So the guys gave me the whole month to be a "bum" and settle into being home.  Which is nice.  It means I can get myself oriented and organized and ready to tackle the rest of life.  So I started in on getting my Planners together--Household and Homeschool and Emergency Prep.  I've made some pretty serious progress too, in between episodes of Atlantis and trying to beat Manling #1 at Castleville.  

I realized as I was going through my computer and flash drive that I've got SO much stuff I didn't even remember downloading.  But it's nice to know I don't have to reinvent the wheel to get myself together.

I've also started making Lists of things that need doing--by Day or by Activity, as it works out.  There's a lot of Paperwork, so I'll probably break some of that down into individual days or rotate weeks or something.  Likewise the Scout Lists.  

One item I can't wait to get back on my Lists is the Scrapbook Time for Mom.  I haven't even looked at my scrapbooking stuff since March.  That was in reference to the Eagle Scout book...and it didn't get finished.  It's all piled up on the ledge in the upstairs hallway--don't ask, I have no idea why!!  (Especially when you realize my scrapbooking table is in the basement.  *eyeroll*  Yeah....) 

I need to get through the school stuff for after the holidays too.  But since most of that is already in The Box, it shouldn't take more than an afternoon to finish up.  

Now...since I'm on Day 11 of my Bum Time...we interrupt this post to bring you another Episode of Stargate Atlantis...Season Four!  YAY.

Of Books, Boys, and Nothing in Particular

Another Sunday.
Another white wintery day.
We actually had a decent amount of snow last evening and into this afternoon. It's not a Wyoming Blizzard....but at least the grass is covered! Or was...until Manlings #3 & 4 scooped most of it up for their sledding ramp in the backyard. Thank goodness it's started coming down again to cover up the bare sports. Just so I can pretend we've had a snow 'storm.'

Manlings #1 & 2 came back from their Boy Scout Klondike Derby this morning, only to find me on the warpath after tearing apart the living room and their desks--only to find a whole lot more left undone than had been confessed to last week. I was NOT happy. Neither was their dad. Privileges have been revoked. A martial state has been declared, and we're going to have a long couple of weeks ahead of us trying to get back on track.

*sigh* Just when I thought things were getting better.

You know, it's not even that they didn't do the work as they said they did. It's the LYING that accompanied it. I hate it when my kids lie to me--for whatever reason. It really feels like someone has punched me square in the stomach, and I just can't get my breath. They know I'm going to be mad if they don't do their homework; but why lie about it? Lying just makes me even angrier, and they've blown my trust in them.

*feels small* Sometimes I envy parents who can send their kids off to public school. At least they can have a break from the constant presence of a child who cares so little for their parents' affection that they have no compunction about telling white-faced lies.

I just don't get it.

On the upside, the younger two both told me this morning that they feel things have gone much more smoothly now I'm home to explain things to them more. I know they're enjoying more mom/boys time.

With the older two out of the house for camp this weekend, I did get some cleaning done. My living room looks much more live-able now, and we rearranged the dining room to better accommodate our table (which really is too large for the room but that can't be helped with six people).

There was a whole fiasco this summer with my oldest sister who was using my house as her own personal storage unit the last year or so. When she finally decided she could find room in her new place, I had to literally empty of her crap out of my house in the space of a weekend. (Very hard to do when most of it had been put to use with her permission and blessing.) To be honest, I hadn't really liked having her 'stuff' cluttering up my house in the first place. You know how somethings just 'don't belong'? That pretty much sums up her items. Everything put me on edge. But getting it all out in one large sweeping clean-up meant a lot of holes and misplaced items of mine, which I haven't really had time to correct what with working so much.

This weekend I finally managed to banish the holes and start replacing things where they belonged. My tins and sewing things have reclaimed their places in my living room. My apple knicknacks have restaked their rightful places on the entertainment center. Best of all, it feels like MY house again.

And let me tell you what: DH and I have worked too long and too hard for what we have for us not to walk into this house and be able to claim it as our own. This is OUR space. It's not big, and it's not fancy...but it's OURS.