Giving up the gift exchange

We have nine children, one son-in-law and one grandchild and....amazingly all four of the grandparents of our children.  Wow.   I also have one brother and his wife whom we have maintained some semblance of a gift exchange for....ever.    So, now that money is tight again, I have decided through discussion with my family and a few others, to give up the whole gift exchange thing this year and hopefully do weird things like play with the games we already have, have a hymn sing or something, read books that we already have, enjoy the rest of the year with less stress and just give up the guilt.   We can NOT keep up with the whole 'have a zoo membership' AND have gifts for everyone at Christmas.   That is just one example.  

I spend SOOOO much time during the year cleaning up all the junk we acquire at Christmas and birthdays that there must be a radical change.   Wouldn't I rather spend the year actually doing nice things with my family instead of chasing all this crap around?   How many dolls, toys, etc. does one family need anyway?    It may be suggested by some that a zoo membership could be the gift of the year but even that has some strings attached to it so no, money will be spent on yummy food, making things together throughout the year and just enjoying each other....hopefully (!).    

Now to return to decluttering my house of all the stuff so I don't have to take care of it anymore and I don't have to look forward to getting more stuff in the future.   Enough already!  

House expansion

Quick post before I leap into action again.   We desperately need more room around here so I am doing all I can this day to get rid of stuff, put stuff away, and move as much furniture out of the house as possible.   We were thinking of changing the 'spare house' (shack) into living space for the kids but have since tabled that.   So......I am going to use the space so maybe we can have some in here.   Desperate times call for Karin making a calmer setting for the house of crazies.    We don't have money for any other type of expansion so this seems like a good plan to me.  

Breathe

Trying not to panic.   I realize I cannot get everything done today.  I should really lay out a plan of attack for getting our house ready for Charley's parents.   Routines need to be more solid and we need to get rid of a bunch of stuff.   I make progress in spits and starts.   Lists.   Focus.   How to do that with sick and cranky kids.   The kids are better today but the youngest has decided he is an infant again in the nursing department.   Sigh.   I don't begrudge him but......my ADD kicks in and I see everything to get done and it makes me.....hyper and unsettled.   I know, I know....dust bunnies can wait while the kids are small but frankly the organization of stuff around here cannot wait if I plan to keep my marbles.    Onward.   Time to pay all the bills so I can have a break from paper work.   Oh yeah.....kids learning things.....must happen.   Yes, Karin is freaking out a bit. 

FlyLady is a swear word at times.   But at other times she is a Godsend.   If I cannot manage to get my oafy self off the couch, the FlyLady has been assisting me in at least giving goals and direction.   This does not always work for me but at times it has been a huge help.   Ongoing battles with depression keep whacky me from taking care of things like I should and also fighting the weight of all of that frustration leaves one feeling a bit befuddled at times.    So.....I re-signed up for  the FlyLady to fight the good fight.   I can't believe I am writing this but whatever.   I also can not believe I am the only person in this boat.   So at least if there is someone telling me what to do, I might do it.   It is making a difference so far.   No one else is me but me and no one else can help get me moving besides me.   Blah, blah, blah.  

Poisonous Leftovers

What is it with leftovers that seems to turn my children's stomach?   THey can love and adore the fresh food  the evening before and then the next day will have nothing to do with it even when prodded to eat the same thing.    I have discovered the secret that mothers have searched high and low for, to get their children to eat the dreaded leftovers.     There are two parts to this secret.    The first part is to run out of bread, not make any or buy any, and then make no effort to remember it at the store.    What happens is they have to make something to eat.   But wait.....there is a second part to this relentless problem.   Even when we run out of bread, the kids will make themselves scrambled eggs instead.    Um.....no.....scrambled eggs, a dirty pan, eggs left on the counter and.....a refrigerator which is still the home of the poison.

So what is the secret?   I am sure you are dying to know.   I found the secret when I decided to make up a schedule for the kids which required them to each have a day to prepare lunch for everyone else.   What to do they asked themselves and me.    This is when it started to happen.   Each child, on their special day of lunch preparation, looked at me in disbelief when there was no bread.    I pointed out to them the meals which were already prepared for them and they discovered the amazing ease of heating them up and dishing them out.    There are far fewer leftovers now.   I am relieved.   The fridge is relieved and we spend less on bread.  

I know.....some of y'all do not have leftovers.   We do.   They are poison unless push comes to shove.   Now to just stick to my guns on this despite the BLT's we had the other night.   I personally am not a fan of sandwiches so the lack of bread is of no loss to me.   Evil mother......