I'm exhausted.

Not the I-didn't-get-enough-sleep kind of tired, but the I've-been-on-my-feet-all-day-with-2-kids kind of tired. The couch and I will be good friends tonight!

I've been going to Marie Ricks' free 8 week organizing class every Thursday night at our church. (thanks to my wonderful brother Ryan who watches my kids till Kart gets home!) So today I finally started taking some action in my house with her methods in mind. I took a big trash bag full of toys and books my kids no longer need/use, and other odds and ends we didn't need around the house, to Savers today. So those of you who like to get my kids things- please no toys right now! I'll try and post a list of things they could use some time soon. I mostly tried to keep toys that I felt they either really loved, or were at least educational in some way. (those kinds of toys are okay, but I'm trying to keep the amount of toys they have to a minimum- so they appreciate what they do have.)

Then while they napped I made all my chore cards (while catching up on my tv shows online!). They're 3x5 cards with the job on the left hand corner and the time (daily or a specific day of the week) in the right hand corner. Then you write what needs to be done to complete that job underneath. You lay out all the "daily" cards when you wake up and as you complete them you flip them over. When those are done you pull out the cards for that day of the week and do the same thing. I think it'll be a good system for me- someone who is unorganized and tends to procrastinate house work.

Then the rest of the day was playing outside with the kids and organizing their room. (one room down, several more to go!) I finally cleaned out all the clothes that don't fit them any more and put them in boxes and found more stuff for savers. Their room feels a lot better to me now.

I've also been trying to get to bed earlier, a challenge for some one who is a night owl. It's been slow, but I'm making progress. Eventually I'll make it to bed by 10 at the latest and get up by 5:30 or 6. That's the goal. I want to be up before the kids. Right now they're waking us up.

Anyway...that was my friday. Hope yours was a happy one! And if you're feeling worn out too you know where to find me. Come join me on the couch! We'll have hot chocolate and popcorn.