This week has been so busy with work and my oldest moving out on Friday, which took up a whole day. Well that and drive thru meet the teacher day, boy things are going to be different this year at school.
This little boy is very nervous about starting school tomorrow. It will look so much different than he is used to. Masks, desks far apart, nothing extra in a class, no working together, no sharing anything. He will adapt because there is no other choice but still I worry about his safety and his ability to interact socially, something he is already delayed with.
Friday was spent cleaning my house and moving my son. Yesterday was a day that I went a bit crazy. I decided to wash the boys which you can see did not make them happy. Then it was off to work on the bathrooms upstairs that the boys had been using. While I know they have wiped things down they really haven't had a super solid clean in a while. Let me just say that nothing makes the sadness you are feeling over your boys moving out go away like cleaning their bathrooms. After two hours I was not sad at all they were not here, actually they were lucky they were not here! I'll get sad again but it might be a while to get over the mess. Funny, they think they have moved out but literally all that is missing is their clothes and shoes. I mean how many products do you have to have under your sink for years and years? My garbage is filled with all the stuff they probably never even used.
As sad as Hank and Bear look after their bath they were really happy. They love to get wet and then run all around the pool area. What they don't like is being trapped outside until they dry off. Their serious faces made me laugh.
Now they are so fluffy and smell divine.
When I work really hard I always have a hard time sleeping that night. I think my mind is just tumbling around with all I have done and all I have yet to do. Yesterday besides the dreaded bathrooms was washing linens from the beds upstairs, washing the fur boys, making cookies with an oven that was not heating up, weeding, running errands, brushing the fur boys, and doing a bit of paperwork. Oh yeah and there was a little boy to keep entertained. Today I was up at 4:30 and as much as I tried to get back to sleep I couldn't. So I got up and got busy. I cleaned out the entire closet that is up in our playroom/my son's office. These boys of mine don't want to get rid of anything. So now their entire closet is in my dining room ready for them to look over or already in my garage ready to donate. They will not be happy with me when they come for dinner tonight. I also emptied out our guest room closet which is where we store everything. I went through loads of papers from my parents estate, and all the other stuff we had in there and moved it into the playroom closet. Including boxes with Christmas decorations and Christmas Santa's that can't be stored up in our garage attic due to the heat and humidity. Once again the shelves are filled but the guest room closet is empty! Hooray!
I moved an antique washstand from our guest room into my office and eliminated one white shelf I had in there. It is a bit tight in here but it is an actual working space and where I see private patients when there is not a pandemic, so I have to work with the space I have. I was done with everything by 8 AM and I was ready for a nap. It does feel good to get things moving along and out of my house. I have way more to go but once again it is a start.
And just because I love this photo here is Mr 23, Hank and Luna. Mr 23 has completed one week of law school. He has classes Sunday through Friday because they are trying to keep classes small with social distancing. He said it is so weird with everyone with a mask on, not easy to get to know fellow students that way. He will survive.
Thinking of all of you affected by this pandemic and thinking of all of you in California with the threat and destruction of all of those fires. Stay safe my friends.
31 comments:
Busy Busy bee!! Goodness you are a multitasking goddess!! I feel quite exhausted reading all that you have done. It is contagious as I am starting to feel that I need to get down to some clearing out of cupboards and rooms too. You know ...talk about body language....those furry lads of yours Hank and Bear look really unhappy in the first photo although they looked so tremendously huggable when they got dry. I think you need a bit of quality time to unwind. I prescribe a nice cup of Darjeeling tea and some soothing classical music in the background all preferably outdoors and a sign indicating you do not wish to be disturbed for the next 30 mins. keep well Amanda x
Will be thinking happy thought for a successful first day of school tomorrow! I wish I could smell those clean pups!
The California wildfires are awful :( and just saw news that two hurricanes will be hitting your side of the U.S. sometime this coming week. Really is a terrible time in so many ways. Good job getting things organized. Each day, I try to do a little something to get closer to weeding through, getting rid of and sorting things out. Hope school goes well for your boys.
Oh my goodness what a week! where do you get your energy Meredith, I'm warn out just listening to it you were really on a roll there. No wonder you couldn't sleep your mind must have been all over the place. Lovely photo's of all your boys, Hank and Bear look so handsome after their bath. Little Buddy has such a sweet smile and yes it's going to be very different for him when he starts school but Kids are so resilient he'll soon get used to it and I'm sure everything will have been put in place to keep him safe, although that doesn't stop a Mum from worrying I know. I'll be thinking about him tomorrow, let us know next week how he gets on. I hope your week is a good one. xx
Those fur boys are so human in their expressions. So cute. Your tidy office is an inspiration for me to keep decluttering mine;)
I got tired just reading about all you've been doing! It reminds me of the time my son packed to move to Japan for a year. I went to clean the house that he had been living in for him after he left and I swear it looked like he was just going down to the corner for some beer. He had a coffee cup full of coffee on the desk, dishes in the sink, books and papers all over the place. I still tease him about it to this day.
As a former first grade teacher I can't imagine what everyone is going through right now. The first day was hard enough without having to wear a mask and other protection. I spent all day holding and comforting crying kids who were having to be peeled off their parents. How on earth is that going to happen in this situation?
Reading that tired me out.Good luck with school.Difficult times for everyone.We are about to move house,downsizing, so there has been major de cluttering going onhere
Good luck with school tomorrow, I hope Little Buddy gets used to the new school day soon. It is difficult but in the long run, I think it is important to have schools open as much as possible for the mental wellbeing of children and so that they can socialise in a somewhat normal way. Second full week for mine tomorrow.
My house could do with a bit of decluttering... if you have time :-)
Wishing you a lovely and not too stressful week xx
I can so relate to how good it feels to clean out and make nice rooms that have finally been vacated! LOL! But we had our family here for 5 years. I love how the fur boys looked all wet and then all fluffy. Give that cute little boy a hug from us. Take a day of rest, my friend! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Gorgeous clean fluffy dogs. Bertie always goes nuts racing round after he gets wet as well, funny isn't it. Your comment about cleaning the bathrooms to get over the leaving made me laugh, I can well imagine it worked like a charm. Decluttering is brilliant isn't it. I too had a mad day of doing everything today and the house is (a bit) clean although I would love a couple of weeks to really declutter properly. I'm in the mood for moving out stuff we no longer need or use, especially books that no-one reads any more as they are too young and clothes that have been grown out of. I aspire to clutter free simple living! CJ xx
And importantly I forgot to add, good luck to your little man with school tomorrow. I hope he settles in quickly and enjoys it. It will indeed be a big adjustment, but I hope there will still be some fun to be had. Love that second photo, utterly adorable. I just read one of your older posts when you just got Bear. There is such a lovely picture of you, Little Buddy and tiny little Bear. Oh how the two of them have grown! CJ xx
We just moved our boys this month. We now have an echo in their bedroom, without any furniture in it. Ha Ha!
Best of luck to Mr.23!!
Hugs, Carla
You have been super busy, and have accomplished a LOT! I'm watching what's happening with school openings around North America - we don't go back until September 8 - and I'm still not certain what it's going to look like. The plans keep changing.
Stay well. I hope Little Buddy's first school days will be reassuring.
Good luck to Little Buddy on his first day back. I hope he has a wonderful year.
You are definitely a whirlwind! As you know I can relate to cleaning out and getting rid of things. So far we haven't missed anything but it's only been a month since the big cleanout. I do know about all of the products in the bathroom. I finally threw out all of Alex's things last month. I don't know why I was holding on to them. Hoping he would come home? Now there is no home to come to. A strange feeling for sure.
I love the photos of the fur babies. They do look so solemn but they are probably thinking, "Ahhh, that feels SO GOOD!"
Piper started 2nd grade last Tuesday. Dennis was with her tonight and I asked her how she likes it. She has ALWAYS loved school. She said she doesn't like it this year but does like her teacher. I think it will be difficult for everyone but I guess they will adapt just like everyone has had to this year. What a strange and unknown place we're all in right now.
Take care my dear Meredith and relax just a little.
Blessings,
Betsy
I hope everything goes well for the first day of school today. All the changes will take some getting used to. Awww, Hank and Bear look bedraggled when they're wet, they look lovely and clean when dry though. Well done on all the sorting out. I've still got loads of Daniel's things here even though he moved out years ago.
You have been busy, but you must feel better having things sorted and clean. Two of my grandchildren start school for the first time in September which is a worry we are certainly living in some very strange times. Always a joy to see Little Buddy and those gorgeous fur boys. Take care.
Hope your morning is going well today! I always find cleaning a good remedy for saying goodbye to grown kids! Feels good to clean out, doesn't it?!
When my sons moved out, it took me a LONG time to clean their shared apartment on the second floor. I used to set an alarm clock for 45 minutes a day and do it that way so that I wouldn't get resentful. That place was a sty! Now I just laugh when they complain to me about how hard it is to get their own girlfriends/kids to keep things cleaned up and orderly. KARMA!
You're a powerhouse. I walk into my office and look, get overwhelmed and walk out. I suspect when I get home to stay and we're all still social distancing as fall and flu season begins, along with C-19, I will handle a closet or shelf at a time. Hard decisions coming up, I can tell!
All the boys -- human and canine -- are darling. Such wonderful photos. And your office looks great!
All best wishes for today's "first day." It will be odd, but I suspect that teachers have been working hard to figure out ways to make their classes most comfortable. Good luck! (You know we'll all want a report card on how they do!)
I'm exhausted, Meredith, you have been busy! It must be so wonderful to have everything cleared and clean and tidy. I find that when I do a big clean or declutter I keep going back into the room to admire my handiwork. A bit silly but I do.
Amalia
xo
Oh dear, boys and bathrooms. I have a friend who is 60 and she's lived with her guy for 20 plus years. She says, that when he leaves the bathroom it is SPOTLESS. Every time. HE has some quirks and some faults, but I don't know anyone who raves about how their love cleans the bathroom.
We must clone him.
School will be weird for Lil Buddy. But hopefully he will find something fun about it. School is a lot of work for kids. The transition from summer to school was never a happy one in my growing up home or my raising my kids home. Im going to think o f things I loved in school...hmmm this may take awhile. > I was a school refuser.
What a contrast --- the happy little guy and the "sad" big boys!
oh! first. that little face. who in the world could resist that smile.
I am always late because for some reason my email system is one day after everyone else! so now it's Monday and Little Buddy is facing school. I hope it goes well.
and...
BRAVA! dear Mere! I might be one of the few people who dearly LOVE to clear out! I am a cozy minimalist. not the all-white hard edges kind... but the cozy kind who only keeps what's needed.
it's a wonderfully freeing and easy way to live! Kudos to you for starting it all! sending love and caring thoughts xoxo
and PS! the 'furry boys!' oh be still my heart. Hank and Bear just grow more adorable. how can you stand it! LOL!!!
hug them for ME too.
Wow! I'm exhausted just reading all you did! Phew!
Little Buddy may be nervous but he looks extremely proud and happy.
Isn't it amazing the difference between a wet dog and a clean, dry one?? SO fluffy!
Your home looks so clean and beautiful! Congratulations on getting all of that work done. Your dogs are a scream!
If you're for hire to help me clean out our basement and garage, come on over! Just reading about your whirlwind activity makes me want to take a nap. ;-)
Be good to yourself and try to get some much deserved rest.
xoxo
you live such a big busy full life I am always amazed at what you accomplish each week. I bet it was bittersweet to move a son out! I hope Little B has a good school week.
What a lot of clearing happened in such a short time! The fur boys look much happier dry; but, I imagine that if they would have covered themselves in mud, they would have been smiling at the back door with the look of. . .Hey, Mom. . .we had fun!!!!!
Hope you are able to get some rest, dear Meredith. 💜🙏
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