A Banner Day

Some days are banner days in the "feeling like I have accomplished something" category. Some days, I look around at the end of the day and think to myself-- did I do anything at all? While I know that not a day goes by that I don't do something (I have six kids who need clean clothes and food on the table, after all), I sometimes have that moment's pause when I can't see what's been done. That's not a very satisfying feeling.

But today, as my day is winding down and I look back over our day at all that I did, I feel a deep sense of satisfaction. So, because you all are about the only ones that can truly appreciate what that feels like, I will share it all here. Just to document it and celebrate it in some small way.

• Had my quiet time.
• Stripped my bed sheets and washed the sheets, pillowcases, and shams. Took the comforter to the cleaners. It will be back late tomorrow, hopefully much cleaner and better smelling!
• Wrote a short, random blog post just to say I did.
• Wrote some emails to the editors at my publisher. Made some promises to get them some things they needed.
• Made some changes on some sample chapters I have been working on for a new proposal I am shopping. Sent the new chapters to my agent and emailed back and forth with him to determine a time we can talk before we leave on vacation on Friday. (I am trying to get "finish proposal" off my to-do list before we leave so I can just relax and enjoy my vacation without feeling like I need to be working on that. Besides, I have something else I am writing right now that I would rather be attending to!)
• Made a shopping list using the Target circular from yesterday's paper. We need some organizational things to help us finally get settled in this house.
• Made a sign for our refrigerator door that says, "Delayed obedience is disobedience." Our pastor said that yesterday in his sermon and I leaned over to Curt and whispered, "That is so going on our refrigerator door." And so, now the kids have a reminder that when I tell them to put their clothes away, doing so two hours after that is not being obedient.
• Put away some cluttery things that were in the way in the bonus room.
• Assigned my children to take all the old papers out of all their old school notebooks, toss what they didn't want, and save all the old page protectors.
• Mopped the kitchen.
• Assigned my daughter to fold and put away the two loads of laundry that were piled up.
• Made bagel sandwiches and sliced apples for lunch.
• Threw away an old pillow that was so gross, but it had been in the sham and I couldn't tell how gross it was til I took the sham off to wash it! Also threw away an old lamp that the former owners left here.
• Visited with my mom as she came by to get my son and take him out for his birthday lunch (a tradition). He was out of town on his actual day last week, so today was the first day they could both do it. They went to Jersey Mikes and out for ice cream. 12 year old boys are so easy to please!
• Went to the cleaners, the library, and Target with the three younger kids. Replaced the pillow I threw away. Replaced my son's flip flops that he lost before we go the beach on Friday. (How does one lose shoes, may I ask you?) We couldn't find flip flops in his size so we had to buy some Camo crocs that he thought were pretty cool. Bought the organizers that we needed but will have to wait on Curt to put them together. Also bought a nifty shoe rack to try to corral all the shoes that get kicked off by our back door. Am looking forward to having the organizers up and functioning. This will help me get all our school supplies organized before we start back. We still need a bookcase.
• Found a really cool bookcase on Craig's List and called the person to see 1) if it was still available and 2) if he delivers. (It was and he does.) Told him we would talk about it and call him back. It is a bit more than I wanted to pay-- but it is very pretty and unique looking, which is what Curt really wants.
• Talked to my husband about a few house issues that we are trying to get resolved-- all our outlets upstairs need rewiring and we are hiring a painter to paint all the brown trim in our house. So he was trying to set up appointments for the painter and the electrician.
• Checked emails and answered a few, including one from a lady who was verifying a speaking engagement. Yay!
• Unpacked about seven boxes full of books and Creative Memories albums. Resisted the urge to look through the albums because 1) it would depress me by how far behind I am and 2) it would slow down the unpacking process.
• Made a quick dinner of "fake Chick fil a." (those packaged chicken patties on buns and frozen french fries-- I also served pineapple and told them to pretend it was a fruit cup). After the baby goes to bed, I will let the olders have a Klondike bar since they ate a good dinner. The baby did not. All she wanted was the french fries (she is her mother's daughter)!
• Boiled some chicken breasts so they will be ready to go in the crockpot in the morning for the chicken and stuffing I will start so the sitter can feed the kids dinner.
• Made Kool-Aid (we are out of juice and I keep these just as a backup) and tea for tomorrow.
• Gathered things for my "office day" I am taking tomorrow. A sitter is coming at 1:00 to keep the kids for the rest of the day so I can go take care of the many emails, phone calls and other stuff that needs to get done. My goal is to pare down my emails to a bare minimum, get dates arranged in my calendar, and pick up some things we need for school to start. If all goes well (and quick), I might even have some writing time left over! Tomorrow evening the group of homeschool moms from our church are having our first meeting of the year-- so I will just stay out til the meeting! The topic of our discussion is "organization." With any luck, I will actually feel organized by tomorrow evening!
• And now I am going to get in my jammies, read a few blogs, maybe read a chapter of "The Creative Family" by Amanda Soule, and maybe write a bit if I have the energy to do so.

ETA: Well, I didn't get into my jammies like I thought! I found a bookcase/cabinet combo on Craig's List for just $30 that was still available and they lived close by! I grabbed my teenage son and went and bought it, loaded it in my car, unloaded it, and carried it into the house-- just me and my son! Can I just tell you that thing was so stinking heavy I truly thought I was going to die-- or at least injure myself seriously while we were carrying it. Then me and my 12 yo son carried an old dresser out to my car that had been in our house taking up space. Tomorrow I am going to Goodwill first thing! I also decided to take back the organizers I bought at Target today since I found the bookshelf/cabinet thing. So, those are going back first thing as well!

And now, for real this time, I am over and out, signing off and headed towards bed! Today was definitely a big day for me-- a day well lived with no feelings of things I could have done better or differently. That is so rare, I am going to try to savor it!