our summer list....

One of the things on our list was, "Home Improvement Day." ha, guess who wrote that one? Well, today is not exactly that, but it is Cleaning Up Day. See, yesterday five of the kids went to an amusement park. Only one of those kids has a paying job. So guess where my birthday money went? Okay, I do enjoy seeing my kids happy, and like to bless them. But they do have to pay me back somehow, so they are helping me today.

Every day we sweep and clean up and we keep the dishes done, ect. But every once in a while, more has to be done. Stairs vacuumed, cobwebs, dust, smudges, clutter piles....and of course there is the ever-present laundry, and the daily bathroom cleaning.

We are having a few people over tomorrow so Ben can see them before he goes back to Washington. A few, I think we invited 30-ish. I have the chicken marinating, we are making pasta salad and brownies, and will serve watermelon and baked beans. Jonathan washed out the coolers to put the drinks in. We are sorting through coats on hooks that no one wears, and putting away boots that didn't get packed up yet, weeding things out and cleaning up. The things that I like done, but don't get to, until company is coming. The stack of papers on top of the microwave. The things on top of the refrigerator. And, I am a keeper of things. I like my things. I like the Sit-N-Spins, the dollhouse stuff, the doll strollers....I like the ride-ons for when kids come over, I like the baby swing on the swing set. Right now, the little girls have SO much dollhouse stuff out....

anyway, today we are cleaning up. Sweeping the deck and setting up chairs and putting together my new firepit, which I am very excited about.

We bought some lights to put on the deck, and some citronella candles.

I can't wait to get through the mundane details of cleaning up and get to the decorating and fun part.

I have my work cut out for me, to keep the atmosphere nice here as much as is in my power. Because cleaning up and getting kids to do things when it is a nice day and they'd rather not, well...it is somewhat challenging sometimes.

This fine morning, I woke up to one lamp on the floor with a shattered bulb, and two small piles of poopies on the living room floor. Suri looked very innocent, so I am guessing it was Little Kitty. Why on earth would a kitten do that when he has a litter box, recently cleaned out, ten feet down the hall? rrr. He also pooped near the stairs. I don't believe in getting rid of animals when they do bad things, but rrrr. Good thing he is so very cute and sweet.

So the clean-up has started, and here sits Mom, on her computer....better get up and get busy again before they lose steam!