Yep, I did it again.  I waited too long to write and forgot my password AGAIN.  If I could just have one password for everything then maybe I'd remember.  More brain exercises I guess.
Tobin has started feeling empathy, it's sad and cute at the same time.  He was watching Toy Story 2 and was so upset when Wheezy the penguin gets put in the box.  He cried and sobbed until I convinced him that Woody would rescue the penguin.  The next day at daycare he was listening to the story The Big Hungry Bear and the Red Ripe Strawberry.  His teacher said he cried and cried at the end when the bear didn't get any of the strawberry.  I hope he is always this concerned about people as he gets older.
TTFN

Does anyone else hate passwords?  I just spent a half hour trying to get into this blog.  I thought I remembered my password but it turns out I was wrong.  After jumping through 25 thousand hoops I FINALLY got to the "change my password" option, only to find out ALL the passwords that I would remember, I had already "used".  Grrrrr.  I probably won't remember this one which means I may take forever to write on the blog again. 

On a lighter note, Riley had a total God moment today!  She couldn't find her Valleyfair pass last night and was pretty upset.  She called me this morning to say she found it and how she found it.  She said she prayed before she went to sleep last night and then had a dream about where it was.  I LOOKED in the place where she said she found it and I tell you IT WASN'T THERE LAST NIGHT!  I sure love that God cares about us so much that even Valleyfair matters to Him! 

Well, life has proceeded faster than the fastest rollercoaster at Valleyfair.  Summer is over and school is upon us.  That means school supplies, early mornings, two middle schoolers (one will also become an official teenager), a toddler, clutter and no time for much of anything.  Wow!

After working a full day at work, coming home to make dinner, going back for a 2 1/2 hour staff meeting, coming home to do dishes and try to get my toddler back to bed, I'm ready for a glass of whine/wine and a good book.  Too bad I still have cupcakes to make and therefore more dishes to do before that can happen.  Oh well, one day I'll look back on these days with fondness.....right?

Good morning!  Today the sun is shining, my coffee is hot and the house is peaceful.  Soon the coffee will be gone, the children will wake and there will be no more peace....and that's ok.  I am blessed to have 3 healthy children, a husband with a job, a roof over my head and friends & family who love me.  Mostly I am thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus whom I don't thank enough.
I've changed my blog title to "Tracy's Blue Corner" because "Coffee at Tracy's house at 2:00 on Saturday's" was too long of a title and "Tracy's Corner" was already taken.  Plus it works since we live on a corner and our house is blue.  Hopefully I don't lose any followers.  I wasn't sure how to do it right.
I don't have a plan for the blog so far.  I figured I'd wing it.  I feel like I ought to do another challenge or give great wisdom (ha!) but for now let's just fill up a cup of coffee and chat!  Here's to changes, sunny days and coffee!

Moving

I'm back!  Well, sort of.  Things have been in a state of chaos for the past couple months.  First we pack up to move.  Then we unload.  Then we live in chaos.  Most people pack in an organized way.  You know, dishes in one box labeled "dishes", keepsakes labeled "keepsakes"... you get the idea.  In our case, we shoved, crammed and tossed whatever fit into whatever container was available with no label thus creating chaos.  In retrospect, we should have packed the first way.  It took 2 weeks to find my knives.  Do you know how hard it is to cut chicken with a butter knife?  I still haven't found the lid to my large cooking pot, nor have I found my daughter's swim suit, the chip clips or the soy sauce.  Every time I get an area "set up", it winds up cluttered again in order to "set up" another area.  I'm hoping things will find their place by Christmas.  I think that might be wishful thinking, simply because life doesn't stop due to a move or any other crisis in life.  The dishes and laundry still need to be done.  Lice, diarrhea and dirt still happen.  Yet somehow the rooms need to be painted, boxes unpacked and put away and areas set up to look like a home and not a dorm room.  I suppose my next 30 day challenge could be to have things "pretty" by Christmas.  We'll see what life throws my way and I'll try to keep you posted!

Magnitude

I am overwhelmed at the magnitude this task has been.  I walked to the basement on at least 3 occasions in the past few weeks only to turn around and run back upstairs.  Up until about an hour ago you couldn't see the floor.  Piles and piles of clothes, dress-up, toys, trash, totes up the wazoo and more clothes.  I went down there about an hour ago with high hopes of finding my jeans as the weather is chilly these days.  I picked up the floor (clarification- I cleared a path on the floor.  You can actually see the floor, but it is still just a path.)  I made a pile of clothes I think my girls might like.  I bagged another bag of clothes I don't want anymore and clothes I know the girls don't want.  I moved on to my clothing bins.  I managed to downsize from 3 totes to 1, bagging the items I no longer want or need.  STILL NO JEANS!  I have no idea where I put them.  I did find a pair of brown pants that fit so I guess that's what I'll wear til I locate my missing pants. 
I'm also overwhelmed because my little decluttering challenge has turned into an urgent-I-don't-have-a-choice-anymore task.  I was informed recently that we are losing our house.  I don't care to go into all the details but I do know this:  WE HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF!  So now not only do I have to declutter, I have to pack as well.  Good grief, we cant go camping for 2 days without bringing 2 cars full of stuff, how am I going to pack to move? 
So, if you don't hear from me in the next couple months you can be sure I'm either bagging, boxing or passed out! 

9-10-11

Today is Riley's birthday!  After cleaning up after her sleepover party I tackled the living room.  I went through Tobin's clothes and blankets eliminating 2 totes worth.  I also bagged a bunch of clothes from our yard sale this summer.  I rearranged the living room a bit to make a bit more room.  I still need to go through Tobin's toys (it's amazing how many he has after only one year of life!)  We then went to the Renaissance Festival for the rest of the day.  I'm tired!  Tonight I will relax and drink a glass of wine!

September 7

It turns out one bag a day is a lot harder than I thought it would be.  The first hurdle is time, I have had very little extra the past week.  Emotions would also be a huge problem.  Why do we tie emotions to things?  They are just that, things.  They do not feel, they do not care and they don't hold the spirit of the person who gave it, played with it or looked at it.  I shouldn't care if that toy was once played with by one of my kids.  It doesn't make the toy worthy of taking up valuable space and time in my life.  Yet....it's still hard to part with things.  Tonight it is late and I still have to make lunches for my girls.  Tomorrow night we need to get ready for Riley's golden birthday party on 9-10-11.  I think I will try to get together a bunch of stuff for Savers on Saturday (I hope!) 
Some day it's all going to be gone anyway, why not get rid of it now?!