We've spent a lot of time at my mom's house this past week, mostly because my brother Jon has been visiting from Colorado. We had a nice time visiting together over several meals while he was in town.
A lot of time has been spent cleaning her basement. My mom has always liked to collect things and she keeps some things for sentimental reasons, like old toys and artwork from me and my brothers. My dad kept all sorts of old magazines, paperwork, and boxes in piles around the house. And they built a big beautiful home that they planned to retire in and never had a need to really clean things out because there was plenty of space. With five kids at home there never seemed to be time for a big spring cleaning.
But then my dad passed away, and my mom is thinking she may eventually move to a different place, so she's (wisely) trying to get rid of some of the excess now, while there are plenty of people to pitch in. We have been helping her a lot with big heavy items in the basement that have been left from building the house and from when a tornado hit the house a few years back. We got a lot of work done, and mom got a lot more things together to put in the next garage sale. But it was still a bit sad to not be able to spend time together playing board games since there was so much work to do downstairs.
I look at our giant pile of stuff we're trying to sell, plus the things we have decided to keep. Even after just two years in this house I'm amazed at the clutter we have. It's easy to see how the amount of stuff could grow so quickly after years in the same place when you have the space to not worry about getting rid of things.
I'm hoping that this time in the RV will give us a new mindset, of trying to NOT accumulate stuff instead of always looking for the next new thing. I'm hoping it will teach us to be content in a smaller space that makes it much less tempting to fill our home up with things, simply because we won't have the extra room. I'm hoping we'll just get out of the habit of constantly getting new things and we'll get used to being happy with what we already have.
We are a family of four, including two young children. We decided to sell our house and move into an RV to travel the country, visit friends and family, and take a step back from our consumerist lifestyle. This is all new territory to us, so undoubtedly many laughs, mishaps, and adventures await us!
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Currently in: Lynchburg, VA
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Sunday, May 3, 2009
Mom's house
Posted by Kim at 7:09 PM
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2009
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May
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- Sunday
- Big workday
- Another day, another truckload of stuff
- More preparations
- Love the stroller
- New stroller!
- Memorial Day
- Church nursery
- Garage sale round 2
- More garage sale prep
- Another first for Ian
- Walgreens
- Rinnah
- My camera was received for repairs today, so hopef...
- Relaxing day
- Car seat check
- Happy Anniversary!
- Shopping trip
- Plodding along
- More stuff
- Time is going fast
- Mother's Day
- Saturday
- Our house is back!
- Makeover
- So much and yet so little
- What the kids are doing now
- Clothes
- Mom's house
- Off to the shop
- Ideas
- Back to the dealer
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May
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2009
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We're Not The Only Ones
Kids Laugh of the Day
Rinnah has taken to saying "thank you" for just about everything these days, and since Ian loves to copy her, good manners are spreading! They like to play where Rinnah pushes something across the table to Ian, and he returns it. She says, "thank you!" and he says, "you're welcome!" And then they both giggle. It's so precious, and makes us think maybe we're doing at least something right around here!
12-28-09
Sept 09
Lately, if he doesn't want to do something, Ian tells us he can't figure it out. For example, we ask him to pick up his books. "I no figure out pick up my books." I don't know where he got it but it's kind of amusing.
8-10-09
Ian loves to eat pepperoni, and has his own name for it-"bump bump bump ONI!"
7-21-09
I was washing some dishes when I heard Ian behind me say, "I all ready go. Ma push Ian please?" There he was standing crouched in his little plastic dump truck with the cutest look on his face. I couldn't resist pushing him for a lap around the kitchen.
7-14-09
Ian bumped his head, and Jeremy said "I'm sorry". Ian replied, "No, I bumped my head all by myself."
7-10-09
I was opening up my tub of coupons to file and Ian spotted the small scissors I use in the store. He said, "Ma cut Ian's hair off with these?" I told him no, and he started pleading for me to cut his hair off! Maybe it's time to try a buzz cut.
6-27-09
We went to a deli to pick up some sandwiches-a special treat since we rarely eat out. I was in the car with the kids while Jeremy went in to pick up the food.
"Daddy go?" Ian asked.
"He went inside to get some food," I explained.
"I want burger may-naisse and pickle" he said very clearly.
Where did he get that? Who knows, but it cracked us up!
6-10-09While walking to the park, we saw a white car drive by.
"White car go?" Ian asked.
"Where do you think they're going?" I asked him back.
"Store" he said, after thinking for a minute.
"What are they going to buy at the store?"
"Food" he said. And then added, "With coupons"
Ah, what a proud mommy moment that was for me!
6-5-09
Ian's favorite game lately is "Ian go?" which is "Where did Ian go?" He'll 'hide' by putting his face behind a sheet or simply looking another direction. If you don't suggest places Ian could be hiding, he'll suggest them for you. Then he'll say "no!" and laugh at each place. Now he's started coming out from his hiding place and saying "there you are!" when he appears. :)
6-2-09
Ian doesn't like to go to bed, and usually after we go into his room three times we'll close the door. Tonight we did, and then we heard a tiny little wail, "Door open! I want see yooooooooooooouuuu!" It was so adorable, I wound up giving in.
5-27-09 I was nursing Rinnah today, and when she finished I was burping her. Then she started to crawl away and almost slipped, so I was catching her fall. During this time I hadn't fixed my shirt yet. Ian ran over saying, "Close milk! Close milk!" and tried to pull my shirt down for me.
5-26-09I had practiced with Ian saying "Happy Birthday Uncle David". It's a big sentence for him, and he had to concentrate really hard to get it out. When the time came, I asked him to say what we had practiced. "Uncle David" he carefully said. "Do you remember what else?" I prompted. He paused. I whispered, "Happy Birthday". And Ian very carefully whispered "Happy Birthday". Can't fault him for that!
5-17-09Completely out of the blue today, Ian decided he wanted to do my hair. He got out his detangler spray and comb and went to work. He actually was doing a very meticulous job, and kept saying, "People look all nice momma hair" which I'm pretty sure translates into, "People are going to see momma's hair all nice."
5-16-09 Ian was driving his tractor with the farmer and animals today. He told us they were going shopping, which is what he usually says people are doing when he drives his cars or trucks. We asked him where they were going. "Red store", he said, which is what he called Target when we were there the other day. (He identifies stores by the color of shopping carts.) He then informed us that the farmer was going to the store to buy socks for Rinnah. :)
5-15-09 Ian likes to play where he 'hides' and we look for him. He doesn't quite have the idea of hiding down yet. As long as he can't see you, he's hiding in his mind. So he'll often pull the curtains over his face, and yell "Ian go?" which is short for "Where did Ian go?" If you don't start looking right away, he'll offer suggestions for you. "On couch?" "By door?" "In box?" He'll also answer "No!" when you ask if he's in any certain place. Here's a picture of him "hiding" during the game.
5-14-09 I was showing Ian some kissing bears that we are putting in the garage sale. They're the kind that have magnets in the snouts so they kiss. We've had one floating around for about a week that Ian found, but we just found the mate today. I showed him how they kissed, and he was very excited.
"Daddy!" he proudly said, holding up the boy bear.
"Good!" I told him. "What about this one?" I asked, holding up the girl bear and waiting for the proud moment when he said my name.
"Ian!" he said, and made them kiss.
Too sweet!
Sept 09
Lately, if he doesn't want to do something, Ian tells us he can't figure it out. For example, we ask him to pick up his books. "I no figure out pick up my books." I don't know where he got it but it's kind of amusing.
8-10-09
Ian loves to eat pepperoni, and has his own name for it-"bump bump bump ONI!"
7-21-09
I was washing some dishes when I heard Ian behind me say, "I all ready go. Ma push Ian please?" There he was standing crouched in his little plastic dump truck with the cutest look on his face. I couldn't resist pushing him for a lap around the kitchen.
7-14-09
Ian bumped his head, and Jeremy said "I'm sorry". Ian replied, "No, I bumped my head all by myself."
7-10-09
I was opening up my tub of coupons to file and Ian spotted the small scissors I use in the store. He said, "Ma cut Ian's hair off with these?" I told him no, and he started pleading for me to cut his hair off! Maybe it's time to try a buzz cut.
6-27-09
We went to a deli to pick up some sandwiches-a special treat since we rarely eat out. I was in the car with the kids while Jeremy went in to pick up the food.
"Daddy go?" Ian asked.
"He went inside to get some food," I explained.
"I want burger may-naisse and pickle" he said very clearly.
Where did he get that? Who knows, but it cracked us up!
6-10-09While walking to the park, we saw a white car drive by.
"White car go?" Ian asked.
"Where do you think they're going?" I asked him back.
"Store" he said, after thinking for a minute.
"What are they going to buy at the store?"
"Food" he said. And then added, "With coupons"
Ah, what a proud mommy moment that was for me!
6-5-09
Ian's favorite game lately is "Ian go?" which is "Where did Ian go?" He'll 'hide' by putting his face behind a sheet or simply looking another direction. If you don't suggest places Ian could be hiding, he'll suggest them for you. Then he'll say "no!" and laugh at each place. Now he's started coming out from his hiding place and saying "there you are!" when he appears. :)
6-2-09
Ian doesn't like to go to bed, and usually after we go into his room three times we'll close the door. Tonight we did, and then we heard a tiny little wail, "Door open! I want see yooooooooooooouuuu!" It was so adorable, I wound up giving in.
5-27-09 I was nursing Rinnah today, and when she finished I was burping her. Then she started to crawl away and almost slipped, so I was catching her fall. During this time I hadn't fixed my shirt yet. Ian ran over saying, "Close milk! Close milk!" and tried to pull my shirt down for me.
5-26-09I had practiced with Ian saying "Happy Birthday Uncle David". It's a big sentence for him, and he had to concentrate really hard to get it out. When the time came, I asked him to say what we had practiced. "Uncle David" he carefully said. "Do you remember what else?" I prompted. He paused. I whispered, "Happy Birthday". And Ian very carefully whispered "Happy Birthday". Can't fault him for that!
5-17-09Completely out of the blue today, Ian decided he wanted to do my hair. He got out his detangler spray and comb and went to work. He actually was doing a very meticulous job, and kept saying, "People look all nice momma hair" which I'm pretty sure translates into, "People are going to see momma's hair all nice."
5-16-09 Ian was driving his tractor with the farmer and animals today. He told us they were going shopping, which is what he usually says people are doing when he drives his cars or trucks. We asked him where they were going. "Red store", he said, which is what he called Target when we were there the other day. (He identifies stores by the color of shopping carts.) He then informed us that the farmer was going to the store to buy socks for Rinnah. :)
5-15-09 Ian likes to play where he 'hides' and we look for him. He doesn't quite have the idea of hiding down yet. As long as he can't see you, he's hiding in his mind. So he'll often pull the curtains over his face, and yell "Ian go?" which is short for "Where did Ian go?" If you don't start looking right away, he'll offer suggestions for you. "On couch?" "By door?" "In box?" He'll also answer "No!" when you ask if he's in any certain place. Here's a picture of him "hiding" during the game.
 |
5-14-09 I was showing Ian some kissing bears that we are putting in the garage sale. They're the kind that have magnets in the snouts so they kiss. We've had one floating around for about a week that Ian found, but we just found the mate today. I showed him how they kissed, and he was very excited.
"Daddy!" he proudly said, holding up the boy bear.
"Good!" I told him. "What about this one?" I asked, holding up the girl bear and waiting for the proud moment when he said my name.
"Ian!" he said, and made them kiss.
Too sweet!
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