Yesterday and today

Mercy Maud, y'all, I *knew* I needed to clean my house, but I had NOOOOO idea it was this bad! Yesterday, let me see..what did I do yesterday? Oh, yes, I unpacked, washed in my "Green Clean" (from Clorox) dish detergent, rinsed in vinegar water, carefully dried, stacked, and put away (after inventorying) my antique china. I have a lot. I think, however, that there is more of it packed in different boxes. I will have to search. I am pretttty sure I have some more serving pieces.

But regardless, I have it done. I also managed to get the school room cleaned up, and kept up with the rest of the mess. Not to mention making a pork roast, with potatoes, carrots, and onions. I didn't eat it until late, as #1, #2, and I went to church for our parish's Advent Penance service. What basically happens is priests from all over the diocese converge onto a parish, and hear confessions, after scriptural readings, and a homily (a sermon based on the readings, for those who don't know what a homily is). This was a big event, as it was #2's very First Confession. She remembered everything, from what she told me, except for the fact that "I sometimes get mad and hit my sisters and brothers" (sometimes? SOMETIMES? What planet does this child LIVE ON? LOL :-) ). We're working on that...

Today was another fun day. I got the bar in the kitchen cleaned up, completely, two more Nativity scenes out (I thiiink I have five?) one in the kitchen, and one on the counter in the guest bathroom. Also got a small tree out and decorated--it is SOOOOO cute!!! Snowflakes and stars, some mini-glass ornaments...precious! And white lights...always white lights. Anyway, I eventually got around to letting the children put "their" ornaments on the main tree--we have family ornaments, and then there are the ornaments that the children will take with them when they move out and have a tree of their own. My parents give them one each year, and so do we, so they should have *quite* a collection by the time they are grown. Better than having to start from scratch!

And then...I decided to clean off the globes on the ceilings fans in the dining room and family room. And clean the blades. Ladies...we all know, that when we leave the windows open, in the spring, summer, and fall, that we are letting dust in. We know this. But in some ways, it creeps up on you gradually, until you don't remember what bright light was, and only know the dimness of the barely noticeable light being emitted by the four 60 watt bulbs over your head...

Today I found out. Oh. My. Goodness. They look so CLLLLEEEAAAAANNNNNN!!!!! And my sink, well, the sink was absolutely filled with the nastiest water. BLECH! But hey, my globes are clean--all eight of them. The fan blades all got vacuumed. My vacuum cleaner got emptied and the beater bar got the hair cut off of it for the second time in as many weeks.

We got the vacuuming done, three loads of laundry, a load of dishes washed and put away and the dishwasher reloaded. Dinner is leftovers--chili, or pork roast from last night. I've got a fridge with large pots in it, they *shall* be emptied! LOL. I was planning on baking today, but really, it just was *not* going to happen this afternoon. Tomorrow, yes, I will be baking. At least two of my cream cheese pound cakes (one to go to the Mom, and the other to go to #2 &3s speech therapist) and some molasses cookies, too. Maybe--just maybe--some sugar cookies. For decorating. But we shall see precisely how insane the children drive me, and how early that "critical event" occurs, during the day tomorrow.

I will be taking pictures of the house, in the next few days. I still haven't gotten the new garlands made, much less put up. I have typed up the Christmas letter for this year. I need to print it off. And take a picture of the children, to get copies of...First, though, I need a total card count..sigh. Wish me luck--I need to go peruse my address book...

Are you baking much this year? Are you giving gifts of food, or something usable, instead of a gift card? Or are you simply limiting the gift giving to those you really *want* to give something to, and not those to whom you feel "obliged" by workplace, or other custom?

Regardless, you have my best wishes as we head towards the final turn in the Advent season, as my oldest three have proudly announced today--only 9 more days!!!!!! Even the two year old can point to the 25th on the calendar !

And now, ladies, I am off to have something to drink (not as strong as I'd like, but it is early hours yet. ;-)