oh, the things I would like to do...

I want to paint my kitchen. It was fine for a while, I actually liked it, pale buttercream - the palest yellow. Now I want...well, I don't know what I want, but not yellow. Something warmer, that blends more with the living room. I also want new curtains, which I will make because buying curtains is expensive, and I never see any I can like for cheap enough. I do not like the kitchen valances at all anymore.

I need to put some stuff up on ebay.

My Christmas shopping used to be so easy, just stock up on toys year round, decide what to give who, wrap it up. Now, the kids are older. Only like the five youngest really play with toys. The older kids...blah. Boots? Coats? Electronics? Expensive! And if I DO happen to spend a bit on something nice for them, they assume I just peeled the clearance sticker off. ha. Anyway, I have to get my act together and get my Christmas shopping done. Well, started.

Thanksgiving is next week, too. The turkey I got was 25 1/2 pounds, it should be enough. I should make a list of everything we will want to have, and make sure I have the ingredients.

And...I need to wash socks again. Wash and match.

I would like a day with no interuptions, and a good helper or two, in which to organize my kitchen cupboards. I spend more time looking for things...so many people using the kitchen and putting things back in different places...and, I have a serious Organizational Deficiency. Once things get organized, which I can occasionally accomplish, they do not stay that way. When I get something cleaned out and fixed up just so, I promise I will keep it that way, ha. So the insides of my cupboards are...well, it looks like a crazy slob lives here. Hey, a whole group of them.

And to think that the number one comment I get from strangers is, "You must be SO organized!!" ha. ha ha ha.

The living room is all picked up and swept and clean, and the kitchen is decent. It isn't sticky and gross in here, just Lived In.

And don't open the cupboards.

The shoe area, oh, way too many shoes and sneakers and boots and sandals. Yes, I should put those away, the sandals.

Mittens! I have to get out the mittens!

So many things to do.

And here I sit, typing about it.

It was nice to have a day with Suzanne yesterday. Suze is an interesting girl. She is way too smart for her britches, and can be wickedly sarcastic. But she has a soft heart, and loves to take care of the younger ones. She absolutely blooms with one-on-one attention, talks my ear off. It is nice taking just one of them (and Camille, of course) out to the store like we did yesterday. I let her get some big gumballs from the bulk food section, and a new toothbrush. She got to pick the cereal kind too.

Sonja has her Native American project due tomorrow. We wimped out and chose to do a food item, corn bread of course. I have helped with so many longhouses through the years....I have to remember to get corn meal today, no more days to forget.

In a few hours Jonathan and I shall take the long drive down to the airport and pick up Paul.

Oh, and I have lost a few more ounces. ha, ounces. The scale went down the other day to a number I haven't seen in years and years...and this morning it was .0 on the end of that number instead of .6. I will take it! It seems that being really careful for most of the time, than having some splurges to break the plateaus, is what works for me. I had really wanted to lose like 14 pounds from the time we booked our vacation to the time we would leave, but I have lost only six. Oh well, still have a few weeks!

Okay, I am boring even myself here, I shall get moving, get some exercise, take a shower, clean up around here...fun, oh fun.