stress-free zone

We finally have our desktop computer back. I have really missed it. My pictures go up so much easier and it is more comfortable for me to type at. It also has more of an "office" feel to it, which can be nice. So, now I'm catching up on things. I put all of my pictures off my camera onto the the computer. I am in the process of adding them to blog posts. I am also catching up on other things online since our lap top decided to have issues with me.

So, what have I been up to? Well, besides all the family camping and stuff, not much. I've been thinking lately about the way some people react to stress. I know some people who just face it head on and work their way through it. I know others who would like to ignore it and pretend that everything is normal, there's no stress, and still others who run and hide. I am somewhere between the ignoring and running and hiding variety. I know that the best way to get through something difficult is to just face it and get it over with, but that doesn't always make it easier. When I am faced with something unpleasant my first thought is "where can I hide so I don't have to deal with this?" Depending on the task I can quickly talk myself into just getting it over with, or I do "hide" by playing computer games or getting absorbed into a book. In the end, though, both of those things end. A game doesn't last forever and I've yet to find a never ending book, so I'm back facing the real world. Sometimes my respite is enough for me to put things in perspective, but most times all it did was delay the inevitable.

I'm sure knowing all this will help me someday, but all the knowing in the world does no good unless it is put into action.

Getting through the Summer

This summer has gone way too fast! It's already July and it feels like it just started. I don't think I've done half of what I wanted to get done this summer. I do feel better that we have a lawn and our garden is in. I only hope that we can get something from it. The cooler weather has slowed the growth of a lot of the garden. As for me, many days I feel like I'm just trying to keep my head above water. I try not to compare myself to other moms, but a lot of times I do. I wonder "how do they keep their houses so clean? How do they seem to have time to do x, y, and z? How do they have it all together?" Of course, I don't see their day to day and many of the mom's I'm comparing myself too have children that are in different stages than mine. The other day I spent probably 8 out of 10 hours in the kichen/dining room area of my house. I tell you what, when Robert got home, I wanted nothing to do with that room! Between dishes and cooking and trying to find where the funny smell was coming from in the pantry, I was tired. I also spent time helping Taylor with a project at the kitchen table.

I have been trying to de-clutter my house. I have come to the conclusion that we have too much stuff and it's taking up space and making my house feel cluttered. I don't know what to do with it and it is seriously stressing me out. If things don't have a place and they get piled on the counter, or table, or dresser then my house looks cluttered and that is not a peaceful feeling. So, I went through my books. I took out a lot of books. Ones that were good, but I'd probably never read again, ones that if I wanted to read I could check out from the Library, but maybe didn't need to have. I also went through a lot of the kids books. They are growing older and I think they should have more advanced books. One or two books on counting is good, we don't need 5. I can point out objects in all kinds of pictures, so I don't need books that say what pants are or what a tree is. Rachel loves to look at family pictures and I can point out just as many things in those that I don't need an extra book on the shelf. Robert also went through a lot of his books. We went through our movies and took a lot out. Honestly, I don't want that much t.v. and I don't like the kids watching too much because then they get mean if I turn it off. The kids also have too many clothes. When they can't close their drawers and won't put their clothes away because they have no where for the clothes to go, then there are too many. So, we went through and picked out the things they wear the most and got rid of the things that they don't ever or hardly ever wear. Now they have more room in their dresser to put their clothes away and I have less laundry to wash. We still need to go through their toys. I am hoping that by selling their toys at a yard sale and letting them get something with the money then they will be less hesitant to part with their things. Something that we have been enjoying lately is audio books and I would like to encourage them to put their money towards that, or to save it for a big family trip sometime in the future.