Posts
We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
Praying eveyone stays safe,
Friday, August 26, 2011
Preparing for Irene in between
Our cottage is right in the middle of the path Irene is expected to take in the next two days. We started to prepare a few days ago. Apparently so is everyone else. Mr.Cabin tried to purchase a generator- sold out. Extra batteries- sold out. Flashlights- sold out. Even bottled water- sold out. Luckily, we have all of these supplies at the cabin four hours away. So after work today, Mr.Cabin began the four hour journey to the cabin to pick these things up and then he will travel the four hours back to us. Bless his heart. In the meantime, I have been preparing here as best I can- making ice in case we should lose power and use of the fridge.
Monday, August 1, 2011
The Summer Lists: Half-Way
At the beginning of every summer, I sit down to write my "Summer List". It is a horrid list of things I have been putting off all year. Re-organize the pantry, clean the closets, recover the kitchen chairs again.
I am a procrastinating champ so this list is chock full of fun tasks like that.
This year however we started a second "Summer List" just for the girls. Inspired by all of the other lists out there in blogland, this list is fill up to the brim with things like catch fireflies, collect sea shells and make ice cream.
Today- August 1st, I consider to be the half-way point of our summer- only one month left until life returns to our normal school and work routine. Looking at our lists the past few days had turned me into a giant grouchy puss. While we have checked off almost all of the girls' list- my list has been almost forgotten. Not one task checked off. The problem is- I have not forgotten about my list. I wish I could but it was still there nagging at me. And while I could say the girls are only little once and it is perfectly fine for me to spend all my time creating adventures and memories with them, the realistic, logical side of my brain knows that life with them would also run much smoother if the closets were more organized.
So at the start of our weeekend I was in a terrible mood, I desperately needed to cross some items off of my list but hubby had other ideas. He wanted to take the girls canoeing- one of the things on their list. Mommy guilt set in and I finally agreed. Our entire day Saturday was spent preparing for our trip. By Sunday morning, I was barely smiling.
Then somehow my spirits lifted. Spending the day out on the water somehow healed my soul and changed my perspective.
How could life be so terrible? Look at all I have to be grateful for. The warm wind on my face, the sun on my skin, the sparkle on the water helped me to realize my glass of lemonade is really half full.
I woke up this morning seeing all the ways I have been able to balance. The pallets are a perfect example. The first half of the summer was spent building a wood shed at the cabin out of these giant pallets- one major item on the "Cabin To- Do List".
Although the girls had fun when they thought the floor was going to be a stage for their "performances", for the most part the time spent building the shed was not too much fun for them.
But when we were almost done, Mr.Cabin had the wonderful idea to build a little dock for them with the left-over pallets.
Fishing and swimming off this little dock was the best part of their summer at the cabin yet.
Somehow the work had turned into the play and we were all happy.
So this is where I am this morning, trying to remember the pallets, trying to turn the work into play and keep us all happy. Not everything may get checked off my list. Not everything may even be checked off theirs. But at the half-way point, we already have some terrific memories and I am looking forward to what the end of the summer brings.
Anyone have ideas how to make reorganizing the pantry fun for two four-year olds?
I am a procrastinating champ so this list is chock full of fun tasks like that.
This year however we started a second "Summer List" just for the girls. Inspired by all of the other lists out there in blogland, this list is fill up to the brim with things like catch fireflies, collect sea shells and make ice cream.
Today- August 1st, I consider to be the half-way point of our summer- only one month left until life returns to our normal school and work routine. Looking at our lists the past few days had turned me into a giant grouchy puss. While we have checked off almost all of the girls' list- my list has been almost forgotten. Not one task checked off. The problem is- I have not forgotten about my list. I wish I could but it was still there nagging at me. And while I could say the girls are only little once and it is perfectly fine for me to spend all my time creating adventures and memories with them, the realistic, logical side of my brain knows that life with them would also run much smoother if the closets were more organized.
So at the start of our weeekend I was in a terrible mood, I desperately needed to cross some items off of my list but hubby had other ideas. He wanted to take the girls canoeing- one of the things on their list. Mommy guilt set in and I finally agreed. Our entire day Saturday was spent preparing for our trip. By Sunday morning, I was barely smiling.
How could life be so terrible? Look at all I have to be grateful for. The warm wind on my face, the sun on my skin, the sparkle on the water helped me to realize my glass of lemonade is really half full.
I woke up this morning seeing all the ways I have been able to balance. The pallets are a perfect example. The first half of the summer was spent building a wood shed at the cabin out of these giant pallets- one major item on the "Cabin To- Do List".
Although the girls had fun when they thought the floor was going to be a stage for their "performances", for the most part the time spent building the shed was not too much fun for them.
But when we were almost done, Mr.Cabin had the wonderful idea to build a little dock for them with the left-over pallets.
Fishing and swimming off this little dock was the best part of their summer at the cabin yet.
Somehow the work had turned into the play and we were all happy.
So this is where I am this morning, trying to remember the pallets, trying to turn the work into play and keep us all happy. Not everything may get checked off my list. Not everything may even be checked off theirs. But at the half-way point, we already have some terrific memories and I am looking forward to what the end of the summer brings.
Anyone have ideas how to make reorganizing the pantry fun for two four-year olds?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
