I think I can, I think I can.....

well, I am making SOME progress. Not as much as I would like, of course, but I'm getting there. I hear that clock ticking LOUDLY that I only have about 8 weeks left before my focus shifts completely! The little ones are begging to do school, but I just don't have the time, energy, or space to start on that yet! I really wanted to teach Z to read this summer, but time got away from me. I've decided all this extra stuff in my house is sucking my time and life away from me and my kids, and it's all got to go! I've sold a few books and a couple of other items. Hopefully I can sell some more, at least enough to purchase a new laptop to replace the two year old one that just died on us. I don't "need" a laptop, but I prefer having the kids use that for their homework. so I guess we are going to try having a garage sale next weekend. I've never had much luck with those, barely making back what I spent on the ad (which used to be $5-$10, but are now a whopping $22 bucks) I hate spending that much money only to make a few dollars and all that work setting the stuff up, then having to repack it when we are done. Plus there is all that time you spend sitting out there watching your stuff, waiting for customers. Hmm, maybe I'll set up a little table with my sewing machine and sew some baby diapers while I'm out there! Sounds good to me! So as far as the two challenges go, the simplify for fall, and the 40 bags/40 days: well, the first three days were good. the first I got rid of 2 bags, the second was clothes and laundry - I did get all the laundry washed, but I just couldn't get into going through the clothes, so I worked on the livingroom instead and got rid of 2 more bags from that room. the third day was kitchen and menu day - I cleaned out 2 upper cabinets and condensed all the "two or three of the same kind of opened spice jars" and ended up with a whole shelf and a half completely empty!! All of that junk filled up a bag! the fourth day was my regular "errand" day, so I didn't get much done for the challenges. I woke up and went to check my emails and the internet box wasn't lit up. luckily they have a store in town and I took it in saying I needed a new one. they decided to check first to see if it was the electrical cable that was bad, and it was! GOOD DEAL! the box would have cost $100, but the cord was only $10! So I went on with my grocery shopping and regular Wednesday stuff. Afterwards we put together 2 cubbie shelf units to put our books on in the livingroom. I cleaned in there as much as I could but it was already 9pm by the time we finished putting the shelves together (they didn't take long, we just started late!) so I only ended up with getting rid of half a bag of stuff. Today I had an appointment out of town in the morning. We made it back home by early afternoon, but the 3 hour round trip wore me out! So, I took a nap! Then we worked on some of the routine chores and ate dinner. I've been working on going through stuff in our schoolroom and had the kids try to finish the living room for me. Again, I only got half a bag, but I'm still ahead from the days I got two bags! Tomorrow should be a "stay-at-home" day, so hopefully we will get some things done. Friday is our bathroom cleaning day, so I'll have to do that first before I get to working on more of the challenge. I really want to get this school room done, so we can try to start school and get into somewhat of a routine that hopefully they will carry on and do even if I'm resting with the baby (we've been working on that with chores for the last few weeks.) Once I finish the school room I want to do the playroom - which for now has turned into my clothes sorting area, so the kids cannot get to their toys and they have no where to play! Once that is done I need to get my room cleaned up and ready for baby! And somewhere in there I need to make a bunch of newborn diapers because right now I think I only have TWO!! I don't think it will work to wash one while he wears the other! Gee, I'd better get off this computer and get busy!!