Ready for Winter

I rarely get uninterrupted at night time, but 95% of the time I still feel rested and am able to function, so that's good. Last night at 3 a.m, there was an assertive knock at my door. I assumed it was Natalie, it was. (She knocks very strongly.) She needed toilet paper. Good for her for noticing the empty roll before she sat down. But I'm positive she knows where the TP is kept. I open the second hall closet door behind her. "The toilet paper is kept here." "Thanks mom." The past week the kids moved that toilet paper into the hall several times to play hide and seek in that spot. (You'd think the tp in the hall would be a give away to that hiding spot though!)

Yesterday morning I also had an early morning knock at my door. 5 a.m. It was pretty strong too, so I thought it was Natalie too, but that one was Lily. She was kinda crying and told me how she just threw up. I should learn to say "Ôh dear! I'm sorry! Let me help you feel better!" or something compassionate like that after my kids puke, but instead I just wanted to know how much vomit I was about to have to clean up. So I asked "Where?" She said "In the toilet..." And suddenly my irritation at being woken up early turned into great happiness and I went in to the bathroom. Yup! She made it to the toilet with just a few splatters around the seat. I cleaned it up with a Clorox wipe, yay, and thank you Lily! She went to grab a bowl, and I went back to feed Peter and find my phone so that I could text the Safety Patrol Captain that Lily wasn't going to make it to her post. I'm mentally ready for the sicknesses that come with winter. I'm hoping it won't be too bad for the little kids who got flu shots, which has been our first time ever doing that. We'll see if it makes a difference.

Yesterday, like today so far, as been just a normal morning of cleaning and keeping the little boys happy. Both days I raked outside - yesterday I filled up the trash before the garbage came, and this morning I did it to fill up the cans before the snow that should be here by next week's garbage day. Hyrum and Abi helped me clear the backyard grass last night, and Owen and Daniel helped me jump down the leaves on Monday.

I'd say we did a decent job with our fall clean up, yay. And we got our snowblower repaired and I picked that up last Saturday, so we're set for winter! Bring on lots of snow!! Corey's ready for skiing with the kids.

I was in a good mood today as I raked outside, but yesterday morning I caught myself murmuring a little bit because I didn't get enough help and was now trying to finish the clean up alone. I caught that thought and moved it out with a quote by Will Smith - "I will not be out worked!" I'm not afraid to work hard or work alone. I came across that video last Thursday and it really inspired me. It led me to listen to "Fight Song" on repeat, and I've been humming Amazing Grace the rest of the time. I love the combination of those two almost opposite concept - fighting and grace - We have to fight daily and work hard, but also, ultimately, it is the grace of God that saves us. Christ fought for me, he fought to the death. And because he was victorious in his fight, the way is open for me and all of us to be blessed by the Eternal Life that he won and now offers to us.

After getting kids to school, I cleaned a bit more in the basement, and good news there - the toys are all currently boxed up and off the kids' radar, stored up high on lots of cans of wheat food storage.

I'll start to get out one box every week, one at a time, but only after I finish sweeping and cleaning up the remaining mess, which Daniel and Owen have been doing laps around.

And more good news - with the mess off a large portion of the floor, Owen and Daniel now have a new place to ride their bikes!

When they ride their bikes, they fight less, so this is good. Plus it's good to not have the bikes rumbling around in the kitchen, which has been their other place of choice. We're soon going to be set for winter here too with this new indoor track, ha!