Turning a cave into a refuge!

It's been 6.5 years since we moved into Steve's grandparents' house. Because of the layout of the house, we decided it was best for us to take their old bedroom as our own. I wasn't excited about the paneled walls, but Steve didn't want to paint over them, either. We cleaned them with lavender oil and Murphy's Wood Oil Soap in water, and they began to shine.

We pulled up the nasty green shag carpet and pulled down the dusty gold drapes. The wood floors were also dark-colored, but they were in decent condition. We ordered light-colored insulated drapes, but the room was still really dark with only two small wall-mounted lights, and nothing overhead. I've tried to fill it with light colors, to brighten up the darkness of the room, and we've added three lamps to help brighten the  room.

I have to admit that it's become one of my favorite places now. I love to slip in there during the day for a few moments of peace. It's small.  There is just enough room to walk around our king-size bed, and we share it with our baby.  But I have tried to make it a place of beauty and peace. 

Above the bed is a print of Ruth 1:16 - "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." It's a good reminder that my husband and I are a team, sharing the journey of our life together.

Beside the bed we have a print that belonged to Steve's Mom.  It's a Ron DiCianni print of the prodigal son returning to his father's loving embrace.  She had bought a print to represent each of her children, and technically this one isn't Steve's. It's been in my closet since his Mom went in the nursing home, since getting it across the country is a bit complicated. I finally took it out of my closet and hung it on the wall a few months ago, until we can get it to Steve's brother. In the meantime, it reminds me to pray for my children who are launching into the world.

The shelf beside our bed has one of Steve's family heirloom quilts on it, folded up since it isn't in good enough shape to hang.  We store the practical items like tissues, lip balm, lotion, and a lamp within easy reach.  We also have a Bible and a stack of devotional books tucked on a lower shelf you can't actually see.

There is another shelf along the wall at the bottom of the bed, which holds three more folded quilts, diaper supplies, some of Steve's shoes, and another lamp.  The art print on the wall is one that was actually given to me in college, by my roommate.  I fell in love with the gentle image of the baby painted by Bessie Peace Gutmann. Early in our marriage, Steve had it framed for me as a gift, and it has hung in our bedroom ever since.  It reminds me to pray for our littlest children, treasure their baby days, and pray for our future grandchildren.

Above my dresser, hangs another Ron DiCianni print from Steve's Mom. This one was meant for my husband, and it features a father praying over a sleeping boy. I only hung it a few months ago. Before that, the Gutmann baby print was above my dresser, and this was also in my closet while I decided what to do with it. When I look at it, I am reminded to pray for our children ... more fervently than just a nightly bedtime prayer. All three of the prints in our room remind me of our children in all their different ages, and that I need to be more consistent in praying for them.


On top of my dresser is a suitcase I bought at a yard sale. I loved the red toile lining and have used it to organize my jewelry, makeup, lotions, and hair supplies. It's a cluttered mess right now. Our small room is wall-to-wall furniture. You can see the edge of our overflowing laundry hamper to the left of my dresser, and Steve's clothes hanging on a rack to the right of my dresser.

Some day I will have a chair beside our bed, so I can sit in here to read, do my devotions, or pray. At the moment, we have our toddler bed squeezed in between our bed and the door. Our 1 yo son naps here and starts his nights here, before he wakes up and joins me in our bed. (Note the bed rail on my side of the bed for him, and the artwork his 7 year old sister hung above his bed.) He'll probably be sleeping there until he's three, as most of his siblings have done before him. In the meantime I climb up into my bed to sit and read when the living room is too loud. 

I still can't believe that the room I used to dread moving into and complained was a dark cave has become a soothing place of refuge to Steve and myself. Adding lights, meaningful artwork, and a colorful quilt to brighten the room definitely helped. Now I see it as warm, cozy, peaceful, inviting room, and I don't sit in there dreaming of painting over the paneling anymore. It's taken six years of gradual changes to reach this point, though.

(Note: I didn't clean my room very well. I should have straightened up the shelves and my dresser if I was going to take pictures. Just know that there's a reason you didn't see pictures of Steve's dresser or the inside of my closet. Creating order out of the chaos in my closet is a quarterly project.)

I don't know what inspired me to share my room with you.  It's certainly not pinterest-worthy or Better Homes and Garden style. But it does show how time, patience, and love can make even a small, dark room in a small house, full of people, into a refuge.

April E.

Using up all those EGGS from your pet chickens

I love having chickens.  I love watching them.  It's so relaxing to take a walk outside and just watch them for awhile.  I'm not sure what that says about me, but it's true.

We frequently have too many eggs in our fridge.  Because I am not a morning person (also lazy) and will not cook eggs for breakfast  - like ever - we can only get through so many in a week.  We usually eat one big egg supper and maybe have egg sandwiches for one or two lunches ... plus whatever we use in baking or making a meat loaf. 

Occasionally, I boil a big batch of eggs, to use the excess.  My kids are always excited for the eggs, at first ... but then they sit in the fridge getting stinky.  Eventually, we end up feeding several old boiled eggs to the barn cats.

Right after I boiled 2 dozen eggs last week, our family saw this video from youtube: How to Peel an Egg Russian Way.  Now my kids are eagerly eating boiled eggs just so the boys can peel them the Russian way.

If you have boys, they will love this and beg you to boil eggs so they can try it. And yes, I've tried it, too. My advice is hold your hand much closer to the egg or lean over a table.  We've had a few hit the floor from an overly confident pre-teen standing up to do it with his other hand too far out.  It doesn't always work, if the egg membrane is adhered to the whites too much, but usually it does.

I hope the novelty doesn't wear off too soon, because I need to use up more eggs.  Lots more.  Otherwise I might have to either cook them for breakfast (gasp) or start baking every day (double gasp)!

April E.

It's small. It's old. But it's home; and sometimes ... it glows!

 My kitchen is small.  It hasn't been updated since the 60s; complete with peach walls, melon counter tops, and an avacado green sink.  The paint is dirty and the plaster is cracked in places.  I don't have enough cupboards, and definitely not enough counter space.

The ugly stained carpet is glued to linoleum, with a black tar-like substance - otherwise I'd have ripped it up in favor of the old cream and turquoise swirled linoleum.  Instead, I've covered the stained areas with rugs we had been using in our living room.

We usually have dishes waiting to be washed on the left side of the sink, and we always have clean dishes drying on the right of the sink. If the dishes are piled up, I literally have nowhere to work at all.

I do love my little, odd kitchen.  No, I wouldn't have chosen the melon colored counters or the green sink.  No, I wouldn't have picked the ugly brown carpet or peach walls.  I probably wouldn't have chosen blonde-colored cupboards, either.  But ... when the sun shines through the white eyelet curtain late in the afternoon, it glows.

I love when it glows, especially if the dishes are caught up.

It's unusual.  It's small.  But it's home.  I love working in here, when it's clean.  When we are preparing a big meal, or baking, we have to set up a card table in the back half of the kitchen, just to have room to work.  We have made so many memories in our ugly little kitchen since we moved here 6 years ago.  No wonder it makes me smile.

Yes, I get frustrated.  Many days I struggle with having enough room to work.  Some days I slam the pan cupboard a little too hard, because the pan lids are threatening to jump out again.  Sometimes I groan when I realize I have to go to the basement to get some canned goods, since there isn't room to store them upstairs.  And I often snap at someone who comes out for a drink when I'm trying to cook.

I need to be more patient and calm in those moments.  I need to keep the kids rolling on dishes better, so I don't get frustrated by lack of  counter space. I need to remember its glow when I'm frustrated by all its oddities.

Someday we'll re-do the kitchen, but deep down I'll miss the melon counter tops a little ... just like I miss the 1950s stove we replaced.  It didn't work very well, but it was charming and unique.

Yep, I kind of miss that old stove, but not the oven that only heated on one side.

Finding joy,

April E.

How to Spend An Unplanned Hour, or How to Clean Your Fridge Really Well

If you really have nothing to do, and are just twiddling your thumbs looking for a way to kill an hour, I have the solution for you.  There are several steps in this process, however.

First, let a half gallon of milk expire.  Save it, for making buttermilk pancakes sometime.

Second, let a 1/4 gallon of milk expire.  Pour it into the saved half gallon jug.

Third, go on a diet so you don't want to serve pancakes and syrup to your family.

Fourth, keep the spoiled milk because you intend to use it sometime.

Fifth, notice that the jug is at the point you need to open the lid to release built-up gasses every couple days.  Commence doing so.

Sixth, move it to a shelf on the door of the fridge when the fridge gets full.

Seventh, open and close the door several times a day.

That should take care of the problem for you.  Because one day you will open the fridge and immediately smell sour milk.  Then you will notice a puddle spreading across the floor under the door, right onto the carpet.  (Still say carpets in kitchens was the stupidest idea ever.)  Then you will notice that the gallon of spoiled milk has exploded and is leaking out under the lid.

Call your spouse to help with the clean-up. Start by soaking up spilled milk in the carpet, then clean the fridge door.  Then remove meat and vegetable drawers from the fridge and clean the puddle on the fridge floor itself.  Continually notice that the next shelf up is also dirty and clean it, too.  Spray fridge with bleach water.

Then start attacking the carpet with soapy water.  Soak that up as much as possible.  Then break out the pet odor remover and soak the floor again.  And again.  And again. 

Yeah, that should take care of both your problems.  You'll have a clean fridge, and you'll kill an hour of time.  Not that I would know this from experience ... because that's not how I spent an hour of my time this weekend.  Nope. 

April E.

I Have Discovered Housekeeping Rule #1

Note to Self:  Before closing the van door, double check to be sure a "barn cat" has not climbed inside.  Sigh.  Otherwise, you may open the door one day and be greeted first, by the very strong smell of cat urine, and second, by the sound of meowing. 

Thankfully, I wasn't trying to take the whole family somewhere, and I had another car option to use instead.  Of course, as soon as I came home I had to clean the 15 passenger van.  It wasn't as bad as I first feared.  Only one cat pile, right where the driver's foot rests in front of the gas pedal.  And only one place that was peed in.  Unfortunately, it was the baby's car seat, and it had been peed in multiple times.  I'm trying to save the car seat.

I have the car seat cloth cover in the washing machine as we speak, and the car seat frame is drying on the porch where I washed it and sprayed it with the pet odor remover spray.  I am hoping that the pet odor remover spray that is soaking into the van's bench seat removes any lingering odor from the pee that soaked through the car seat into the van seat.  I also put one of the Arm & Hammer Fridge Odor Absorber boxes in the van.  I am VERY thankful right now for my vinyl seats and vinyl floor in the van.  No carpets and cloth seats to hold that smell in forever. 

Lots of work, lots of hoping and wishing and praying that it smells better later.  And it could have been avoided if I hadn't grabbed my babies out of the van (last two kids in it) on Wednesday night and shut the door without looking around.  Of course, it's been ages since the cat tried to get in the van so I had no reason to be looking for her.  Ugh. 

New rule.  Rule number one.  ALWAYS look for cats before shutting the van door.  Sigh.

April E.

Housekeeping Rule #589

If you happen across a spilled litter box mess, take the time to get a paper towel to clean up large chunks.  Don't just vacuum it up.

 

If you do decide to vacuum it up, make sure that your vacuum bag is almost full.  Because you WILL be emptying that vacuum bag the next time you need to vacuum.  When the litter box smell spreads through the room every time you turn it on, you WILL throw out that vacuum bag (no matter how empty it is) and start over.

 

It pays to think about these things before you vacuum something up.  Unfortunately, I usually learn from hindsight.

 

This blog post has been entered in The Christian Home magazine's weekly issue. You can read more entries at the Petra School blog.

 

Rejoicing in Family,
April E.

The never-ending battle!

This blog post has been entered in The Christian Home magazine's weekly issue.  You can read more entries at The Legacy of Home blog.

 

I hate to confess this, but I'm trying to slowly regain a sense of order, good habits, and cleanliness in our home.  It's a slow battle as there are so many things we have neglected since Baby V was born 9 months ago.  I foolishly thought my summer would be relaxed and I could focus on catching up in these areas.  Ha ha!  We are making slow, but steady progress, and learning a few more rules along the way.

 

Housekeeping Rule #745

If you're wondering how clean your floors are, borrow a crawling baby for the day.  Nothing will test the cleanliness of your floors more than a baby wearing pastel sleepers and onesies scooting and crawling around.

 

We didn't really think  about how long it had been since we mopped the wood floors, until she started crawling.    We had to replace our mop, but we've mopped now!  And I don't plan to let it get that bad again.  (I promise it had not been 9 months since we mopped the living room floor, just a few months.)

 

Housekeeping Rule #15

If you can't find a solution, ask your teen.  They always have an answer.

 

One of my daughters was advising me that the solution to our struggle was for me to create detailed chore charts.  I replied to her that I can attest from experience that the best charts in the world can not work without diligence and compliance from the children (and adults!) in the family.  If we decide we don't feel like doing much today, then we will pay for it tomorrow.  She felt like I was being negative to not consider her suggestion.  I think she's forgotten the many variations of chore charts we decorated our fridge with in the past.

 

Housekeeping Rule #381

If you really want help folding laundry, hold it hostage.  The camp-bound children WILL help fold clothes in order to be able to pack faster.

 

Housekeeping Rule #1005

He who puts away the most clothes, has control.  He who puts away the least, can walk further.

 

This weekend I was folding clothes while the children were cleaning the living room and vacuuming it.   I couldn't fold at the couch, or the dining room table (because it hadn't been cleaned yet), so I was folding them on my bed with one of my campers helping.  As I folded it dawned on me that 5/10 of the people whose clothes I was folding belong in my room or the one next to it, and I put that half of the clothes away myself.  Not to mention linens, kitchen towels, and bathroom towels are all close to my room.  I guess I should fold on my bed more often.  It saves trips for me, and it means that the clothes won't sit in stacks for several days waiting for children to put their clothes away.  They will have to be OFF my bed by bedtime.  That may be our new plan ... and since I washed 4 loads today, I can test it tomorrow when I fold.

 

I don't know how long it will take to fix up the house and build good habits in the kids and I.  Diligence and patience over time would be my guess.  Ouch!  Now to just figure out where we can buy both of those.

 

Rejoicing in Family,
April E.

Housekeeping Rule # 1004

Supper usually turns out best if the chef pays attention to it.  In other words, that is not the best time to try to write a blog post.  Somehow, multi-tasking during supper preparations doesn't work well if the other task is on the other side of the house, involves sitting down, and concentrating on something else.

 

Oddly enough, I had just been telling my 15 yo three nights ago that cooking isn't difficult if you do two things:  follow directions, and pay attention to the meal.  Don't get distracted.

 

Unfortunately, this week she saw what happens when you don't pay attention -- scorched charcoal sausage links.  They make nice teething sticks for the baby, though.  Very flavorful!  I bet the puppy would like it, too.  The children were not so inclined to gnaw at them.

 

April E.

Housekeeping Rule #734

Boys should not own white anything.  Not sheets.  Not shirts.  Not socks.

 

Khaki slacks are also probably not a good idea.  Not unless you plan to bleach every load of whites you wash.

 

Keep the white guest sheets locked up!

 

Grieving my white sheets,
April E.

Proverbs 31: My work matters to God

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies."~Proverbs 31: 10

I used to hate the Proverbs 31 woman because she did EVERYTHING, and she did it perfectly. Or so I assumed.

In my mind I created a vision of the perfect woman who never rested, was never lazy, rose early and stayed up late, sewed her family designer clothes, cooked healthy whole-food meals 3 times a day, taught her children, worked from home, had a clutter-free home, and managed to go out in the community regularly enough to bring respect for herself and her husband. She had wise words, was gentle and loving, not given to worrying, and probably spent hours in prayer each day. And I couldn't measure up, even if I tried my hardest.

But I've begun to see Proverbs 31 differently. I don't see it as a goal to reach. I don't see it portraying the perfect woman who pleases God because she is perfect. Instead when I read Proverbs 31, I see that God values the role of wife and mother. He values the domestic work that we do as wives and as moms ... enough that He included it in His description of a godly woman.

God values my laundry efforts, even when I let it pile up, and even when my children let their clean folded clothes get scattered around their room rather than putting them away.

God values my meal-planning and cooking, even when my children complain that I've made 3 meals in a row that they don't like, or I serve the emergency stash of frozen pizza as soon as my husband buys it. (In other words, God values the fact that I feed my family even if I didn't plan a meal or prepare in advance.)

God values my efforts to provide clothing for my children, even if I am shopping at the thrift store, or my children reject some of the clothes I've bought for them. God values my efforts even when some of my children think they don't have enough clothing choices.

God values my work which allows my husband and children to succeed, even if it leaves me in the background where others don't see me.

God values the time I spend worrying over homeschooling my kids, or the time I spend teaching my children to read, or the time I spend explaining a math problem, even when my children don't "get it" right away.

God values the batch of banana muffins I made, even if it's the first thing I've baked in months, or I use white flour and sugar instead of honey and whole wheat flour.

God values the warm and loving home environment I create for my family. God values my attempts at de-cluttering our home, one grocery sack at a time. God values each little baby step I take, and each repetitive task (like laundry) that I tackle.

God values the story I read to my younger children, and the time spent rocking a fussy baby or feverish child. God sees the calming hand checking fevers, patting backs, and handing out medicine ... even if it meant the laundry pile grew larger.

God values the conversations with my teens that are building their worldview and developing their faith, even if it interrupts a math lesson or a bedtime routine. God even values the difficult conversations that start out well and end with angry teens and a Mom who wishes she'd stayed calmer or listened more.

Even if I don't do each of these things perfectly, or if I fail dramatically, what I do for my family (or attempt to do) matters to God. He sees what others may not see. He appreciates what some take for granted. He sees my heart and motives, when others only see my flawed performance.

It is a blessing to know that what I do each and every day, no matter how mundane and trivial, or how flawed, matters to God. But, what matters more than the skills I'm developing, or the chores I do for my family is my relationship with the Lord. Am I developing a close walk with Him and teaching my children about Him? "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Am I doing my work to please the Lord, or to receive praise and thanks from those around me? Even if no one else sees or thanks me, can I do it for God alone? "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men," Colossians 3:23


If I keep my focus on my relationship with God, and serving Him by serving my family, I am less likely to feel unappreciated or to compare myself with other moms. It should be enough to know that what I'm doing is important to God, and my efforts please Him.

This article was featured in The Christian Home blog carnival at Legacy of Home.

Learning as I go,
April E.

Housekeeping Rule #873

If your printer keeps jamming, open it up to remove the gray and white eraser that was dropped in ... probably by the 2 yo.

If the VCR (for those who still have them) keeps ejecting the VCR tape, get a flashlight and look inside to find the matchbox car, toy plastic plate, or colored pencil that was pushed into it ... probably by the 2 yo.

If the toaster smells like it's burning up, unplug it, then look inside and remove the bread wrapper twistie-tie or butter knife that's been dropped inside ... probably by the 4 yo.

Or, you could lock the 2 yo and 4 yo in a safe environment and never let them out of this room which has no electronic equipment at all.  Though I have no idea how you'd get anything done if you had to spend your time in this electronic-free environment with them.  Sigh.

April E.

Fellowship, Hospitality, and the Large Family

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."  1 Peter 4:9-10

Fellowship is so important.  God made us to be social and to need friendship and support from others, especially from fellow believers.  But there is one thing I've learned over the years:  people don't invite families with young children over very often.  When you have a large family, invitations become even more rare.  Which means, the ball is entirely in YOUR court.

If you have a large family and want to fellowship with others, it is going to depend on you to invite others into your home.  Hospitality can be scary, and sometimes it seems overwhelming, but it is a blessing!  God tells us to be hospitable several times in the Bible, but it isn't just so we can bless other people.  It's also because God knows that hospitality blesses US!  When we open our homes and hearts to others, everyone is blessed.  (Besides, your house gets clean!)

As a homeschooling family, and a large family, our home is rather crowded.  It is designed for function and daily living, not Martha Stewart style entertaining.  It is old and it needs to be repainted, but we can't let that stop us.  Yes, my dining room is also my school room.  Yes, there are bookshelves full of school supplies in there and maps on the wall.  So what?  It doesn't stop conversation, and it doesn't affect appetites.

For years, I was so hung up on the inadequacy of my home that I didn't invite anyone over, except family.   That is when we realized that we weren't getting invited anywhere, and our need for fellowship could only be met during church functions.  After we moved, we found that there wasn't enough time at church functions to really get to know others better.  There were families we wanted to know better, but we couldn't do that in  the church foyer before or after services.

Last year, Steve and I purposed to begin to open our home to others again, so we could develop deeper relationships.  This actually began when Steve and I joined a Dinner For Eight program at church.  Four couples, four meals, four months.  We enjoyed inviting those 3 couples into our home on one of the 4 months, and we enjoyed eating at their homes.  The fellowship was sweet, and we participated in two different cycles of Dinner For Eight.  But it isn't designed for family fellowship, so we decided to branch out on our own.

When I was pregnant with Baby V, we were busy working to declutter the home and organize it for the baby.  We decided to take advantage of that cleanliness to invite families over before the baby arrived and life (and the house) got messy again.  We had several families over during the course of that final month of pregnancy, and enjoyed it!  Our hope was to return to hosting families in November, but we haven't yet succeeded.  Though, we have allowed the children to have their friends over several times,  as long as they help prepare the house for their guests.  Housework is more fun when you have friends coming over!

At the moment, winter illnesses make entertaining difficult.  I'm hoping we are well soon so we can begin to host families again.  I've been missing the fellowship, and I've found that hospitality isn't that hard.  My busy family and full house hasn't scared anyone away yet.  We will need to take advantage of the cooler weather in Spring, because our home has no air conditioning and we won't want to subject guests to that in summer.

Some tips for beginning to share hospitality:

• Remember that guests are coming to see YOU, not your house.


• Remember that a cheerful welcoming spirit will shine more than a spotless or beautifully decorated home.


• Remember that their house probably isn't perfect, either.


• Plan a meal that you're familiar with cooking, your family enjoys, and that is easily increased.


• If guests offer to bring something, let them bring a salad, rolls, or dessert.


• It doesn't have to be gourmet -- even hot dogs and hamburgers can be the backdrop for great fellowship!


• If a full meal is too scary, start with an evening of dessert or an ice cream sundae bar one afternoon.


• Get the whole family involved in cleaning the house, and talk to your children about the importance of hospitality as you work.  Teach them to have a servant's heart.


• Start out by inviting someone you feel comfortable with, and then branch out to others.


• It's easier if you stay in the habit of being hospitable.  If you have to take a break, expect it to be a bit rusty again.


• Getting your home ready for guests is work, but it isn't just for the guests.  Having a clean home blesses your family as well.

I regret all the years I refused to have company over to our previous home.  It was small.  It did have some cluttered areas, and it still does.  But, we missed out on  lots of fellowship opportunities.  I don't want to let that happen again.

Are you in the habit of practicing hospitality?  Do you need to get in the habit?  Do you have any tips to share with me as I prepare to resume hosting families?

This post is an entry in The Christian Home blog carnival at Legacy of Home.  Follow Legacy of Home to catch each new edition.

April E.

Housekeeping Rule #363

Keep your pantry well-organized, with oldest products at the front of the shelf to be used first.   This will prevent you from opening a can of "out of date" pumpkin puree that has a metallic flavor, or from pulling a rock-hard bag of sugar off the shelf to refill your sugar canister.

However, if your sugar bowl is empty, and your sugar canister is also empty, and if you really need that sugar for your coffee, and the bag of sugar you found to refill them all is hard as a rock ...  a potato masher can break up the chunks of sugar-rocks.  Just pour the bag of chunks into your canister, then mash away.  A twisting action helps to break them up faster.  Press, and twist.  I suspect this will need to be done again, once you've used the top layer of sugar and more chunks are exposed.

Of course, my OWN pantry is perfectly organized and I would NOT have any experience with rock-hard bags of sugar.  Not at all.  Ahem.  Moving on.

(shuffling feet and glancing around nervously as she tosses the potato masher into the sink)

Just don't look in my sugar canister, please.

April E.

Housekeeping Rule #215

The best way to mop your bathroom floor is to NOT mop it.

Just send your kids to shower or bathe.  After they've all had their time in the shower,  send one of them in with a towel to dry all the puddles off the floor.  Now you have a clean bathroom floor ... relatively.

Or am I the only one whose kids prefer to drip-dry rather than use their towel for more than a wrap?

April E.

Housekeeping Rule (tip) #253

If you want your cat litter to last a little longer ...

just burn a scented candle.

It will disguise the litter box smell for at least another day.

Of course, this should probably only be used in emergencies, like when your family is puking everywhere and you really don't have time to change the cat litter but the smell is really making you want to puke, too.  Well, actually, if the smell is making you want to puke, you'd better take the time to change the cat litter.

Okay, so only use this if you aren't expecting company, and you're feeling just a little bit lazy.  Or when you can't stand the smell but need a few more hours before you're able to get to it.  How's that?  ;)

Just sayin'!
April E.

Motherhood Hint #1 and Housekeeping Rule #1

People first.  Projects second.

Meeting your family's needs always comes first, even if the laundry piles up a little, or the living room doesn't get dusted weekly ... or even monthly.

Hint:  The more kids you have, the less dusting you need to do.  They touch everything and climb on everything (if they're monkeys like mine) so they just dust it with their clothes eventually.

Pressing on,
April E.

Housekeeping Rule #8 and Motherhood Hint #8

The secret to a clean house is letting your children invite their friends over often, on the condition that the house is clean first.

This works best with your teen daughters,  since they will also feel peer pressure to present a  nice home to their friends.

April E.

Housekeeping Rule #605

The more children you have, the less nice clothes you have to hand-down.  Even if the item is brand new at the start of a season, it may not be wearable in the next season.

(I'm not sure if kids just get messier the more you have, or if  parents just get more relaxed about what they let them eat and where they let them play.  I'm sure it's not because I spend less time treating stains than I used to.   I think I like the "kids get messier" theory.)

Keeping the Home,
April E.

Housekeeping Rule #599

If you are behind on laundry, a catastrophe WILL occur.   It could be any of the following things:

• someone will wet the bed
• the toilet will overflow and you'll use all your towels to sop it up
• a stomach virus will sweep through the house and the kids will puke in their beds repeatedly
• the washing machine or dryer will break down

April E.

Housekeeping Rule #598

If you finally get all the laundry washed, dried, and folded ... the children will suddenly emerge from their bedrooms with a secret stash of dirty clothes to refill the laundry hampers.

After all, a hamper can't sit empty for more than an hour.  It's a law.

(If you're looking for the previous 597 rules, there aren't any.  I chose a random number.  But I will be adding more housekeeping rules, as time goes on.)

April E.