The OSCAR Project

October 14 (Friday)

Today's Projects:

ORGANIZE: The pile up of outerwear by the front door.  We are in the dreaded in-between season around here.  Almost cold enough for winter gear but not quite.  Definitely needing sweaters and fall coats.  Time to round up the rain jackets and windbreakers and put them away or pass them on.  Store the winter gear outside but in an easily accessible place. ~not yet! there are new hooks waiting to be installed when Dwayne brings the drill home~

SIMPLIFY: Come up with a visual chart for the kiddos of all the things that need to happen in their day.  I don't expect this to be completed today but I'd like to start.  It can include chores, grooming, fun activities, quiet time, etc.  Then each kid can just check their chart when in doubt. ~hahahaha! enough said?  one of these days...~

CLEAN: The bathroom.  Time to wash the floor, clean all the fixtures, wipe down the walls, and clear some clutter. ~yes, mostly.  walls still need to be tackled~

AESTHETICS: Clear the top of the piano.  It has been safely storing a few piles of precious items for far too long.  I need to move them to another secure, yet contained location.  I feel much better once I've gotten rid of horizontal clutter. ~the piles have been sorted but are awaiting appropriate sized storage, need to make a run to the store for boxes with lids~

RELAX: Movie night?  Perhaps the rest of Star Wars: Episode 1 with Hendrik, and before that, something more gentle with the girls.  Time for popcorn! ~oh yes! we all watched the second half of Star Wars: Episode I.  Lots of cheering for the good guys.  And popcorn!~

Tomorrow...OUTDOOR PROJECTS! ~this didn't happen!  it was very cool outside and Dwayne went hunting so this will happen another day~

Long weekend

This post is actually for Saturday through Monday.  Long weekends usually are filled with a mix of the predictable and planned, and the spontaneous.  Here's what we hope to accomplish.  I'll let you know how it goes on Monday night. :)

Today's Projects:

ORGANIZE: Paper piles in the living room sorted into two boxes - work and home.  We'll start there. Still in progress!

SIMPLIFY: Bin up all of the winter footwear.  Get out the summer shoes and sandals that still fit this year.  Toss/give away/keep what is garbage/will be of use to another family/what will fit in future years.  Still in progress!

CLEAN: Take everything off the front porch.  Sweep.  Wipe off bins.  Chuck stuff.  Put away the scattered bits and pieces.  Made major headway here.  Still lots to do!

AESTHETICS: Move boxes out of the living area that don't belong there.  One of them contains Christmas books/magazines/CDs/DVDs.  Yep, it's more than time to move that baby.  Done!

RELAX: Old cartoons, favourite books, working outside in what will be the garden space this year.

 

FAMILY PROJECT: Vehicle clean up!  Steam clean upholstery.  Wipe the dash/door panels/door handles etc.  Clean windows.  Finish cleaning car seats (that got jump started earlier in the week).  Done!

 

Our work beast.  

 

It's exhausting watching people work. :)

 

Another very grubby truck.  Husband in background is much less grubby looking than usual.  Much easier to clean vehicles than fix them, methinks.

 

The gear required for cleaning out vehicles might be different if you are 4.

Playing dust tag isn't as fun alone.  It's much better to try to convince your sister(s) to join in.  Again.

 

Re-emerging from the van after a little bit of self prescribed quiet time.

 

De-grouching Days 1 & 2

Well, I may only end up being able to get through the whole acronym every two days but we'll aim high and see what happens!

The Projects

ORGANIZE:  Gathered all winter wear to one location to be washed, dried, and stored for next season.  In my case, the location will have to be a mountain beside the wood stove, just outside the bathroom/laundry room.  Actual washing will have to wait until after our next water delivery day.  Now we are down to one coat and one vest each instead of layers upon layers of coats, vests, snow pants, and snow suits. 

 

BEFORE: Back door coat hooks

BEFORE: Front door coat hooks

 

Pile of miscellaneous winter gear piled under front door coat hooks. 

AFTER: Back door coat hooks

AFTER: Front door coat hooks

SIMPLIFY:  Created a reading basket for the living room.  Dwayne and I often have multiple books and magazines on the go at one time, and they often end up scattered around the room.  This way they are all in one place, ready for whenever we are.

 

 Book basket

 

CLEAN:  Vacuumed the black shaggy area rug in the living room.  I don't have a before and after picture for this one.  You can use your imagination.  Black carpet + 4 kids + spring mud season + lots of tiny Lego pieces + 1 daughter who loves to shred paper + snack crumbs = 1 carpet that is not so black.  Hooray for vacuums!  Speaking of which, I bought a little Dirt Devil cordless vacuum today for getting into nooks and crannies, and for reaching up high to vacuum off the dust bunnies accumulating on the log beams.

 

AESTHETICS:  Cleared off coffee table, shone it up with glass cleaner, then added a baby and silk floral arrangement.  

 

Can you spot the baby on the couch?  There's quite a mountain there...

 

Ahhhh...after!  

MUCH easier to find the baby now. ;)  Don't worry, the baby was only up there so I could vacuum! 

 

RELAXING:  We watched "The King's Speech" tonight.  Quite interesting.  I confess to being as interested in the architecture as in the storyline.  Reading "Girl With A Pearl Earring" before it has to go back to the library and it's home on the other side of the country.  I'm also working on another loaner - "Homeschooling for Excellence".  Don't you just love inter-library loans?

 

Perhaps I'll read more than one page tonight.