It is time to face facts

No matter what I buy, or how much I clean the kids and pets (and husband) are determined to ruin the house.  They make it their mission to systematically destroy, un-do, and make sure that I never, ever catch up....

Exibit A.     Does this say draw on me with sharpie to anyone else?

Exibit B.  Aparently furniture is for scratching, and chewing...

Exibit C.  Girly touches everywhere enhance?

Exhibit D.  Do we need to permanently label EVERYTHING?!

Exhibit E.   They have a sense for when I finish cleaning a room, then immediately start to cook something, eat something, or craft something!

Exhibit F.  Just how dirty are their hands!?

No, I would not trade them, but I feel like I am trying to warm a room with an open window on an -15 degree below day.   (that is the current temperature) Clever analogy, right?  It has to stop someday right?  At least I can say we LIVE in our home.

It's officially to cold to do anything at all...

School District just called.  They cancelled school for tomorrow based on a forecast that hell is freezing over.   My kids are torn, they are ready to go back, but they like being lazy too.  I am a little happy (read a lot) that I will not be getting up at 4:40 am to drive Ian to swim.  It would be painful to be up that early in weather so cold it is dangerous.  The kids have been really good this break.  Little fights, but not all the time, keeping busy, and helping out around the night.

So there will be another day to

Bond with new foster kitties: say hello to Dreamcicle

Rainbow Loom: Dad is driving them today for supplies to get through tomorrow

And of course, Mine Craft.  Ella and her friend Ava officially live in a different reality than the rest of us...

It's a first!

I know that there have been many times that I have wished a school break was shorter, or that I had a break from the kids.  This is NOT one of those times.  I hope that  Monday is a cold day.  I hope we get one more day together, I will miss them when they go back.  I think they are finally the right the right age to be together.....  I said it so there.

Flashback Friday

Who are these Cherubs?

Getting Organized?!

Pinterest.  It should be a dirty word.  It is an evil place that makes underachievers like me feel like failures.  It reminds me that I will never have the skills needed to be the awesome crafty mom, nor will my house ever live up to the dream of organized, while remaining chic, goodness that only exists in the minds of other homemakers.  Still, every now and then I like to venture on and see what great new tips I might glean from seeing how the other half (the fictional half) lives....

Today I came across several fun new ideas.  

1. The gift Wrap Organizer.

It is a little awesome.  I love how the paper hangs there waiting for gifts to be wrapped, and the scissors and tape are in stock below probably with matching bows, and a box of store bought cards with the right humor for every occasion!   

Except if I remember to take my kid to the birthday party (I have forgotten 3 in the past year), I am normally scrambling to Walgreens on the way to the party to get whatever gift card comes in the 15.00 range. (invite all 3 triplets, and that amount goes up to 35-ish) If I am really long on time, or happen to be stopping at the grocery store, I might get crazy and go to learning express- and only because they do the wrapping for me...  Plus I am cheap.  The kids make the cards that are going to get tossed 30 seconds after the gift is opened. In this house scissors and tape tend to live wherever the matches to socks go, so I would just be frustrated and using the scissors that are in my nail kit.  Whatever kid friendly stickers we have laying around in the craft cabinet, OR more likely duct tape would secure the paper.  Bringing me back to Failure.  BTW it's not that I don't think your child's birthday is awesome and important, it's simply that I am too busy knowing where all of mine are to plan ahead.

To be fair, there are some more practical solutions to real problems on pinterest as well.  Shoe storage is a common problem here.  Many tears are shed in the mornings trying to find PE shoes, more often than not there is frustration on Sundays trying to find matches to dress shoes, and hell hath no fury like a triplet trying to wear her sister's sweater boot....  What if, just maybe there was practical storage that would make my darlings happy to put their shoes where they might have a snowball's chance of finding them again?! 

Uh Yeah.... that is NOT it.  Might be a fun cat toy though, sort of like a feline hamster wheel?   Show me the house where this is not sold at the first garage sale after someone thought this might work.   If my kids can't throw their shoes in a rubbermaid by the door, they cannot use this.

If my laundry room looked anything like this, I'd live in there. It would mean giving up the family room, but I think the family should see it as a small sacrifice for clean clothes.  Instead it is like a tunnel of hell.  It is crowded, and full of dirty clothes, clean clothes, and random crap that Kevin throws in it when he cleans the garage.

OMG, where is mom?  Is she doing laundry again?!

Think I can buy kids who will put stuff back into these handy slots?  We are often lucky to get the stuff back into the garage. 

I absolutely LOVE this one.  IF I had more than 1 set of sheets for each bed, and if I had not quit buying flat sheets years ago to make making the beds a single step, I would totally do this!

No, just no.  A single drawer for all socks and it is DIY matching around here.

Kevin has at least 10 coats and jackets, you'd never see the ceiling.

I would have to lock the pantry to make this last 24 hours, but I can do this one.

There are some clever ideas on pinterest.  I can now make my own dish soap if I want, I know that shower curtain rings make great scarf holders, and that I never, ever have to come up with my own way to do anything again- unless I choose to.   What I really accomplished today, however, was realizing that my house will never look like that.  BUT.... I had time to phone a friend today, I had time to read with my daughter, and I drove to multiple swim practices- so there is that.  Be careful on the boards, it is easy to lose hours in there, and maybe a little pride.

An Ode

2013.

You brought us 7 proficient skiers which equals big family fun.  I love watching my kids outside, active, and happy being together.

You brought us Hadley's first soccer goal.  This is something that does not come easily to this family.

You brought Ian's first job.  Swim coach fun bobby, the little boys think he rocks, which makes him smile, and that makes my heart sing.

You brought Jillian's first overall swim victories at the classic meet.  First place feels good now and then to everyone.

In your year,  Hadley learned to READ.  She knows all about rainbow fairies, and can master so many instructions- saving me time.

Sorrow came with the loss of our beloved Tank.  He just had too many demons to stay amongst us but I also miss him a little every day.

Ella and Hadley learned to love the Texans (third grade size) as part of the cheer team.

You took us to Colorado, the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, witnessed our first time white water rafting.
( and possibly Ian falling out of the boat....)

You Saw Kevin reach the top of Mt. Rainier, and watched him run/hike 3 miles every. single. day no matter how much his mind said not today, his spirit overcame.

Holly conquered stilts, became a hula-hoop master, and a jump rope queen.  As Ian says, she became great at all things most people suck at doing.

This is the year that we saw the triplets take up orchestra, and watched Jillian's Final Debut concert.

This was the year we got all 5 kids to a real Hawkeye football game, even if it was at Purdue....

You saw us we opened our home to many furry fosters, holding 3 of them as they passed from this world, not alone in the cold, but in warm loving hands.  We watched the rest find forever families.

You watched us celebrate 50 years of marriage with Kevin's parents, showing us that real love endures all things.

We never did learn this year what the fox actually says...

It was during this year, that Theresa re-entered the classroom, surprising herself with the knowledge that she really does love and miss teaching middle schoolers the most.

Your Turkey Trot hosted all 7 Hilbrants crossing the finish line (which is all that matters) some more quickly than others...

You watched Ella as she found her niche in crafty things.  She spent hours watching you tube to learn every rainbow loom thing she could find.

It was in your year that we watched our friends go through some very tough life struggles, and saw us pray for you to end, and 2014 to bring happier times.

Your days were often long, and some of them were dark, but ultimately we know that this year was full of blessings and joys. While we say goodbye, it is to look ahead to a blank slate, where we can be the creators of new adventures.

2013 photo review