Ok, so first, I wish to apologize in my delay with regards to getting back to this particular subject...I was actually hoping to get more information before I actually wrote this post, but more information just doesn't seem to be in my cards.
The 'story' began back around the 14th of November...well, technically July, but until November everything was 'normal', so there's no point in hashing through all that.
This particular blog post is going to primarily be focused around gynecological details that may border along the lines of TMI, so you've been warned. Its my blog, I force myself to write it, I don't force you to read it.
So...now that the disclaimer is out of the way... Have a nice day... Or if you do decide to read to the end, well, I'm sure you'll be scratching your head in much the same way I have been...but, I still wish you to have a nice day.
November 14th marked 'Day 1' of a new cycle...exactly on time, everything went as it had gone for the last 15 years of my menstruating life. Because Brian and I are not currently using any form of birth control I've been fairly diligent in keeping up with my cycles since having the Mirena removed in July. EVERY month has been exactly 26-29 day averages, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary for me.
November 28th, I was having Thanksgiving dinner with friends, things were going great, I felt a bit off, but was hopeful that my 'offness' was because Brian and I had a pretty good shot of becoming pregnant that month, we'd actually hit my 'peek' dates quite stunningly, so was hoping the 'offness' was just pregnancy settling in. I went to the bathroom at one point only to find that I was bleeding, quite heavily. I silently 'grieved' a bit, talked to our gracious hostess about it, while it was just us sitting outside... Now, a bit of 'twist' she'd experienced the same thing - unexpected mid-month bleeding - just days before me, so I thought nothing of it. Another tidbit - during the last almost three years of 'knowing' her we tend to run on almost the same cycle, hers is only a day or so ahead of mine, and her sister runs right along the same path, just a few days after me.
December 13th rolled around, and nothing. BUT I was suffering from heartburn, exhausted all the time, pukey, cravings, the works, I had hope that maybe I was pregnant and the mid-month bleeding was just extreme implantation bleeding....So I made my friend take a test with me...her sister had started her 'normal' cycle already, meaning we were both late, and it was 30 days since I'd started on time last...all tests came back negative.
December 25th came, she started...I still hadn't. So I took another test. It came back just faint enough for me to think maybe, just MAYBE, I was indeed pregnant. Due to everything that had transpired during the month of December Brian and I had not had much opportunity to do anything that would produce a positive pregnancy test result, which left the mid-November conception dates...
Brian made me quit testing because I was becoming a bit obsessive about the results, and the results never seemed to get any darker. I would have gone in to see my doctor during this time, but she was out of the country until the first of January, wouldn't be back in the office until the 3rd of January.
I talked him into bringing home another pair of tests on New Years Eve. I HAD to know and enough time had transpired that a test would definitely prove one way or the other. I blogged that here.
I was left with no more answers than I had before I took the tests. Two tests, from the same box, gave two VERY different results, using the exact same urine.
I resolved to just wait until I could get in to be seen by the midwife who had removed my IUD back in July, surely she'd be able to clear up the whole matter.
I was able to get in to see her on the 3rd of January...
I only saw the nurse, who instructed me to provide a urine sample, to which I obliged. She ran their urine test, which, regardless of what they tell you to get you out of their office, is no more than a Dollar Store cheapie urine test. Within two minutes she was back in my room, informing me that it was negative, to have a nice day. The bedside manner was just atrocious. So I asked her what the chances were of it being wrong, seeing as just two days before I had a test come up positive. I also asked her about doing a blood test. She rolled her eyes at me, said she'd do another urine test, and ask the actual midwife about blood work.
A few minutes later the nurse returned to let me know that the second urine test also came back negative and that the midwife said that if their test didn't pick it up, no test would pick it up, if I don't bleed for 90 full days then they'll do blood work, until then I was to go home and not worry about it. The nurse also told me that the midwife said that even if all I do is spot that it counts as day 1 all over again.
As if almost on cue I had some spotting after I got home. YAY...I thought..maybe my cycle is going to start back up and my sanity will return. Except not. I only had one twinge of spotting, every day, for the next week, that was it. Some of it I chalked up to 'vigorous' marital activities, just because the spotting could have been a result of such, given the timing of the spotting and general lack of it.
After the end of that week even the spotting stopped...until about the 15th of January. I was almost positive that my cycle had started back up again. I had actual cycle-like bleeding...for almost 12 hours before it stopped again.
Because of the snow and ice on the roads I wasn't able to make it in to see my general doctor until the 20th of January. She sent me home with orders to get blood work done and a full hormone panel.
Here it is the 30th of January, I'm quite confident that I'm not pregnant, as I'd mentioned on the 17th, but I still don't have a clue what's going on. My doctor's office never called me back last week to let me know what the results of the blood work was and I still haven't had anything that resembles a real cycle. At this point, if I was indeed pregnant I would KNOW by now. I figure I'd be about 11 weeks pregnant...based on previous pregnancies that made it this far I'd be feeling the little flutterings of life growing inside me. Not to fail to mention the detail about everyone around me would be able to look at me and see my growing bundle.
So I just don't know what to think/feel.
It didn't help much hearing during all of this that first my brother, who is just younger than I, was expecting a wee one, his wife is due at the beginning of July...or mid-March...I've since heard conflicting dates, but regardless, they're expecting... Then the next morning I heard from my baby brother, he and his wife are expecting a wee one the first of August, after just having one this past August 10. I was also told my by mother that my sister is trying to have a second one. Of course my mom also had to make the comment about how the three not trying to get pregnant are the ones pregnant all at the same time...I had to correct her that we've been not preventing/trying since July, not just since November, like my sister... I'd told her about my possibility around Christmas.
I finally got a hold of her again this past Friday, to let her know what the doctor had said... She was more interested in the affairs of her checkbook than what I was trying to tell her about my miscarriage/body 'hiccup'... Of course she did mention that the older of my two brother's wife was 6 months pregnant, due July 1...no, the math does not add up, and I informed her of such, so now she had no clue. Plus this particular sister-in-law ranks up there with my other favorite sister-in-law as far as being a selfish, controlling, abusive bitch, so my mom may not fully find out the details until sometime after the wee one is born. I'm just hoping my brother is able to stay out of jail for the duration of this pregnancy...he missed out on his oldest two being born because he'd landed himself back in jail. But I am SUPER excited about my baby brother and his wife. They're both extremely respectable, both in the US Marines, and are going to have twinkies, a year apart. *giggle* I can't wait to see them all in a few weeks!!! Its been over 28 months since I last saw my baby brother and I have yet to meet his wife, face to face.
Yes, I know, I'm a bit off track there...my point is no, I am not pregnant. The likelihood that I had a miscarriage is greater than not, but because of the wonderful midwife I may never know for sure. I'm oddly not terribly upset over having a miscarriage, if I did indeed have one, likely for this reason that I just don't know for sure. It could just be that the stress over the last few months did a number on my body, but then again, I didn't really start feeling stressed out until closer to the end of December, so that would not account for the hiccups in November & early December.
Right now I'm just hoping my cycle straightens out sooner rather than later, then maybe we can get back on track with everything. We already have enough fertility issues as it is with Brian being pronounced sterile about 5 years before we found out we were pregnant with Mikaila...then my scared uterus that has been cauterized twice and cut into twice (one D&C after an early miscarriage that wouldn't stop hemorrhaging, another D&C after I lost a 23 wk pregnancy due to abuse at the hands of my ex, and two cesareans) so I don't count on this being a quick process, if it even happens, but getting thrown curve balls like this doesn't help matters much at all.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Truck Rebuild 2010-11 pt 5
The heads are back in!
And the exhaust manifold!
The water pump is in now as well as the valve covers!!!!
The 'mock' assembly! I'm still waiting on some money so I can purchase the new fuel injector and spark plugs for him so he can be completely done!!!
There is a light at the end of this tunnel...I'm starting to see it!
And the exhaust manifold!
The water pump is in now as well as the valve covers!!!!
The 'mock' assembly! I'm still waiting on some money so I can purchase the new fuel injector and spark plugs for him so he can be completely done!!!
There is a light at the end of this tunnel...I'm starting to see it!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Adventures in CandyLand with Meanie Momma
Santa brought the game of CandyLand into our home, for the 3rd or 4th Christmas, in less than 5 years...I think he gave up last year on the notion, revived said notion this year...because apparently losing all the pieces, cards, etc in the past by Valentine's Day means nothing...
He also brought with him Connect 4 (the one that has to be assembled with 900 Lego pieces & comes with 40 some odd 'chips'), Yahtzee Jr. Toy Story 3 Edition (5 dice, 30 tokens to score points), Uno Attack (lacking the C batteries it requires, complete with full Uno deck), a Feed the Kitty game (roughly 15 pieces, I think), and Uno Moo (28 pieces).
I am dutifully reporting the fact that Connect 4, Lego edition was BANNED for eternity by Dec 26. Yahtzee Jr is missing 3-5 dice on any given day...the day that we're not missing all of them are the days I find them as I step on them in the dark...forget searching for the tokens after Dec. 29th.
Uno Attack still has no batteries...but most of the cards are now missing, as of Jan 5th. Feed the Kitty on any random day is missing 1-12 of the small, dice size 'mice' and the two dice...any of which are again found, in the dark, by my feet, the bowl that comes with the game is often used for afternoon snacks, beverages, feeding our cat Carbon, or giving the dog a bath.
The small balls that accompany UnoMoo are perfect throwing objects for the cat to chase...I mainly find them when I move the couch & loveseat to sweep...occasionally they're also found in the dark, by my feet.
This procession of events has left us with only CandyLand being spared....until tonight.
It started innocently enough. Mikaila pulled it out of the 'game pieces drawer', formerly known as where the games are to be put away, complete with all their pieces, in their respective boxes....that lasted almost an hour, Christmas afternoon...
She then tore the box open, throwing half the cards off to the side, laying out the board, throwing the instructions elsewhere, and claiming the Gingerbread men pieces as 'MINE!' I was working on cooking dinner & critiquing some of my classmates submitted papers, Brian wasn't quite home yet from work, and Mikeal was playing the Wii...no problem with her claim.
She then sat in the floor, off in the corner, with these four small pieces, one red, one yellow, one green, one blue. The five of them proceeded to have quite the lengthy conversation...I only was able to make out the occasional 'Meanie Momma'. Nothing new there.
The intensity of the 'Meanie Momma' comments increased every time Mikaila would walk off from her perfectly spaced, all facing the same direction pieces. I'd turn one of the pieces around to face the wrong direction & oddly space them. Yes, I do have a small fund set aside for her future therapy sessions...about $0.43, so far.
To say the least Mikaila was none too happy when she caught me in the act. The mutterings and 'Meanie Momma' references grew more sinister. She took up taking all four pieces with her everywhere she went...
Brian came home shortly, then dinner was served, and mostly ate by everyone.
After dinner Mikaila decided to name the pieces...The red one is Daddy. The green one is Bubba. The yellow one is Meanie Momma. Mikeal asked Mikaila "which one is you?" ...she picked up the blue one and exclaimed 'You'. So the blue one is You.
With each piece now having it's own name the conversation took on a bit more meaning between the five of them (all narrated by Mikaila).
Having cleared the dinner dishes and vowing to wash them tomorrow I stripped myself of my confining chest adornment. Mikaila then proceeded to climb onto the back of my chair and drop the pieces down the front of my shirt, then lift my shirt to find them. Mikeal, the 8year old boy, was not terribly thrilled with hearing the commotion as he was trying to explain a Wii game to Brian. Yes, I've started his therapy fund as well...I think it's up to $0.56.
After unsuccessfully trying to convince Mikaila to just let me do my homework, I gave up. I made the decision that I was going to teach her how to properly play CandyLand, I'd play a few dozen games, and it'd be fun. And it was fun. Except...
She insists that the red piece only goes on red squares, blue on blue, etc...its interesting to say the least...I lost. I added another quarter to my therapy fund and a nickle to hers.
Of course then it escalated into a game of 'put the pieces where Mikaila doesn't them...because I am the Meanie Momma, after all.
This resulted in a 'Battle Royale' featuring Mikaila with the high wire acrobatics off the coffee table and me laying in the floor, completely defenseless in between laughing hysterically and crying...
That then resulted in me attempted to take away the little CandyLand men...
Which turned into a game of keep away that Mikaila is SHOCKINGLY great at...seriously, you can't do the hand switch thing with her, she knows it's coming, so she sits on your throat and dives down the length of your arm until she pries the pieces from your hand, pulls your oversized turtleneck sweater collar over your head as she stuffs these sharp edged pieces down your back...It continued on in this manner for a good 20 minutes, just rinse and repeat.
Then there were more tears as a piece cut my nose, my throat became the target of assault from knees and elbows, and then finally she pulled my loose turtleneck sweater over my head and came VERY close to completely ripping my shirt off entirely.
I am proud to announce that Mikeal has now taken my spot at the CandyLand board...
This version of CandyLand would be MUCH more fun if my opponent was Brian and not Mikaila...I may not have fought so much against the stripping of my clothing.
He also brought with him Connect 4 (the one that has to be assembled with 900 Lego pieces & comes with 40 some odd 'chips'), Yahtzee Jr. Toy Story 3 Edition (5 dice, 30 tokens to score points), Uno Attack (lacking the C batteries it requires, complete with full Uno deck), a Feed the Kitty game (roughly 15 pieces, I think), and Uno Moo (28 pieces).
I am dutifully reporting the fact that Connect 4, Lego edition was BANNED for eternity by Dec 26. Yahtzee Jr is missing 3-5 dice on any given day...the day that we're not missing all of them are the days I find them as I step on them in the dark...forget searching for the tokens after Dec. 29th.
Uno Attack still has no batteries...but most of the cards are now missing, as of Jan 5th. Feed the Kitty on any random day is missing 1-12 of the small, dice size 'mice' and the two dice...any of which are again found, in the dark, by my feet, the bowl that comes with the game is often used for afternoon snacks, beverages, feeding our cat Carbon, or giving the dog a bath.
The small balls that accompany UnoMoo are perfect throwing objects for the cat to chase...I mainly find them when I move the couch & loveseat to sweep...occasionally they're also found in the dark, by my feet.
This procession of events has left us with only CandyLand being spared....until tonight.
It started innocently enough. Mikaila pulled it out of the 'game pieces drawer', formerly known as where the games are to be put away, complete with all their pieces, in their respective boxes....that lasted almost an hour, Christmas afternoon...
She then tore the box open, throwing half the cards off to the side, laying out the board, throwing the instructions elsewhere, and claiming the Gingerbread men pieces as 'MINE!' I was working on cooking dinner & critiquing some of my classmates submitted papers, Brian wasn't quite home yet from work, and Mikeal was playing the Wii...no problem with her claim.
She then sat in the floor, off in the corner, with these four small pieces, one red, one yellow, one green, one blue. The five of them proceeded to have quite the lengthy conversation...I only was able to make out the occasional 'Meanie Momma'. Nothing new there.
The intensity of the 'Meanie Momma' comments increased every time Mikaila would walk off from her perfectly spaced, all facing the same direction pieces. I'd turn one of the pieces around to face the wrong direction & oddly space them. Yes, I do have a small fund set aside for her future therapy sessions...about $0.43, so far.
To say the least Mikaila was none too happy when she caught me in the act. The mutterings and 'Meanie Momma' references grew more sinister. She took up taking all four pieces with her everywhere she went...
Brian came home shortly, then dinner was served, and mostly ate by everyone.
After dinner Mikaila decided to name the pieces...The red one is Daddy. The green one is Bubba. The yellow one is Meanie Momma. Mikeal asked Mikaila "which one is you?" ...she picked up the blue one and exclaimed 'You'. So the blue one is You.
With each piece now having it's own name the conversation took on a bit more meaning between the five of them (all narrated by Mikaila).
Having cleared the dinner dishes and vowing to wash them tomorrow I stripped myself of my confining chest adornment. Mikaila then proceeded to climb onto the back of my chair and drop the pieces down the front of my shirt, then lift my shirt to find them. Mikeal, the 8year old boy, was not terribly thrilled with hearing the commotion as he was trying to explain a Wii game to Brian. Yes, I've started his therapy fund as well...I think it's up to $0.56.
After unsuccessfully trying to convince Mikaila to just let me do my homework, I gave up. I made the decision that I was going to teach her how to properly play CandyLand, I'd play a few dozen games, and it'd be fun. And it was fun. Except...
She insists that the red piece only goes on red squares, blue on blue, etc...its interesting to say the least...I lost. I added another quarter to my therapy fund and a nickle to hers.
Of course then it escalated into a game of 'put the pieces where Mikaila doesn't them...because I am the Meanie Momma, after all.
This resulted in a 'Battle Royale' featuring Mikaila with the high wire acrobatics off the coffee table and me laying in the floor, completely defenseless in between laughing hysterically and crying...
That then resulted in me attempted to take away the little CandyLand men...
Which turned into a game of keep away that Mikaila is SHOCKINGLY great at...seriously, you can't do the hand switch thing with her, she knows it's coming, so she sits on your throat and dives down the length of your arm until she pries the pieces from your hand, pulls your oversized turtleneck sweater collar over your head as she stuffs these sharp edged pieces down your back...It continued on in this manner for a good 20 minutes, just rinse and repeat.
Then there were more tears as a piece cut my nose, my throat became the target of assault from knees and elbows, and then finally she pulled my loose turtleneck sweater over my head and came VERY close to completely ripping my shirt off entirely.
I am proud to announce that Mikeal has now taken my spot at the CandyLand board...
This version of CandyLand would be MUCH more fun if my opponent was Brian and not Mikaila...I may not have fought so much against the stripping of my clothing.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Today: Closure
I have a lot to say about this, however I've been a bit busy with everything going on in life, so I've neglected to share the whole story. I still don't currently have the time to go into all of the details just yet, but I did want to let you know that I am not pregnant, or not pregnant anymore, if I was pregnant at some point over the last two months. I do have an appointment with my doctor on the 20th and maybe she'll help shed a bit more light on the matter. More on that later, when I have the time and it's not after 2am.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
PAINFUL
So...I'm in English class this time around...as well as Health Info Management Tech...but anyways...as part of this week's English assignment we have to pick something that concerns us in regards to our local area and post it as a class discussion...write 3 paragraphs over it, and over the next 4 weeks we're to expand on this subject until the assignment resembles a true to form APA style paper...
As part of the discussion we have to:
Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 1-paragraph reply (at least 40 words) about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following:
* What questions would you like your colleague to answer so you can better understand the problem?
* What resources do you think your colleague might be able to use to gain a better understanding of the problem?
* Have you experienced a similar problem? How did your community resolve the issue, or did they?
* In addition, go to the Writing Center, located in the Learning Centers in the Virtual Campus, and find one Writing Resource that you can recommend to your colleague to assist him or her to continue to develop the Final Project.
One of my classmates submitted this 'gem' :
Housing in Saint Paul; House in is a big problem, so many people do not have any where to live. They are staying with family are friend, witch some tine do not work out. if they have children. These are family that can not peoples living with them. And they say you are being mean, but that is the way it is.Because I am one of those family member that can not have any living with me.I do not why there are so many homless people here in Minnesota. There are plenty of housing here,then why are people sleeping in the street,at bus stop and on buses?It matter to me because it is so sad that people are being found frozen to death. It is a bad thing to happy to a family member are to anybody.
These are the questions that I would like answer.What are reason these peoples do not have a place to live? Why don county them the county are the government help? Why don they help them self? They can go to a shelter, are ask the church to help them. They have to first help them self before they get help from somebody else. Why can they get public housing? Are there record so bad, that public housing will not take them?
These are the resources that I will get information from in Minnesota. Pioneer Press.com, My TCP ads mobile search on the go, The internet classeifields@PineerPress.com, TwinCity.com/classieldsGuys, My TCP home. also the news medic give answer to a lot of people, but homeless peoples do not have ascesses to the news, most of the time. I know there are programs that help people get in to, but there are rules they have to follow Most peoples do not like to follow rules. But there are rules in your own house, if you are buying it are done paying for it.
****
SHOOT ME NOW!!!
As part of the discussion we have to:
Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 1-paragraph reply (at least 40 words) about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following:
* What questions would you like your colleague to answer so you can better understand the problem?
* What resources do you think your colleague might be able to use to gain a better understanding of the problem?
* Have you experienced a similar problem? How did your community resolve the issue, or did they?
* In addition, go to the Writing Center, located in the Learning Centers in the Virtual Campus, and find one Writing Resource that you can recommend to your colleague to assist him or her to continue to develop the Final Project.
One of my classmates submitted this 'gem' :
Housing in Saint Paul; House in is a big problem, so many people do not have any where to live. They are staying with family are friend, witch some tine do not work out. if they have children. These are family that can not peoples living with them. And they say you are being mean, but that is the way it is.Because I am one of those family member that can not have any living with me.I do not why there are so many homless people here in Minnesota. There are plenty of housing here,then why are people sleeping in the street,at bus stop and on buses?It matter to me because it is so sad that people are being found frozen to death. It is a bad thing to happy to a family member are to anybody.
These are the questions that I would like answer.What are reason these peoples do not have a place to live? Why don county them the county are the government help? Why don they help them self? They can go to a shelter, are ask the church to help them. They have to first help them self before they get help from somebody else. Why can they get public housing? Are there record so bad, that public housing will not take them?
These are the resources that I will get information from in Minnesota. Pioneer Press.com, My TCP ads mobile search on the go, The internet classeifields@PineerPress.com, TwinCity.com/classieldsGuys, My TCP home. also the news medic give answer to a lot of people, but homeless peoples do not have ascesses to the news, most of the time. I know there are programs that help people get in to, but there are rules they have to follow Most peoples do not like to follow rules. But there are rules in your own house, if you are buying it are done paying for it.
****
SHOOT ME NOW!!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
More Organizational 'Techniques'
This is a continuation of my Organization Series (just started yesterday, LOL)...
In an effort to keep up with coats, jackets, boots, shoes, sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves, etc I put up a metal garment rack, right behind my front door, with a small shelf under it. I don't have a mud room or closet in the living room, formal entry way or anything else of that nature...you walk in the front door and there is the living room.
Shoes are thrown on the shelf. I have many many hangers on the rack itself for coats, hoodies, jackets, etc as well as a few extra hangers for guests' coats and jackets. The garment rack has a wire 'shelf' across the top, complete with hooks at the ends. From the hooks hang items such as my purse, laptop bag, diaper bag, backpacks, etc. On the shelf I will soon be putting a small storage basket for items like gloves and hats. I also put packages up there that I plan on mailing out (one of these days). Just past the garment rack I have a key organizer screwed to the wall...where keys are supposed to be hung after walking in the door....
I am also a firm believer in 'everything has a place'...now I have not yet practiced enough to get into the habit of 'everything goes in its exact place, neatly, immediately' but I do attempt to keep like items together. Bills, school stuff, etc all go on my desk, or on the filing cabinet. Items needing mending, scrap fabric, non-scrap fabric, etc all go on the sewing table. I have a small tote for my knitting & crocheting items...hooks, looms, yarn, scissors, etc. I have a trunk for crafty things, inside that trunk I do have a small tote for the kids' crayons & craft items, but mainly just because I can latch the trunk and Mikaila hasn't figured out yet how to get into it.
The chifferobe that I am using as a TV cabinet has two drawers - in the drawers I keep some drawing paper for the kids as well as all our board games (or at least the pieces to the games as I run across them in the floor). The shelf above the TV that is supposed to just house the Wii and DVD player is also the 'catch-all' for the video games & recently watched DVDs, often not put back in their cases, but in a pinch all I have to do is shut the doors and 'hide' the clutter. The kids have a separate TV & DVD player that currently resides in my dining room. It sits on a shelf that is supposed to be used for the VHS tapes, of which we only have 4, and I'm considering moving their books from the shelf in the playroom to the shelf below the TV.
In my dining room I also have a small cupboard type thing where I store all 'extra' blankets...I really need to go through it and donate a lot of the baby blankets in there, but I'm torn.
I have a large tote upstairs, in the storage room, that I put clothes in that are too big for the kids right now, or that are off season that I don't have room for in their dressers. Every season change I go through each of their dressers and closets and throw out badly worn clothes and make a donation pile for everything they've outgrown and in decent shape still. I then sort the donation piles into different bags to different people who could use the clothes and one bag for Goodwill. I mark each bag before I start stuffing them and generally immediately put them into the car, in the front seat...in sight so that they're not as easily forgotten.
In my laundry room I have a sorter hamper, with 3 compartments. As I bring laundry down I sort it according to color/type. I have an additional hamper for towels or sheets. I also have a garment rack stocked full of the empty hangers from everyone's closets. As I pull laundry out of the dryer I put the hanging clothes immediately on the hangers before hauling the basket of clothes to be folded upstairs. I have a small dedicated basket for socks that need to be mated and folded, then fold everyone's clothing. Each person over the age of 4 is responsible for putting their own clothing away. I start the teaching process when they are 3 (or 30 in the case of my husband). Laundry is to be put away in the dresser or closet before bed.
Sheets are washed every Sunday. I have found that if I skip a week or two we all suffer from allergy type symptoms. Pillows are washed on the first of every odd month; blankets and comforters are washed on the first of every even month.
Right now I don't have a dishwasher and my hands crack and peel if I do dishes too often, so dishes are done every afternoon...unless I can get Mikeal to do them after dinner too.
I have all hardwood floors in my house and only two utility rugs, so I sweep everything on average once a day. Everything gets swept into one big pile in the middle of the dining room (central room of the house) and from there the pile is sorted into baskets/boxes and I have my trashcan right there with me...a basket for laundry, basket for shoes, box for toys, trash into the trashcan. Then everything in the box or baskets gets put away where it belongs.
In the bathroom I have a small wastebasket (most of the time...lost it at some point over the last month) and a hamper that hangs on the door. All dirty clothes are to go in the hamper before leaving the bathroom after showering/bathing. All wet towels go on one of the two towel rods on the wall or door...still working on getting the 33 year old to realize that a shower curtain rod is NOT a towel rod. I have a small closet in the bathroom that is a GODSEND! On the top shelf I have all medications in a plastic storage drawer, every 3 months I go through the drawer and restock on bandaids, OTC meds, etc and throw out any medications we no longer take. On that shelf I also have extra bottles of shampoo, body wash, etc as well as my bathroom cleaning supplies. I have a small basket for all of my make-up that sits on the shelf with the towels dedicated to mine & Brian's use. On a lower shelf I have all the kids' towels, the hand towels, and wash cloths. I also have a 7 drawer storage bin with dedicated drawers for sample & travel size items, a drawer for hair bows, a drawer for bathroom electrical items (razors, hairdryer, curling iron, etc), a drawer for personal hygiene items, a drawer for bath toys, a drawer for miscellaneous items, and a drawer for bar soap. Under the sink I keep a few extra plastic shopping bags to use as trashcan liners and the toilet bowl brush. Over the toilet I have a wire kitchen organizer things that I screwed to the wall, then lined the base with a piece of cardboard to keep magazines in, every few months I change out all the magazines for new ones.
In my storage room I have sturdy boxes or totes for everything to be put away in. Curtains in a box. Seasonal items separated into a different tote or two for each season...this year my Christmas items expanded from just one medium size tote to include a larger tote. Everything in the totes are put back in their original packaging when I put it away or if I'm unable to get it back in it's original packaging I put it into zipper bags. I put it exactly where it goes as I take things down, and immediately into the tote. The tote is then put back into storage, labeled.
All totes in my storage room are labeled so that I can glance at it and know what is in it without having to dig or open everything.
Lets see....
Everyone's clean/extra bedsheets are kept in their individual closets or other storage space in the bedroom folded and completely together. In the event of accident or sickness there is no hunting down to find clean bedding and its always right there on sheet washing day to replace the removed sheets immediately.
Upholstery cleaner and Febreeze is kept in the living room, on the previously mentioned garment rack in the living room so that they are always handy. All other cleaning chemicals are kept on the top shelf of the pantry shelf. I have a large drawer in the kitchen dedicated to cleaning cloths, dish towels, cloth napkins, placemats, etc...
I also have small 'catch-all' baskets throughout the house...one on top of the fridge, one on top of the tall bookshelf in the dining room, one on top of my desk...you get the idea. The baskets are an eyesore quite often, which prompts me to put all the stuff away that has accumulated in the baskets on a regular basis...no set regular basis, but keeping the 'junk drawer' stuff out of drawers and in these baskets helps to keep me from letting it all accumulate and losing items.
I'm hoping to soon find a large rolling tool chest that I can give to my husband and then, HOPEFULLY, he'll be able to do a better job at keeping his tools put away...and maybe he'll quit stealing my tools that I *had* in my bucket that is lined with a tool organizer... The only tools I can count on being in there are my gardening tools, and even then I have to hunt them down once in a while when the kids think they're fun toys to play in the yard with...
That's all I can think of at this time....I'll add more as I think of more.
In an effort to keep up with coats, jackets, boots, shoes, sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves, etc I put up a metal garment rack, right behind my front door, with a small shelf under it. I don't have a mud room or closet in the living room, formal entry way or anything else of that nature...you walk in the front door and there is the living room.
Shoes are thrown on the shelf. I have many many hangers on the rack itself for coats, hoodies, jackets, etc as well as a few extra hangers for guests' coats and jackets. The garment rack has a wire 'shelf' across the top, complete with hooks at the ends. From the hooks hang items such as my purse, laptop bag, diaper bag, backpacks, etc. On the shelf I will soon be putting a small storage basket for items like gloves and hats. I also put packages up there that I plan on mailing out (one of these days). Just past the garment rack I have a key organizer screwed to the wall...where keys are supposed to be hung after walking in the door....
I am also a firm believer in 'everything has a place'...now I have not yet practiced enough to get into the habit of 'everything goes in its exact place, neatly, immediately' but I do attempt to keep like items together. Bills, school stuff, etc all go on my desk, or on the filing cabinet. Items needing mending, scrap fabric, non-scrap fabric, etc all go on the sewing table. I have a small tote for my knitting & crocheting items...hooks, looms, yarn, scissors, etc. I have a trunk for crafty things, inside that trunk I do have a small tote for the kids' crayons & craft items, but mainly just because I can latch the trunk and Mikaila hasn't figured out yet how to get into it.
The chifferobe that I am using as a TV cabinet has two drawers - in the drawers I keep some drawing paper for the kids as well as all our board games (or at least the pieces to the games as I run across them in the floor). The shelf above the TV that is supposed to just house the Wii and DVD player is also the 'catch-all' for the video games & recently watched DVDs, often not put back in their cases, but in a pinch all I have to do is shut the doors and 'hide' the clutter. The kids have a separate TV & DVD player that currently resides in my dining room. It sits on a shelf that is supposed to be used for the VHS tapes, of which we only have 4, and I'm considering moving their books from the shelf in the playroom to the shelf below the TV.
In my dining room I also have a small cupboard type thing where I store all 'extra' blankets...I really need to go through it and donate a lot of the baby blankets in there, but I'm torn.
I have a large tote upstairs, in the storage room, that I put clothes in that are too big for the kids right now, or that are off season that I don't have room for in their dressers. Every season change I go through each of their dressers and closets and throw out badly worn clothes and make a donation pile for everything they've outgrown and in decent shape still. I then sort the donation piles into different bags to different people who could use the clothes and one bag for Goodwill. I mark each bag before I start stuffing them and generally immediately put them into the car, in the front seat...in sight so that they're not as easily forgotten.
In my laundry room I have a sorter hamper, with 3 compartments. As I bring laundry down I sort it according to color/type. I have an additional hamper for towels or sheets. I also have a garment rack stocked full of the empty hangers from everyone's closets. As I pull laundry out of the dryer I put the hanging clothes immediately on the hangers before hauling the basket of clothes to be folded upstairs. I have a small dedicated basket for socks that need to be mated and folded, then fold everyone's clothing. Each person over the age of 4 is responsible for putting their own clothing away. I start the teaching process when they are 3 (or 30 in the case of my husband). Laundry is to be put away in the dresser or closet before bed.
Sheets are washed every Sunday. I have found that if I skip a week or two we all suffer from allergy type symptoms. Pillows are washed on the first of every odd month; blankets and comforters are washed on the first of every even month.
Right now I don't have a dishwasher and my hands crack and peel if I do dishes too often, so dishes are done every afternoon...unless I can get Mikeal to do them after dinner too.
I have all hardwood floors in my house and only two utility rugs, so I sweep everything on average once a day. Everything gets swept into one big pile in the middle of the dining room (central room of the house) and from there the pile is sorted into baskets/boxes and I have my trashcan right there with me...a basket for laundry, basket for shoes, box for toys, trash into the trashcan. Then everything in the box or baskets gets put away where it belongs.
In the bathroom I have a small wastebasket (most of the time...lost it at some point over the last month) and a hamper that hangs on the door. All dirty clothes are to go in the hamper before leaving the bathroom after showering/bathing. All wet towels go on one of the two towel rods on the wall or door...still working on getting the 33 year old to realize that a shower curtain rod is NOT a towel rod. I have a small closet in the bathroom that is a GODSEND! On the top shelf I have all medications in a plastic storage drawer, every 3 months I go through the drawer and restock on bandaids, OTC meds, etc and throw out any medications we no longer take. On that shelf I also have extra bottles of shampoo, body wash, etc as well as my bathroom cleaning supplies. I have a small basket for all of my make-up that sits on the shelf with the towels dedicated to mine & Brian's use. On a lower shelf I have all the kids' towels, the hand towels, and wash cloths. I also have a 7 drawer storage bin with dedicated drawers for sample & travel size items, a drawer for hair bows, a drawer for bathroom electrical items (razors, hairdryer, curling iron, etc), a drawer for personal hygiene items, a drawer for bath toys, a drawer for miscellaneous items, and a drawer for bar soap. Under the sink I keep a few extra plastic shopping bags to use as trashcan liners and the toilet bowl brush. Over the toilet I have a wire kitchen organizer things that I screwed to the wall, then lined the base with a piece of cardboard to keep magazines in, every few months I change out all the magazines for new ones.
In my storage room I have sturdy boxes or totes for everything to be put away in. Curtains in a box. Seasonal items separated into a different tote or two for each season...this year my Christmas items expanded from just one medium size tote to include a larger tote. Everything in the totes are put back in their original packaging when I put it away or if I'm unable to get it back in it's original packaging I put it into zipper bags. I put it exactly where it goes as I take things down, and immediately into the tote. The tote is then put back into storage, labeled.
All totes in my storage room are labeled so that I can glance at it and know what is in it without having to dig or open everything.
Lets see....
Everyone's clean/extra bedsheets are kept in their individual closets or other storage space in the bedroom folded and completely together. In the event of accident or sickness there is no hunting down to find clean bedding and its always right there on sheet washing day to replace the removed sheets immediately.
Upholstery cleaner and Febreeze is kept in the living room, on the previously mentioned garment rack in the living room so that they are always handy. All other cleaning chemicals are kept on the top shelf of the pantry shelf. I have a large drawer in the kitchen dedicated to cleaning cloths, dish towels, cloth napkins, placemats, etc...
I also have small 'catch-all' baskets throughout the house...one on top of the fridge, one on top of the tall bookshelf in the dining room, one on top of my desk...you get the idea. The baskets are an eyesore quite often, which prompts me to put all the stuff away that has accumulated in the baskets on a regular basis...no set regular basis, but keeping the 'junk drawer' stuff out of drawers and in these baskets helps to keep me from letting it all accumulate and losing items.
I'm hoping to soon find a large rolling tool chest that I can give to my husband and then, HOPEFULLY, he'll be able to do a better job at keeping his tools put away...and maybe he'll quit stealing my tools that I *had* in my bucket that is lined with a tool organizer... The only tools I can count on being in there are my gardening tools, and even then I have to hunt them down once in a while when the kids think they're fun toys to play in the yard with...
That's all I can think of at this time....I'll add more as I think of more.
Monday, January 3, 2011
MY Organization Techniques....
Start with just one thing at a time. It has taken me a few years of doing the same things every week/month/year to get into the habit.
To keep our bills in check I have a main calendar that I use to circle expected paydays...for the whole year. Then I write a list of every bill that I know I will have every month of the year - rent, electric, water, insurance, internet, phone, etc...Then I group the bills by their due dates - rent & phone are due at the first of the month, insurance, electric, water, etc are due towards the end of the month. Most months we only have two pay periods so I then split the bills between the two pay periods, and write down which ones to pay when, how to split them, etc so that we have roughly the same amount of $$ coming out of each paycheck... As soon as the bill comes in the mail I open it and write down the exact amount on my calendar, then put the bill itself in a basket that usually hangs on the wall behind my monitor...only bills are allowed in that little basket. On payday I pay all the bills that I have written on my calendar before we spend anything out of that paycheck - I stay on top of the bills and paying them first keeps me from spending that money on something else. Even if I do something like split the rent between two paychecks, I pay the partial amount the day the check deposits.
As soon as any appointment is made I write it on the calendar. Every Sunday or Monday (since Brian usually knows his schedule by Monday at the latest for the following week) I write down his work schedule, compare it with the kids' school schedules, doctor appointments, extra activities and Brian and I map out everything else that needs to be done that week - shopping, etc...and try to get trips into town condensed to just one trip or combined with a different trip...such as him picking up something on his way home from work so that I don't have to go into town for just some piddly item.
I also write down all of my school assignment due dates in my calendar so that way its right there in front of me ...taunting me...
I use a red ink pen to write down the bills that are due...blue ink for doctor appointments & scheduled activities...and black ink for my school assignment (it was purple ink until I realized today that I have lost all my purple ink pens)
Every night before I go to bed I again look over my calendar and make a list of everything I need to do in town if I have to go into town and take that list with me so I don't forget anything.
I have a decent upright freezer so instead of making daily/weekly trips to the grocery store I spend the first of the month cleaning out my fridge of leftovers, etc and I have Mikeal right down items on my shopping list as I see that I need them, as I'm cleaning the fridge, that way I don't forget as many things. The next day I basically do the same thing to my pantry cupboard-organize it and wipe it out, call out needed items while Mikeal writes them down for me.
Over the next day or two I take inventory of how much food I still have in my freezer & pantry and how many meals I can get out of the food in there, and make a tentative menu...basically I figure out 25 dinners for the month, since we RARELY go out to eat...then I write down any other groceries I need to make those meals. Then only go shopping once for the main stuff...I'll then spend a day preparing a lot of the meals-generally it takes me about 5 hrs to prepare, in advance, 15-20 meals to just stick in the freezer immediately then thaw when we're ready to eat it (depending on how the month goes). I always have a few 'simple' dinner supplies on hand for the nights I either forget to set something out or just really don't feel like cooking. I generally always go grocery shopping on the 10th of the month - just a day I picked - and if for some reason my schedule doesn't allow for me to go that day... I nearly always have about a week's worth of meals 'leftover' either in the freezer or pantry.
I also keep a filing cabinet right next to my desk...in the top drawer I have hanging folders for each person with different keepsake types things in the folder, a folder for the current year that has three folders in it...one for receipts, one for paycheck stubs, and one for miscellaneous things that I need to keep up with (insurance claims, student loan stuff, etc)..., a folder for vehicle information - title, tag paperwork, etc. -, a folder for other legal paperwork - birth certificates, marriage license, etc... In the bottom drawer I have a folder for all appliance/electronic paperwork and then each year I take the folder that's full of receipts & pay stubs and move it to the bottom folder and add the tax paper work after it's been filed....at some point in time I'm going to decide if I'm going to start shredding the paperwork that dates back to 1998, when I started working....
To keep up with housework, etc...well, I'm still working on that for the most part. That is mainly this year's 'tackle' since I have the rest of it fairly well down pat. It has taken roughly 5 years of practice to get the system down in such a way that works for me and my family....and even then once in a while things fall through the cracks. The most important thing I have found is that when things do fall through the cracks to just jump back on it to get back on track. The more often you jump back on the track the longer you'll stay on track. Make it a HABIT! ...and when someone like my husband makes fun of you and says you're being OCD and such about it just remember ...if you're not OCD about keeping yourself on a schedule then he won't have any clean socks to wear to work....
To keep our bills in check I have a main calendar that I use to circle expected paydays...for the whole year. Then I write a list of every bill that I know I will have every month of the year - rent, electric, water, insurance, internet, phone, etc...Then I group the bills by their due dates - rent & phone are due at the first of the month, insurance, electric, water, etc are due towards the end of the month. Most months we only have two pay periods so I then split the bills between the two pay periods, and write down which ones to pay when, how to split them, etc so that we have roughly the same amount of $$ coming out of each paycheck... As soon as the bill comes in the mail I open it and write down the exact amount on my calendar, then put the bill itself in a basket that usually hangs on the wall behind my monitor...only bills are allowed in that little basket. On payday I pay all the bills that I have written on my calendar before we spend anything out of that paycheck - I stay on top of the bills and paying them first keeps me from spending that money on something else. Even if I do something like split the rent between two paychecks, I pay the partial amount the day the check deposits.
As soon as any appointment is made I write it on the calendar. Every Sunday or Monday (since Brian usually knows his schedule by Monday at the latest for the following week) I write down his work schedule, compare it with the kids' school schedules, doctor appointments, extra activities and Brian and I map out everything else that needs to be done that week - shopping, etc...and try to get trips into town condensed to just one trip or combined with a different trip...such as him picking up something on his way home from work so that I don't have to go into town for just some piddly item.
I also write down all of my school assignment due dates in my calendar so that way its right there in front of me ...taunting me...
I use a red ink pen to write down the bills that are due...blue ink for doctor appointments & scheduled activities...and black ink for my school assignment (it was purple ink until I realized today that I have lost all my purple ink pens)
Every night before I go to bed I again look over my calendar and make a list of everything I need to do in town if I have to go into town and take that list with me so I don't forget anything.
I have a decent upright freezer so instead of making daily/weekly trips to the grocery store I spend the first of the month cleaning out my fridge of leftovers, etc and I have Mikeal right down items on my shopping list as I see that I need them, as I'm cleaning the fridge, that way I don't forget as many things. The next day I basically do the same thing to my pantry cupboard-organize it and wipe it out, call out needed items while Mikeal writes them down for me.
Over the next day or two I take inventory of how much food I still have in my freezer & pantry and how many meals I can get out of the food in there, and make a tentative menu...basically I figure out 25 dinners for the month, since we RARELY go out to eat...then I write down any other groceries I need to make those meals. Then only go shopping once for the main stuff...I'll then spend a day preparing a lot of the meals-generally it takes me about 5 hrs to prepare, in advance, 15-20 meals to just stick in the freezer immediately then thaw when we're ready to eat it (depending on how the month goes). I always have a few 'simple' dinner supplies on hand for the nights I either forget to set something out or just really don't feel like cooking. I generally always go grocery shopping on the 10th of the month - just a day I picked - and if for some reason my schedule doesn't allow for me to go that day... I nearly always have about a week's worth of meals 'leftover' either in the freezer or pantry.
I also keep a filing cabinet right next to my desk...in the top drawer I have hanging folders for each person with different keepsake types things in the folder, a folder for the current year that has three folders in it...one for receipts, one for paycheck stubs, and one for miscellaneous things that I need to keep up with (insurance claims, student loan stuff, etc)..., a folder for vehicle information - title, tag paperwork, etc. -, a folder for other legal paperwork - birth certificates, marriage license, etc... In the bottom drawer I have a folder for all appliance/electronic paperwork and then each year I take the folder that's full of receipts & pay stubs and move it to the bottom folder and add the tax paper work after it's been filed....at some point in time I'm going to decide if I'm going to start shredding the paperwork that dates back to 1998, when I started working....
To keep up with housework, etc...well, I'm still working on that for the most part. That is mainly this year's 'tackle' since I have the rest of it fairly well down pat. It has taken roughly 5 years of practice to get the system down in such a way that works for me and my family....and even then once in a while things fall through the cracks. The most important thing I have found is that when things do fall through the cracks to just jump back on it to get back on track. The more often you jump back on the track the longer you'll stay on track. Make it a HABIT! ...and when someone like my husband makes fun of you and says you're being OCD and such about it just remember ...if you're not OCD about keeping yourself on a schedule then he won't have any clean socks to wear to work....
Saturday, January 1, 2011
First the Insanity...
This has been plaguing me for the last month or so. You'll have to click on the picture to see the whole thing....and do feel free to leave me your own personal opinion, either here or on Twitter.
I'm at the point I don't know what to think. One of these tests shows a fairly faint blue line...the other test shows a 'maybe' it's there not quite though slight blue line...almost, barely, but enough of a barely for me to think negative...but the other one is just there enough for me to think positive...IN addition to the actual test lines not being consistent the control lines also are not consistent. One is thin and drawn looking, the other is thick and smeared looking.
I took both of these tests using the same urine, 5 minutes apart...exactly as told in the directions...
I'm really glad my doctor will be back in the office on Monday. I'm going to have her do a blood test so that I can just be done with the wondering...
I would splurge for a digital that would say in black and white "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant" but I don't currently have the cash for that because we're in the middle of the great truck rebuild that has spilled over into 2011....
I'm at the point I don't know what to think. One of these tests shows a fairly faint blue line...the other test shows a 'maybe' it's there not quite though slight blue line...almost, barely, but enough of a barely for me to think negative...but the other one is just there enough for me to think positive...IN addition to the actual test lines not being consistent the control lines also are not consistent. One is thin and drawn looking, the other is thick and smeared looking.
I took both of these tests using the same urine, 5 minutes apart...exactly as told in the directions...
I'm really glad my doctor will be back in the office on Monday. I'm going to have her do a blood test so that I can just be done with the wondering...
I would splurge for a digital that would say in black and white "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant" but I don't currently have the cash for that because we're in the middle of the great truck rebuild that has spilled over into 2011....
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