Absence makes the heart grow fonder?!?!?!

As I mentioned before, this summer is all about CHORES! Or at least we'll start them, like New Years resolutions, right? I have never considered myself a pig or even a real messy-type person but with shows, teaching and life in general - things get away from you. I mean, laundry gets done and kids are fed and dishes are done, but I get behind on stuff that I just can't keep up on. Things that are important to me - maybe not everyone but to me. So . . . we are gonna fix that this summer.

So far, so good. I have changed things up a bit and we decided (we, as in the hubby and I) that we'd take a room a day and divide up the chores in 4 ways to deep clean it from top to bottom. This usually entails -

1 - vacuum (including the edges)

2 - dusting (including removing all items and replacing after dusted, ceiling fans)

3 - wipe down walls, baseboards, door frames

4 - windows (wash in/out, wipe down sills and blinds)

First day was my studio room. The kids were GREAT and the room looks GREAT! I did have to go in and do some "touch up" but most of that was my stuff to go through anyway. I can see through my windows, my shelves are easier to find music in and it looks and smells great! (I love the new room/fabric refresher from Bath and Body! It's about $8 a bottle, lasts forever and the SMELL is AmAZing and LASTS FOREVER!) And all of this happened in about an hour and a half and with little to no fighting.

Day two is happening now. The family room. Center was emptied and Old English'ed, blinds, windows, couch cushions removed and vacuum is running in couches (YIKES), walls washed, etc. etc. etc. BUT . . . there is a TON of fighting happening today! It's only been about an hour and it's almost done but you'd think I'd asked them all to scrub the top of the Chrysler building! Arguing about this, yelling about that! I'm pretty sure some of it has to do with the fact that they all stayed up a little TOO LATE since it was the first FRIDAY SCHOOL WAS OUT but my goodness!!! I came to the solace of my room and as I left them to finish up (hubby and I do help them - I did yesterday, he did today) I heard one of the boys tell the others . . . and I quote . . . "I don't know if I like her home more now. Maybe she'll get another show."

Does absence REALLY make the heart grow . . . FONDER??? LOL! Maybe not, but I'll have a CLEAN HOUSE in the meantime!

Hot Tub? Bathtub? Anything??

Sometimes a Mom just needs to escape!!

Although today was pretty low key, I was really craving a long soak in a tub tonight. But, alas, our master bath only has a large shower (and it is large). Our hall bathroom is just a regular size tub and I just wasn't diggin' on it tonight.

. . . then

the State Farm commercial came on - the one where the 3 guys sing the jingle (come on, you know it - ♪ ♫ Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there ♪ ♫) and they instantly get what they want. First a sandwich, then the hot girl and lastly a hot tub. My Maddi snapped her finger after the commercial and said "hot tub". When nothing happened she looked at me with a sly smile and said, "That actually doesn't work, Mom."

She's such a hoot!

Secretly, I wished it did work tonight!

A hot tub!

Wouldn't that be nice to relax in

with a good book, a cold drink and escape from the world?

What do you like to do to escape reality??

Bittersweet!

It's the last day of school for Mesa and it's a FULL day! And by that I mean ALL DAY OF SCHOOL - not a half day like Gilbert. And I'm good with that!! :) I get ONE MORE DAY to organize, clean and get my chore charts printed before they get home. They know they are "my slaves" for the summer, with some chores that require time. With school, dance, baseball, shows, and all that life brings, I enjoy the summer in that I can finally get some BIG things done. Among my list is clean the garage, finish painting the game room, touch up painting bedrooms and living areas, wiping down baseboards and doorframes and touch up painting them if needed, and lots of others.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO CLEAN UP DURING THE SUMMER?

We also have some big plans for summer and hope they can be followed through. I am working 3 weeks of summer music theatre camps, scout camp, girls camp, Journey (young women's retreat), Time to Blossom (girls retreat), trip to Colorado, trip to Oregon, etc etc etc. Here's hoping I keep my sanity!

But back to my bittersweet moment - I'm excited to have my kids home, excited to get some things done, excited to not have to get up so early, excited to enjoy some quality time together. But I'm not excited for the noise, the messes, the dozens of kids in my pool (although that is fun!), the LATE bedtimes, the lack of motivation. Can't decide which weighs heavier for me!

WHAT ABOUT YOU??

Last night of silence . . .

It's only 10pm and my house is quiet. It's the last night of "school bedtimes". And because I'm not at the theatre and Geoff is gone to work (he's on night shifts this week) - MOM SET THE LAW and THE LAW WON! Everyone had dinner, showered, and was in bed (since there was no real homework) ON TIME!! (insert song ditty - Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles)

I will miss this time. The time when I can enjoy the golden silence of just my mind and sometimes the t.v. MY alone time when Geoff is working nights and the kids are in bed at a decent time. MY time to goof around on FB. MY time to do what I WANT! Tonight I started my summer chore charts (well, I updated them from last year), I played on FB, I emailed a bunch of peeps, looked at Beatles music for summer camp (details about that another day), and text silly messages back and forth with the hubby at work. We discussed how we are going to spend the LAST day of the school year when ALL the kids are gone. He will have just come off a nightshift, so we'll have to play it by ear and see how tired he is, but we listed lunch, cuddling on the couch with a movie we've been wanting to see, looking at houses in another state (details to be explained later too), and planning out our summer fun. I'm just excited to have a day with JUST HIM to myself for one more day until the fall! I love my Geoff!

ALSO - - -

Tonight was a BIG night for my Jon-boy! Jonathan turned 12 last Friday and he got to go to mutual for the first time tonight. He and I went on an "errand" (that's what we call soda runs) and I asked him if he was nervous. His reply was a very timid "kinda". But he left with a friend and had fun! Tonight they split up into troops for Scout Camp. He leaves for his first Scout Camp on Monday at 6AM!

Lots going on this weekend . . . .

"Stay TOONed!"

To Blog or Not to Blog . . .

That IS the question!

I have so many friends who blog. I have so many family members who blog. My life is anything but exciting BUT I do have adventures, mishaps, preteen moments, theatre geeks and lots of other "fun" things that happen in my life.

Would you really like to hear them? Would you really read them? Be honest! Let me know if it's worth typing and adding something else to my do list in my incredibly exciting life! HAHA!