Lessons in Lazy Effeciency

The chore chart; a few weeks later, it's causing the oldest to roll her eyes and shuffle off towards her responsibilities like a zombie.  She's been rather unpleasant as of late.  No matter how many times I remind her that she was excited because, "This way you don't have to tell me what to do, I'll just do it." She still acts like a city commuter ready to unleash her wrath on anyone who dares look her in the eyes or suggest an easier way to do something.

Now mind you the chart did work... for like a week.  Maybe a week and a half.  And every day she's still checking off her chores and letting me know they're done.  But some days I have to remind her repeatedly.  And some days I just point to the fridge (where the chart is proudly displayed). 
Today I kinda hit a limit.  Not a boiling point, head explode, regret what you say limit.  I like to think I'm older and wiser and know when to tackle things.  And this was one of those moments.

I had just finished visiting with my dad who was on his way home after a trip to Arizona.  (If y'all didn't know we're in Texas... so it wasn't a quick trip.)  Anyway, he showed up unexpectedly but we were happy to see him.  We had a short visit but we were able to finalize plans for this weekend's Girl Scout Camp-out.  (Don't worry... another blog-a-day for sure.)  As we were talking I noticed the table, that should have been cleaned off an hour earlier was still dirty and she hadn't swept.  I teased her, hoping she'd take the hint and finish, but she didn't.  When I remind her she needed to finish it before playing she huffed, puffed and eventually did a half-assed job.  I wasn't happy, but dropped it till dad left.

And when he did we 'talked'.

"What happened to preferring not to be told?"
"It's boring."
"Every day life can be boring or it can be exciting.  You get to chose.  Make it fun.  Time yourself, make art of the cleaner spray, sweep in funky patterns and replicate it on paper.  I don't care, but get it done."
"But I'm lazy!"
"Child, ain't nobody in this house lazier than me. It took me years to pack on the pounds.  I did it by eating and sitting on my butt.  So let's talk about what lazy is."
"It means you don't want to do stuff."
"Yes, but life dictates that you have to.  So how does a lazy person keep life from kicking it's butt?"
"I don't know.  I guess it has a mom."

<Totally okay for both of us to giggle.>

"Sorry kid, at some point mom stops kicking your butt.  Usually the start of every Disney movie."
"You are so weird."
"No worries, you are too.  So back to mastering laziness.  First thing, sit on your butt, write a list, map out the easiest route and don't deviate from it.  Once you do it's called work.  And work ain't cool."
"What?"
"I got ya covered.  Your chore chart, you ever notice it's in order?  You make your bed, get dressed, brush your teeth, clean up breakfast... etc, etc, etc.  If you do the list in order you should be done in the mornings within 15-minutes.  After lunch 5 tops.  Dinner and bedtime combined another 10.  You rock math, that's 30-minutes a day.  That's one cartoon show that your brother and sister can watch that you think is sooo lame.  Understand?"
"Kind of."
"You are smart, you understand."
"Yeah"
"To master laziness you do everything the most efficient way possible so that you don't have to do it twice and you don't have to do more than is necessary.  Trust me on this.  Your grandpa showed up unannounced and the house was clean.  Dishes put away, laundry done, and had you not done such a crappy job the floors swept.  This wasn't by chance, this is because I'm efficient.  And you are totally messin' that up for me.  <deep breath>  But you'll get there." 
"Okay, so if I just do it I can still be lazy?"
"Exactly."
"So what if I want to work?"
"Trust me kid, if you do what I do you'll never have to work.  Work is for people who haven't mastered efficiency."

I punched her in the arm, put her in a headlock, called it Tae Kwon Do practice and I gave her big sloppy kiss.  

Tomorrow; Lessons in being a Horse and Not an Ass

$25.00 Oak Tree Jewelers Giveaway!

July 1st is my 40th birthday. 

I know, scary stuff right? I'm teasing, 40 doesn't scare me. My kids do. ;) 

Anyway, for fun I thought I'd do my first Rafflecopter Giveaway. (I live a sheltered life, don't judge.) 

The husband and I have an Etsy shop and 3 kids who refuse to stop growing. I used to have some great sources for hand me down clothes but they all moved away.  I'm developing a complex people! Now that summer is here I need to get our shop items moving and make more items so we can buy them clothes and art supplies and eventually school supplies and when do I get something?! I mean... I love my kids.
*I really thought this staying home business meant bon bons and soap operas. Sadly in Texas a bon bon doesn't last very long and soaps, well, unless they come in paperback or Kindle form I'm not interested.
Okay, nobody cares about that. Y'all want the free stuff. So here it is: For my 40th birthday I'm giving away a $25 gift card to our Etsy shop. You can earn 40 points (catch that) in the next 4-days and 10-hours. (4X10... catch that?) *I'm really not crazy. I know this cause I'm not on meds. Or maybe I should be. Never mind that. Enter to win and I'll be sure to contact the winner with the super cool amazing $25 Etsy code thingy. Happy Rafflecoptering!
a Rafflecopter giveaway



*The winner is: NANCY HOLMQUIST

The Paint Job

The living and dining room.

Over the doors are 2 white birds for Marshall and Mercy. 

Justice loved the red, so I kept a bit for her.

The living room was once a very rich and dark red.  I painted it to a lighter, more cheerful green.  This was after I demolished the fake fireplace... more fun than it should have been.

The dining room was already yellow, but a bit dull and the paint wasn't washable.  Not good with 3 kids.  NOT good at all.

The door, piano and the bit of hallway that you can see is a light blue, I did that last year... cause I loved it.

And you might also notice all the instruments in those 2 rooms.  Acoustic guitar, bass, lap-steel, electric guitar, resonator, fiddle and uke.  There's also a flute, keyboard (Justice's), a dozen harmonicas and the twins have a guitar each.  These pieces aren't for looks.  Every day somebodies playing something.  (Yay me!)  ;)

Before Painting

The dull yellow, rich red, dark green (hallway) and old stained piano.  All look really good, but after 4-years I wanted a change.  Paint really is the easiest and cheapest way to do it.  *After painting the piano I found out the bridge was cracked.  It stays tuned for a day... at the most.  :(

So pretty.

I changed it often.  I miss that part.  :(

We really liked the mantel and it was a selling point when we bought the house.  But when you have a 1,200 sq ft home and 3 kids... you have to sacrifice form for function some times.  Now we have seating for the 5 of us and we didn't have to give up floor space.  I was also able to sell the mantle to an antique shop and made enough money to pay for all the paint and supplies... so technically it was free.  ;)   

 So that's the living and dining room. Before that I did the kid's room and glazed what was once my bedroom furniture but is now there's.  The laundry room and last week our bedroom.  That just leaves the lone bathroom and kitchen.  But I'm not sure about the kitchen.  It's orange... a super cool terra cotta orange that I love.  I'll need to think on it.  But at the least it needs touching up.  I'll keep y'all posted.  ;) 

*One more thing, when we bought the house we just had the one kid.  We planned on another, but were surprised with twins.  I mean, my  mom's a twin, we have aunts, uncles, cousins who are twins, but still you don't actually expect them. So 10-months after buying the house we went from a family of 3 to 5.  We may or may not have purchased a bigger home had we known, BUT we've no plans on moving any time soon.  We love our little place and so do the kids.  (All dog piled in their one room.)  ;)

Blog-A-Day Challenge Day 1 of 14.  :)

June Fly on the Wall

Welcome to a Fly on the Wall group post. Today 14 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house.



Summer vacation started for my oldest.  I gave her one week to 'relax'.  (Like a 9-year olds life is so tough.)  ;)  But day one she said she was bored.  Day two she whined that she was hungry, all stinkin' day!  Day three she pressed her face to the bathroom door and asked when lunch was going to be ready.  So by day four I sat her down next to my desk and we made a list of food and activities and a not so subtle reminder to NEVER bug me in the bathroom again.   
*I made a tab on my blog with the chore chart and other Moore Organized information.  ;) 

A few weeks ago the husband and I got our first iPhones.  We've been happy BlackBerry users for nearly 3-years but when the husband's started to act up we checked to see what our upgrade options were. Well, the BB upgrade was $19.99 and the iPhone was only $.99.  We looked at everything else but we couldn't beat the price.  So we did it, we joined the cult.  
*But I'm not selling my gas guzzling SUV or 4X4 truck.  Just know that now people!!  ;)

His and her phones.  ;)  

Then I joined Instagram because my bestie said so.
And then her super nerdy husband made me a new mug button for my blog.  (It's great having friends who know how to do stuff.) 

It's been awhile since I made anything for our Etsy shop so I'm trying to make a few pieces each week.  I'm already behind schedule, but stuff is getting made.  Really... I have proof.  ;)  

One of the necklaces and earring sets I made this past month for our Etsy shop. 
I've been making these crocheted necklaces for several years now and each one is unique.  Which is why I keep making them.  It's fun to see them come together.

 

Stuff for Oak Tree Jewelers

 So the littlest... she likes bugs.  All of them.  She also likes to show them to me.  In this collection are 3 doodle bugs.  "This one is slow, this one is fast, and this one is dead."  My girl is weird.  ;)

Mercy and her friends.

This past weekend was Father's Day... just in case you didn't know that.  ;)  I've been blessed with a great dad of my own and a great dad for my kids.  I'm a lucky girl. 

This is my guy with our kids.  :)

...and this is my dad during the Navy years. 

 ...also, I turn 40 on July 1st.  I may or may not get a wrist tattoo.  If I did it would be my first.  If I didn't it wouldn't surprise anyone.  So yeah, I'm still thinking about it.  BUT if I do, it will probably be something like this.  I mean... it has to mean something right?
We're a musical family, so treble... me, bass clef... Tommy, and the notes the kids.  The husband wants it to make a melody.  Always gettin' in my business.  ;)  

And I'm no artist so I'll probably have Justice draw the final one.  ;)

Oh and I did something bad and then something great to my hair... midlife crisis?  Who knows, but you can read it here:  Never Drink and Dye!

Now buzz around, see what you think, then click on these links for a peek into some other homes:

http://BakingInATornado.com

http://www.justalittlenutty.com/                               

http://followmehome.shellybean.com                      

http://stacysewsandschools.wordpress.com/                  

http://thesadderbutwisergirl.com                      

http://menopausalmother.blogspot.com/                  

http://mooreorganizedmayhem.blogspot.com/                 

http://hypnoticbard.blogspot.com/                       

http://themomisodes.com/                                

http://spatulasonparade.blogspot.com/   

http://dates2diapers2.blogspot.com             

http://www.noteveryonecanbeamermaid.com

http://www.therowdybaker.com

http://www.eviljoyspeaks.wordpress.com

Marriage Retreats on the Road

My '97 Explorer took us to 47 states.  I miss her.  ;) 

We were 20 when we took our first vacation together; only a few months into our marriage and with what felt like the weight of the world on our shoulders.  We were trying to juggle new jobs, the new experience of living with someone, rent, car payments… all so much to deal with at such a young age, but we lived in expectancy just knowing that everything would work out fine.  So when my cousin came to visit my folks and suggested that Tommy and I vacation in Florida and stay a week with her, we didn't hesitate. 

A few weeks later we packed my little Plymouth Sundance with enough snacks and clothing to keep us going for weeks and more CDs than the local music store.  The plan was to leave early Saturday morning.  But at 20 you have the energy to work an 8-hour day, commute, clean the house, pack a car and then drive all night long.  It wasn't till the 16^th hour that Tommy asked me to take over the last four.  The sun was rising and his body had had enough.  Me, well, I wanted to sleep too, but I’d napped a few hours here and there so I really had no excuse.  Navigating a straight shot from Texas to Florida wasn't all that hard. 

When we arrived we had no plans.  We knew we wanted to visit Disney World and the beaches, but beyond that we were open to just about anything.  My cousin suggested Universal Studios, Dayton Speedway and St. Augustine to see the lighthouse.  We enjoyed all the tourist attractions and amusement parks but the best part was the two days just walking the many beaches collecting shells and taking pictures. 

After a fun but exhausting week we still had a 20-hour drive ahead of us.  We repacked the car, loaded up the newly acquired souvenirs and headed west.  As we drove we took our time.  With an extra day to travel and no theme parks or tourist attractions planned we took a few back roads and stop at a local diner.  We drove along the Gulf taking in the sights and during low tide… the smells.    

We realized on that ride home that the best part of the trip wasn't the amusement parks or even the beach, but the drive itself.  With our jobs and stress of the everyday life we stopped making the time like we did while dating to just talk.  That silly, nonsense, “Why do I like this kind of music” or “What made this movie so awesome” talk.

Read the rest of the story at Joy Comes in the Morning... 

Never Drink and Dye!

So it all began with a Girl's Night Out...

Don't most bad decisions?  ;) 

Tuesday evening six of us local bloggers were going to get together and share information and ideas on how to expand our current pages.  Things such as giveaways, ad space, topics, branding... you get the idea.  At the last minute one of the ladies was unable to attend so we cancelled. 

NOT the get together; you serious?  No way we'd forfeit a night out.  Especially me since the husband was staying home with our 3 kids and I had no place to be the next day.  I was ready for this and more excited than a chick my age should be.  (It's a fact, I don't get out much.)

The five of us met at Tia's house, AKA Story of a Girl, and inhaled her super amazing snacks, because if y'all didn't know, the chick can cook.  (So good I've proposed to her on multiple occasions.)  After we made sure to test everything everyone brought we started in on the drinks.  My contribution to the get together was Parrot Bay and Coke.  I like to keep things classy.  ;) 

After a drink or three Jennifer from It's Not My Workout, It's My Diagnosis said she wanted to color her hair.  And not something typical and boring, she wanted straight up red.  Super hero red as she called it.  Being the supportive and slightly crazy friends that we are we told her she had to do it... and right then.

So our friend Chelsey, soon to be blogger, who had not been drinking, decided to drive Jennifer and I to the local Sally's beauty supply store.  While the two of them picked a color and asked the associate what they needed to insure she got the results she wanted, I was down the aisle, checking out the darker shades.  Since my hair was black with fire engine red highlights that had dulled to a burnished orange.  I thought maybe it was time for a change too.  And looking at the box of super hero red Jennifer had I started to have hair envy.   

"I want that.  I used to rock red.  Why don't I any more?"  

Had I not had the 3 drinks earlier or maybe if I hadn't been standing in the supply house with all those fun colors staring me in the face screaming for me to pick them, I might have remembered that not only would the black NOT accept the red (no matter what the associate said) but that with my touch of *cough* gray *cough* the roots would be hot.  And not like sexy, her hair is hot, but like, "Someone did their own hair while drunk" hot.

But my voice of reason was swimming in rum and coke.

Back at Tia's place, minutes from doing the deed, Marlo at Nightdreams & Daymares had to leave to pick up her MIL.  I point this out because she might have been my voice of reason.  The one to suggest that perhaps red might not be what I was after.  But then again she's going purple... or was it blue very soon?

Okay, so there was no hope for me.  I was doing this.  And after seeing Jennifer's results there was no going back.  

<sigh>

The before shot.  Doesn't show the red hot roots in their full glory, but you get the point.  Red roots, black hair... hot mess.

The lunch lady look, this is the color correction bit.
Megan, my super awesome hair chick, she stripped my hair.
Worst smelling stuff, EVER.

Stripper hair, not the pole type, you dirty people!
I mean the artificial color is gone.
No more black, no more red, but a nice bright orange is shining through.

Now to start the dying all over again, but this time minus the super hero red.

 

After rinsing, cutting and blow drying we both decided
there just wasn't enough copper highlights.
Foiled again!

5-hours later, the awesome results.
Not super hero red, but I dubbed it Sexual Chocolate.
<insert Eddie Murphy voice>

The next day in the sunlight... well it's actually overcast,
but still outside lighting.  I'm so very, very pleased.  

When it was all said and done, the $25 trip to Sally's became a $200 hair color correction and recolor.  

M.O.M. tip of the day:  

Don't Drink and Dye... EVER!  

June Secret Subject Swap

Your prompt is: You have lost your internet connection for a week. How do you spend your time? (Besides rocking in the fetal position).

It was submitted by: http://followmehome.shellybean.com

If I lost internet connection I'd probably steal it from the neighbors.  
What?
Just kidding.  

...maybe.  ;)

Oh let's see.  After I knew there was nothing to be done to fix it I'd probably sit on the couch with a cup of coffee thankful that at least I still had that.

Next I'd catch up on laundry and house work.  
Crazy idea there.

I'd maybe work in the garden?  Instead of waiting till it was desperately in need of work I'd actually keep it up and have it picture perfect ready all the time.  
Okay, for just that one week.  ;)

Hmmm, then I guess I might catch up on my blog writing.  I'd of course have to actually use Word and save them for later, but for once I wouldn't be posting them 5-minutes before they were scheduled to post.  

(I'd like to point out that I'm doing this one 10-days early... scary awesome right?!)  

After all that I'd start on those home improvement projects like painting and building a few tables for the patio.  Things I usually put off till the kids are at their grandparent's for a few days.  But with no internet... what the heck, I'd get some stuff done!  :)

And then... then I'd make tea cookies, fire up the kettle and settle down for a good long read.

But of course all of this depends on the kids.  Cause internet or not they demand more of my time than anything.  Trust me, I've tried to squeeze in more 'me time' but they always find something to get into to stop that from happening.  ;)

Now here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts.  Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:

http://BakingInATornado.com                               Baking In A Tornado

http://themomisodes.com                                     The Momisodes

http://dinoheromommy.com                                  Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

http://www.justalittlenutty.com                              Just A Little Nutty

http://followmehome.shellybean.com                       Follow me home . . .

http://mooreorganizedmayhem.blogspot.com           Moore Organized Mayhem

http://hypnoticbard.blogspot.com                           The Insomniac’s Dream

http://sadderbutwiser.wordpress.com                     The Sadder But Wiser Girl

http://stacysewsandschools.wordpress.com             Stacy Sews and Schools

http://menopausalmother.blogspot.com                  Menopausal Mother

http://www.noteveryonecanbeamermaid.com           Not Everyone Can Be A Mermaid

Praising on the Road

It's not been quite a week since Justice's last day of school and I sorta miss the drive picking her up.  Not the wrestling the twins in to the car seats or the waiting in the parking lot, but the drive itself...

About once, sometimes twice a week we drove past a girl walking from one of the local colleges to what I can only assume was her home or possibly work.  She always had her backpack, sometimes a sweatshirt or t-shirt with the college logo and headphones.  Always the headphones.

The first time I saw her was about a year ago and I only noticed  her because she had her hands lifted, just a little, but I knew the position.

You see, I go to a fairly charismatic church.  We don't speak in tongues or dance in the aisles, though the band will make you tap your toes and clap along.  But many will lift their hands in praise.   Not me mind you, I praise in song.  Very loud, sometimes with tears, but lifting of hands, just never been one for it.  (Maybe it's my sit in the pew with a huge hymnal upbringing that keeps my hands in my pocket.)  But I digress.

As the weeks went by I would find myself tuning to the local Christian stations just to see if she was listening to one but knowing she could have just as well have been listening to an MP3.  But sure enough when I tuned in to Air1 she was singing right along with the lyrics.  For 30-seconds or less we'd be singing together.

And as I drove past and the climax of the song hit, I'd look in my rearview mirror and see her raise her hands unashamed.  It always brought a smile to my face.  I wish I was that free with my emotions.  She was a reminder that praise doesn't have to happen at church or a ladies Bible study, sometimes just walking down the road you gotta let go and praise Him.