Memoirs of a Moorings

Taming the Paper Tiger

I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework.  ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"

Second week of school...and the paper tiger is roaring loudly. Every day my little first-grader comes home with a bunch of papers, fliers, homework, announcement, sign-up notices, etc.

Last school year, this is what the bulletin board in the kitchen looked like. A hodge podge that worked....but not really.

So I can up with a new plan. Two clear plastic hanging files clipped to the bulletin board. One for each kid with folders inside for their various needs. It's all working out much better.

In the future, when the little guy starts school, I think I'm going to adopt this idea though.

What's your organizational system for staying on top of papers?

Weekend Happenings

"There aren't enough days in the weekend." ~ Rod Schmidt

Not much new this weekend. A lazy Saturday. Lots of time at home. My perfect kind of days.

Friday was Obama t-shirt day for the boys. Nedra the shirts fit perfectly. Thanks :-)

A little bit of Nintendo DS Action.

There was some catching up with phone calls.

Some snack sharing.

And a bit of one-on-one play time with Daddy.

Bring It On

"Amidst all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from all the static, are the goals set. Put your head down, do the best job possible, let the flak pass, and work towards those goals." ~Donald Rumsfeld

So after stalking photographer extraordinaire T.ara W.hitney's blog for months on end, (I was so close to contacting her for my belly shots) I  de-lurked my self to join her OPAM  (One Project A  Month) challenge. And with so much clutter in this household, I've decided to start big and take on the boy's room. Since the room got set up when I was pregnant, things were pretty much thrown together and have stayed that way since the arrival of our little one.
I took a full shot of the room, but it was such a mess I could dare show it all :-( Perhaps when I have some "after" pics.  *

I have until the end of the month to:

:: hang those shelves sitting behind their door
:: get rid of those horrible mini blinds and finish hanging the curtain rod and put up the curtains,
:: tame the toy monster
:: finish organizing the closet
:: clean up the blue horizontal stripe painted along the wall.

My head is spinning just thinking about it all. But I have put myself out there so I must finish. I think I can.....I think I can....

*updated to add: with so much progress. I felt brave enough to post the other before shot.

Observations....

“Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice.”

This is daddy's way of soothing the baby's crying. And......it actually worked.

The Nesting Continues

"Beginnings are always messy."  ~John Galsworthy

Getting ready for Rhyan's birth was such a smooth transition. Of course, it helped that I didn't have any other children to care for or that I was a stay-at-home mom. This weekend my wonderful hubby overworked himself to satisfy my nesting instinct. He painted two rooms and put up Rhyan's bunk beds which we picked up last week. I took pics, but when I saw the mess, I said no way am I going to publish them! Rhyan is soooooooo excited about the beds. The mattresses aren't here, but he wanted to sleep in the top bunk so bad. I compromised with him and set him up in the bottom bunk with his toddler mattress from his car bed. I padded the sides with his new bedding and some pillows. Can we say happy camper! He doesn't care that the rest of the room is in disarray. He was just so happy to be in his big boy bed. Let's hope this is the end of late night creeping to our bed! Cannot wait until everything is in order! I ordered a bunch of stuff online for the baby--basics like diapers, onesies, socks, pajamas--stuff we didn't have. I felt guilty for shopping online. Why? It's so hard for me to get around now, it really was the smartest move. So much still left to do--let's just pray I don't go into early labor trying to get it all done!

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Cat Be Gone!

"Cats always know whether people like or dislike them. They do not always care enough to do anything about it.” ~Winifred Carriere

We've got a cat problem. Well, a cat poop problem to be exact. Turns out that a cat has found our front yard to be his favorite place to do the do. And it's always in the freshly-planted jasmine. And of course the dirt has to be kicked up afterward. I am NOT a cat fan at all. And definitely not a fan of one who thinks he can do whatever he wants to do in our yard.

So I'm on a mission to rid our yard of that cat. My mom suggested a garden stake of a cat. It worked for her. So I bought a Halloween cat from Mi*chaels--the closest thing I could find. The neighbors are probably wondering why the cat is even there since there is nothing else even remotely Halloween-related in our front yard. I was convinced this would work. Imagine my surprise, and disgust, when yet again, the cat had made a visit this week--less than six feet from the newly-purchased cat. ARRRGHHH!

And if that's not enough, Rhyan has taken a liking to the fake cat. He is constantly petting it, picking it up and moving it, trying to bring it in the house, asking why it keeps pooping in our yard, and wondering why he's fake. He's even named the "pet" cat Spongebob! *Sigh*

So my mother has suggested bleach in small saucers to deter the cat and some "Cat Be Gone" concotion that can be bought at Home Depot. Any other suggestions out there? 

Made With Love

"When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child." ~Sophia Loren

Growing up, I LOVED the TV show, "Leave It to Beaver." I adored its simple wholesomeness. Its focus on family. And yes, I'm going to admit this, I loved June Cleaver and still do. I know it was make-believe, but I loved the way she kept a clean and organized house, the way she greeted her kids after school with milk and cookies and sent them off to school with a warm breakfast in their tummies.

I'm far from June Cleaver, (though I do like to wear an apron in the kitchen) but I do hope to inject some of that simple wholesomeness into my own mothering. To that end, I made heart-shaped chocolate waffles (with some chocolate chips thrown in for good measure) this weekend for the guys. They loved them. I could hardly wake up Sunday morning before my little one was asking for them again.

I think this just might become a weekend tradition--June Cleaver-style!

Who Needs Toys?

"A characteristic of the normal child is he doesn't act that way very often."  ~Author Unknown

This summer we bought new patio furniture for the backyard. In an effort to save it from the sun, we cover it with tarp during the weekday. However, SOMEONE finds it fun to turn the tarp-covered furniture into his own mosh pit. And his sidekick is always his stuffed bull dog.

Daddy's Shoes

"I've got big shoes to fill. This is my chance to do something. I have to seize the moment." ~ Andrew Jackson

After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, I remember reading a story about a wife who lost her husband. In the article, she said his shoes were still where he left them by the door. Even months later, she didn't have the heart to move them. They gave her a sense of normalcy--so she said they would stay until she could move on from the grief.

The other week, as I stepped over yet another pair of my husband's shoes left out, I thought of this wife. Instead of getting irritated, I felt a wave of gratefulness wash over me. Praise God my husband is still here to fill those shoes. Lately, I've been appreciating those shoes left out--in the bathroom, by the garage door, in the den....Our little guy does too.