deal at this age and it could help them to make better decisions later on down the road. Yes, we agree, it’s hard to see your child waste their money on junk, but going at it this way, you as a parent end up being the good person who is there for they to cry on and you provide the empathy. Let the empathy do the teaching. Your goal is to hope that they “blow” a situation so they can try again and learn from their experience. I hope this makes sense.
Love your writing. Keep up the good work downsizing. Take care.
Just know you are loved and thought of often!!