Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
So things are at sixes and sevens here in LMLD-land.
Someone told Deirdre that I am “the perfect combination of drill sergeant and cheerleader” — how funny is that? But {insert evil laugh}I do have lots of things to yell at/affirm you about. My mind is a veritable fertile swamp or other fertile place, maybe not so unattractive, but probably just as difficult to maneuver in, of blog posts, thoughts, ideas, yellings, and affirmations.
But, I am also trying to help plan some weddings here (it's really crazy to have two back-to-back weddings, right?). And wow, I am tuckered out after having the troops here. I hit a wall. Honestly, I spent many years churning out the meals, breads, rolls, and buckets of food, and now I'm just not in shape for it! I can tell you how to do it, though 🙂
But not right now.
So one thing is that it feels {pretty} to get Christmas decorations out and clean up. We always enjoy our Christmas things until after the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord — sometimes even up until the Presentation on February 2. The tree was holding up well (I get very antsy if it starts that thing of suddenly dropping all its needles when you brush up against it!), but it was time to go.
The light, if there be light, heartens me. The open spaces make me feel buoyant. Usually it takes several rounds of putting gifts away, tidying spaces where there were decorations, and rounding up stray gift bags. I have a sense of accomplishment when it's all done.
Another {pretty} struck me in the pantry, which is also my working space (in this old house, the pantry is an actual room, with a window!).
The banner was made for me by Joseph one year when he was little. It was stapled to a dowel so that I could fly it like a flag. It's considerably faded now, but I do love it.
The origami was made by Rosie a few Thanksgivings ago, to hold name cards for our guests. They were meant to take their little paper boxes, but didn't. I couldn't throw them away, could I? It was a brainstorm to make them into a garland!
After I painted the third-floor stairs this green, I decided to use it to paint the trim on my window here. Doesn't one window cry out for something whimsical; nay, funky?
Can't do a curtain of any kind, because there is no one to look in and no reason to block the little light there is! So crazy trim it was.
I haven't shown you properly, as a reveal, so I thought I'd pop it in here.
I'm not {happy} that the boys finally left, but I am happy looking at this photo of Joseph's guitar (it's actually Deirdre's, but he played it — with Bridget on the fiddle — the whole time he was here).
You guys always crack me up with your photos of your laundry in your {real}s. Well, here is about 1/43rd of mine this week, because I haven't pictured all the sheets and towels that I finally got to. But I just don't have the attention span to get through it all without a little break for knitting and a sip of tea!
So by way of a little drill sergeant-ing and cheerleading, let me comment on something I've noticed when ladies talk about laundry. They seem to think that you must sort, wash, dry, fold, sort again, and put away — all at once! Do you think that? Go read my laundry posts there on the sidebar! If you have more than two children, how about viewing them as different chores that you cycle through at different times of the day?
Let your children give you a hand with the various parts of the process, and let them put away their own clothes. If there are too many to put away, there are too many clothes!
But don't try to do it all at once. Don't beat yourself up that it's never all done. It's just too darned much!
Deanna says
Such beautiful and colorful pictures. And how exciting (yet crazy!) to have TWO weddings to plan this year!
Stacy says
I love the origami idea. How beautiful! Who is the little playmobile figurine?
_Leila says
He's a Knight of Malta! His cape is somewhere in the depths of the playmobil bin, alas!
Sarah says
I love your green windowsill. How cheering. We have just moved into a new house and I am debating whether I could squeeze my sewing table into the laundry so I can leave it up permanently – trouble we are in tropical Darwin, and the laundry is very hot!
I agree with the need to break down the laundry tasks too. Sometimes just getting the washing in from the line is enough for one day:)
_Leila says
Yes, Sarah! The laundry is just always in process when you are raising a busy family. There's always a load on, always two baskets to be folded, always two baskets of folded clothes to be put away! If company comes, shut it all up in a bedroom! 🙂
Christine says
I love the green window, and, what a pretty red you've cast on, what are you knitting?
_Leila says
Christine, it's a cowl and it's on my Ravelry page: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/leilamarie/fern-l…
MamaHen says
I love your green trim!
Yesterday I came to your site and reread many things about siblings and getting along. Thank you for your search bar, by the way, very helpful. Yesterday was “one of those days” with my Child Fuss and Child Fight. I was encouraged by what you wrote and encouraged by my hubby last night who (again) insisted I am too easy on them and their was nothing wrong with making a 10 and 12 year old reasonably miserable when they don't act right. I tend to want to get to the heart issue, and he wants to get to the obeying issue. I hope we balance each other out. But, anyway, your writings encouraged me in that this is not a sprint, it is a marathon and I have to be the adult in the race. Yikes! Sometimes I wish I was still the kid!
Breanna says
Thank you for fixing (do you know that the spell check doesn't know the word alleviate?) my guilt about not getting the laundry put away on the day I wash it. I've got only three kids and a tidy husband, it seems like I ought to be able to accomplish this. Granted one kid is a baby and one loves markers. But still.
Thanks, Auntie. 🙂
Breanna says
Thank you for fixing (do you know that the spell check doesn't know the word alleviate?) my guilt about not getting the laundry put away on the day I wash it. I've got only three kids and a tidy husband, it seems like I ought to be able to accomplish this. Granted one kid is a baby and one loves markers. But still.
Thanks, Auntie. 🙂
Mary Jo says
I just loved your post today… (I especially liked the Lego figure next to t he beautiful plant. I have lots of those in various places, too….) Also, my picture did not load and for some reason, it won't let me edit it… sorry about the frog….grr.
Lisa G. says
I don't have any children, and I do the laundry in stages – like you, I do a bit, have some tea and read a bit, or crochet.
Bridget's remark was hilarious!
I stil have Christmas things up – it's nice to know that you can slowly come down from the wonderful Christmas high – that it's okay, and good, to keep it going.
Your little Jerusalem knight guy (is that a Jerusalem cross?) looks like he's ready to whack any weed which may spring up in your plant!
Margo says
bright trim instead of a curtain! that's very clever.
don't worry: I consider my laundry a daily task except for Sunday. But I don't let it bug me, I just work on it a little bit every day.
Shannon says
I agree laundry is a daily chore, I have stopped stressing over how much is dirty, If I put two loads all the way through wash and dry every day, then I have put for the effort keep it done, more than that makes for a supermom day:D
I love looking at your pictures, my house is NEVER that clean, even when guests come over. Maybe one day when all the kids are gone. But that is too sad to think on, hopefully I will have grandkids to make a mess:D
Karen says
The rocking chair picture is too funny!
Dawn says
I love the rocking chair picture. I just finished reading your laundry series last night. It is great.
blessings,
Dawn
Anastasia says
I love the green window trim idea! I might try something like that where I do not want curtains either. This is my first time trying to link up. I am so excited! I couldn't figure out how to use the code for the little phfr badge. Any guidance?
_Leila says
Sometimes the code doesn't work well (did you try it in your \”HTML\” view?). Just a regular link back to us is fine! Thanks!
PNG says
I used to call our garage the Garage of Death, too! We actually do get both vehicles in it for winter, but that's only after I drill-seargent the clean up!! I love your little Knight of Malta, and I should check out your Ravelry page. I haven't been on for a while…I'm getting behind on all my social networking.:(
Amanda Millay says
I think the “drill sergeant and cheerleader” combo is exactly what's needed for wedding planning!
Anne says
I'm also enjoying having the Christmas things (mostly) put away.
justamouse says
Laundry? Ack all the bedding from while everyone was visiting! Now I don't feel so bad!
justamouse says
And I'm still waiting on the place markers for the table tutorial. That will seriously help me solve a lot of gathering mishaps. Like when people try and take my Dh's place at the table, which sets me off. I mean, I'm set off on the inside, but still.
Lindsey says
What a nice collection of snapshots around the house. Most of our laundry is dried inside on racks in the dining room (out on the line in summer), so I just get used to seeing the racks of clothes in the background!
RubberChickenGirl says
Is that curtain in the first pic from World Market? Used to be called Cost Plus in San Fran in the 70's. I have been eyeing a panel called Tree of Life and I am wondering if that is what you have….but then again I cannot see Auntie Leila with a store bought drape!
RCG
_Leila says
RCG, yes, my dining room curtains are from World Market — Tree of Life! I love them so much, and I could not have made them for less. My girls helped me get them since alas, we have no WM here!
Elena says
I worked up the courage once more to link my post to you. Obviously, I'm missing something because my blog (not post itself) was sent. Maybe, I'll get it right next time. I also unsuccessfully tried to connect and view the radio program this week. No matter. Your phfr post is wonderful and very entertaining! Your advice is always helpful, and the color of your window frame reminds me of the color used on summer bungalows of my youth. P.S. I was wondering if you could do a post on what you think of eulogies at funeral masses.
_Leila says
Elena, I'm glad you tried again!
priest's wife says
Elena- I bet Auntie Leila would say something like this: Funeral Masses are to pray for the soul of the dead not to canonize them too quickly- eulogies where we celebrate their life and joke around and tell stories are for the 'wake' or for the reception afterwards at the reception hall. There is a time and a place for everything- we need both, but the deceased needs our prayers
(I hope I guessed your opinion correctly, Leila)
Tiffany says
I need a laundry intervention! Will re-read your worksheets on another day. I'm a brand new blogger and you are my Mary Poppins. Thank you all for the precious pictures! Mine are a few years old because it's fifteen degrees below zero and I was too wimpy to trek around and properly offer the beauty of Alaskan winter with a photo. Next week, perhaps. Thank you for the focus of these Thursday posts.
nt12many says
Speaking of a “garage of death”, I woke up at 2 am and panicked about the cat who I had shoved outside last night because we don't have a kitty litter box and she was getting that “look.”
We just got hit with our first winter storm (!!) and it is pretty close to zero and the wind is blowing (hence, I had to SHOVE the cat out the door). Well, I woke up wondering where she was and why hadn't anyone let her back in? So, I stuck my head out into the garage (attached to the house) and saw her little gray head way up under the ceiling. She looked cold. She also looked thrilled that I was calling her into the house!
Do you know it took about 15 minutes for that cat to pick her way along the metal railing thing that the automatic door slides through, down through the boxes, along shelves etc? She got stuck at one point in the corner! Even the cat couldn't find a way to get into the warm house from our garage of death!
I just try to pretend the garage doesn't exist, except when I need to cram something into it!
Jill Farris ” target=”_blank”>http://www.generationalwomanhood.wordpress.com
BethanneB says
I was very excited when we got the house we live in now–both a driveway and a garage! But every time I even said “garage” my husband looked at me strangely, like it was some kind of foreign word. It is the wood shop at our home and no car will ever find a home in there. We do have lots of hooks and doo-dads and interesting pieces of things, it's sort of like an overgrown button box–for a man. I especially like your iron hook. Is that a gathering basket or is it storing something fabulous?
nt12many says
Too funny…”an overgrown button box for a man”-that gave me a chuckle today!
Jill Farris ” target=”_blank”>http://www.generationalwomanhood.wordpress.com
priest's wife says
I love that your embroidery hoops are hanging from a nail at the window- I have got to do something similar- embroidery hoops tend to wander….don't they?
and I just LOVE the quilt in the shot with the guitar
MamabearJD says
I hate being late for anything, but I like the forgiving link up window you have for us! I love the picture with your silver. I have old silver pieces and though they make for more work in cleaning, I have always loved looking at them.
Laundry every day, that's the only way it doesn't get away from me! I have a closet rod in my laundry room and I try to hang as much as I can straight out of the dryer (even if I normally wouldn't hang it – it just goes faster for me). I encourage everyone to read your laundry posts and try different things until you see what fits your season of parenting!
womanofthehouse says
Your dining room is one of the prettiest rooms I've ever seen. And the green window frame is great! Love it!
Kim says
We don't have a garage, but we do have 2 stuffed to the gills sheds. What a wonderful blog! 🙂