December 29, 2018

(click here for today's pictures)

• We had another day of cleaning and straightening around here. Now just between us, even though I adore having a straight house and even love throwing things away, I am getting a bit tired of all of this hard work. I think that I am ready for school to start-doing school each day is easier!
• This morning before I even brushed my teeth, I cleaned out the closet that my vacuum cleaner is in. Then Robby and I moved on to cleaning out underneath our bed. Since Robby had his allergy testing, we have been very aware of him coughing and sniffling each morning.  So we began the  morning by moving the bed and cleaning out under it. 
• We are not filthy people at least I like to think so. But we just didn't have dust bunnies under our bed, we even had Easter bunnies under our bed-chocolate Easter bunnies. Gracious me. We moved every thing that I have shoved under the bed, and put it in a proper home. We also threw away my tacky bedskirt before remaking the bed.
• As Robby and I were slaving away on our bed, with mattresses, sheets, comforters and the headboard all moved around, Keaton came in and asked, "do you have bedbugs?" My child, dear me.
• We started taking a few Christmas things down before I loaded up to leave with Campbell, Keaton and Reagan. I had a few things to pick up at Walmart, but the girls could not wait until we got to Target. 
• They all had gift cards at Target, and Campbell and Keaton spent all of theirs. Keaton had more Target money and bought clothes, a scooter, a holder for a doll on her bike and a Christmas shirt for Keaton. Campbell bought her a pair of comfy sweat pants similar to Grahams. Reagan didn't find anything that she needed.
• We also stopped at Starbucks as we were leaving. Campbell spent some of her gift card on a hot chocolate so I decided to buy one as well. It wasn't that great, but it did kill hunger. After our 3 plus hour shopping trip, I was starved!
• The boys and Robby had taken down the Christmas tree and put it away. They had also brought down all of the Christmas boxes for me to fill while Graham and Robby ran a few errands. They bought Graham a video game with some of his Christmas money and even made a grocery store run.
• By the time that they made it home, I had boxed up all of the Christmas stuff, made my crew shower (there was lots of trampoline jumping at the neighbor's house by the little 3 today) and fed my crew supper. Once home, Robby gave Campbell and Graham a good dose of cough syrup.
• Robby had bought a rotisserie chicken because I needed some meat for a soup for tomorrow's supper. We were standing at the bar working when Keaton, walked up and said, "is that a frog?" Well, our chicken was a bit small, but I don't think that it was small enough for someone to mistake it for a frog.
• Then we unmade our nice and neat bed. We add allergy covers to our mattress and pillows which meant that we had to vacuum our mattress and wash our sheets. So now our bed is cleaner than it has been in years-probably decades. (We still have to wash our comforters tomorrow-I can't tonight or they won't be dry.)
• Robby and I worked on putting the Christmas stuff back in the attic, Robby vacuumed some more and has emptied the vacuum canister at least 17 times today. Now, we still have a few more days on our clean out and I have 2 more closets to work on (plus school to plan) before the end of next week. 
• The kids stayed up for a bit watching some football, before we finally sent everyone to bed. Hopefully, there will be even less coughers tonight!
• After I had already tucked in everyone, Robby called from upstairs asking if I had taken any pictures. I had forgotten about it, as I am doing more and more often. I ran up there with my camera and had to turn on the lights for the pictures. Anderson and Graham were whining and complaining about their eyes when Whitman shouted to them, "just be a man and open your eyes."