Well, I am not getting things done as quickly as I would like.  Yesterday, I spent the afternoon taking the kids to a friends house for a play date.  It was nice and relaxing, and the kids did a little bunny craft that one of the older homeschoolers had prepared for them.  I did get some laundry folded and the dishes are done, since my boys help out with the laundry and dishes, but I didn't make much headway on the entryway.  It is about halfway done.  Today, I am going to take some things out to our storage container, and finish washing the snowpants (as I sit here and type this, it is snowing again…ugh!!!) so I can finish putting the winter gear away.

I can't believe that it is already the middle of April, and it is still snowing every couple of day!  It had all winter to do this!  Snow, snow, go away, come again, NEXT WINTER!!

Feeling a little bogged down….we are supposed to be starting the kitchen and dining room the rest of the week, and the “dining room” is also the schoolroom/mommy's office, so it is just depressing to even think about.  I plan to just work on getting things taken off of the top of the fridge and hutch, and then maybe mop the floor.

I have a good incentive to get rid of things though.  There is a lady in our community who doesn't have any insurance and they have discovered that she has cancer, or a bunch of tumors, or something like that.  Anyway, the community is having a garage sale/auction in her benefit the weekend after Easter, so I am going to try to donate a bunch of stuff for the garage sale.  I already have some puzzles, baby toys, and a few clothes to donate.  I really want to go through the boys room and donate some more toys.  I CAN'T STAND toys anymore!

We will be moving in the next two months or so, so I really want everything to be nice and simple to move.  I am SO tired of clutter…..

Feeling grumpy…….

Before and after pictures of the front porch, door, and front of the house…it looks kind of bare, but it is clean!  Once May rolls around, I can put my hanging baskets out, and it will perk it up quite a bit.  I didn't buy a new doormat, as I just bought one last year, so I just washed it out in the tub, and it *LOOKS* brandnew!  Now, if I can just keep the kids from leaving toys, sticks, and rocks all over….

I couldn't help myself, and put some silk flowers out in the corner of the porch.  Oh, and my porch is brand new to me this summer!  My brother built it for me last fall, so I am *SO* looking forward to enjoying it this summer!


Ain't it purty?!  The table was new too.  I bought a set for my MIL for Mother's Day last year, and it turned out there were two in each package!  So, two for her, two for me!  I didn't have a place to put them last year, as I just had steps, so I had my older two ds's build them for me today!

I got the van *SO* clean yesterday, that when I got home from town today (I had forgotten that the kids had eye appts. today!), I made sure to clean it all out again, instead of putting it off!  Then, I just couldn’t stop, and started on the front porch!  Just because snow and water cover the yard, doesn’t mean I can’t tackle PART of the yard!  I still had Christmas lights and wreaths on there, and now that it isn’t freezing every night, the wreaths had started turning orange…yuck.  It looks so much cleaner now, but I won’t take the after picture until I can wash it down and try to add some color somehow.  I am going to try to find some silk flowers to spruce it up until May when I can put out real ones….

Well, I am off to fold laundry and pick up before dh gets home from town.  I can't wait to see his face when he sees the van tomorrow!

Oh, and maybe tomorrow I will post a picture of “The Lake” out front.  The ground must be thawing though, because it was down quite a bit from when we left this morning.  Still fun for the kids to play in though!

Before…..keep in mind that this was after a day in town.  I usually try to at least clean out the trash the next day….

 and that is a toy gun that my son set in there while I was snapping pictures….I didn't notice it until I had the pictures on my computer!

Scroll down for the AFTER pictures!

AFTER!!!!  Yea!  Notice the snow out the window?


Oh, and in the tote are pillows, blankets, first aid kit, things that go to other people, and extra gloves for everyone.  The blankets and gloves will come out when I put away all of the winter gear.  They are for emergency use in the winter.  I haven't had to use them yet, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared!

Well, the van is done, and I am exhausted!  The kids and I mucked it out yesterday, I vaccumed it this morning, and then sprayed and wiped it down and washed the windows today.  It looks SO nice, but I am SO tired!  Ugh!  I know I was supposed to work on the livingroom today, but like I said, my 4yodd did quite a bit of the dusting, and then the boys did some yesterday afternoon, so tomorrow we won't be starting at the very beginning.

I did remember that I have to take three of the kids in for eye appointments tomorrow.  Darn!  I was hoping to stay home the rest of the week.  Well, at least the only thing we have scheduled next week is a meeting on Sunday night after church with a draftsman to flesh out our house plans, and a homeschool group playtime on Tuesday afternoon.  Other than that, I think the week should be pretty low-key, gearing up for Resurrection Day on Sunday!

So, hopefully the van will stay clean tomorrow.  I am thinking about making a lunch to take with us (appts. are at 11am) and taking the kids to the park for lunch (if the snow is melted there) and then heading home.  That would keep the mess out of the van, and it should just be a little tracking of dirt and rocks….wishful thinking, I am sure!

Well, at least dinner is already in the crockpot…barbeque chicken!  Yum!

So, now I can relax for the evening…and catch up on folding laundry, maybe.

I will post before and after pictures later.  I am too tired to do it now!

I am participating in Amy's (Dandelion Seeds http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DandelionSeeds/THE+CHCH+CHALLENGE/)

Clean Heart Clean Home Challenge.

The first day, we were supposed to do the vehicle, but it was a blizzard outside, so I put that off.  I got the kids cleaning buckets ready, and did some regular straightening.  We have a very small house for the amount of people we have here, so I am constantly straightening and throwing things out, or we are over-run!

I knew the vehicle was one of those overlooked places, as we live an hour out of town, so town trips are a full day event, with meals usually taking place in the car.  We also go to town for church every Sunday, so we literally live in the van 1-2 days a week.  There are always papers, toys, gameboys and games, books, blankets, diaper bags, coats, shoes, mail, etc. cluttering the floor.  Especially now that it is getting to be breakup, there is just a constant mess in there.  We declutter it pretty frequently, but they boys version of cleaning it out leaves a lot to be desired.

Well, today was a beautiful sunny day, hitting close to 50 in the sun, so I took the opportunity to demuck the van.  I took several before pictures, but I shudder to look at them, so I am not sure I will post them .   We just went to town on Tuesday to see our new little baby in utero, so the van was littered with garbage and chips from the snack on the way home.

Well, it still needs to be swept/vacuumed out and wiped clean, but it looks tremendously better just getting all of the junk out of there!  It is virtually empty!  We went to my in-laws for dinner, and dh was shocked!  “Wow!  You guys really cleaned this out!”  That said with chip crumbs littering the seat!  LOL!!!

Won't he be amazed when he gets back from two days in town to find it scoured!!  I am praying for sunny weather again tomorrow so I can finish it up!

My daughter did start cleaning the livingroom yesterday, and I had a friend come over and her kids were so enamoured with the kids cleaning supplies, that I soon had four kids cleaning all around me, while I sat and visited with my friend!  How nice is that!  I haven't taken before picture of the livingroom yet, but they mostly dusted, so it won't look too different….

Well, dh is calling me to bed…..