Upstairs

Mar
26

Upstairs: Vacuum


The sound of the vacuum strikes fear into the hearts of my children. Are they afraid of the loud noise? Are they concerned that their poor mother might be working too hard? Um. No. I think it has something to do with the millions of Legos and beads that could be hiding in the carpet. So, before I begin this Monthly To Do task, I'll allow the kiddos to go on a quick rescue mission. Then, I'll hit the stairs and any floor space I can get to. Or, maybe I'll ask the kids to do the vacuuming instead. Now, the sound of that might really frighten them!

 

Photo credit: jakem

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Mar
25

Upstairs: Odds ‘n Ends

Today is sort of a "catch all" kind of cleaning day. My loft looks like a tornado went through it, so I think I'll work on it while the kids are putting some more effort into their rooms. Maybe you'll want to join me in doing a little sorting, organizing, trashing, dusting.....the possibilities are endless. Especially here at my house! Don't forget to set a timer so your work doesn't seem endless, too. Have fun!

 

Photo credit: jakem

Mar
24

Upstairs: Kids’ Rooms


Today, we'll be cleaning up the kids' rooms. Yesterday, we worked on preparing a place for everything. Now it's time to put stuff into those places. At our house, this is the kind of task that requires a timer! After telling the kids how long I'll require their hard work, we'll begin "Operation Clean-Up". Dirty clothes into the laundry. Books onto the shelves. Toys back in the closet.

Sometimes, when things have been let go for far too long, this job can seem overwhelming to the kids. To help with this, I'll work right along side of them. If they'll work hard, I'll work hard with them. For my older kids, I encourage them to work their way across the room. Even if the room doesn't get finished in one day, it gives them a sense of accomplishment to see the progress they made on the clean side. For younger kids, I give them a more specific job. They might be in charge of gathering and returning all books. Or they might be asked to concentrate on picking up the Legos. I find that this keeps them focused on the task, without being distracted by the many other things calling out for their attention.

Keep in mind that this job may take more than one day to complete, but that's alright. There's always tomorrow!

 

Photo credit: jakem

Mar
23

Upstairs: Kids’ Closets and Shelves

I'm headed back to the kids' rooms for today's Monthly To Do List task. In preparation for tomorrow's room clean-up, we're going to quickly straighten and organize the toys, games, and magazines that are stored on their shelves. I won't necessarily take the time to evaluate each and every toy or random object. But I'll make sure that the shelves look relatively neat. This is part of making "a place for everything," so the job will be easier tomorrow when we put "everything in its place."

 

Photo credit: jakem

Mar
22

Upstairs: Kids’ Clothes

I have one particular child who loves to wear shorts. LOVES it. But, like any self-respecting Ohio mom, I moved all of his summer clothes to a high closet shelf in the chill of autumn. Except for one pair of shorts. One. Pair. This sweet, warm-blooded child of mine has worn that single pair of shorts (only in the house, of course) nearly every day since November. I'm talking about during blinding snow storms. Below zero wind chills. Christmas day!

So you can imagine the cheer that was raised when I announced that we'd be sorting through clothes for my Monthly To Do List today. Ah, the joy of shorts. Honestly, though, this is one of my favorite tasks, too. Out with the old, in with the new. It feels good to remove the out-grown clothes that have been littering the shelves (or floor!). Some things will end up in the trash, some in a bag to give away, others to sell at the second-hand store. What's left will be re-folded and placed neatly back on the shelves. I'll finish up by taking a quick inventory of what each child needs to complete their wardrobe for the new season.

Then, I'll step back and enjoy the beautiful vision of the one clean spot in the room. That is, until they decide to wear the one item from the bottom of the neatly folded pile......oh well! Keep smiling!

 

Photo credit: jakem