The other day I was cleaning up the kitchen when the washer finished its cycle. It was a nice fall day, and I was hanging the laundry on the line. I put down the dishes I was working on, and unloaded the washer. I took the basket of clothes outside, and was very surprised to see another basket by the clothes line, half full of wet laundry. Now how did that happen?
Hmmm.... Think back....Oh now I remember.
I was hanging up laundry when I heard a strange sound in the front yard. I ran to the front yard, clothes pins in hand, to see what the noise was. I discovered Kellen blowing leaves with the leaf blower. He wasn't exactly blowing them out of the yard, more like in circles around the yard, but he took the initiative to help with the leaves, and that is alright by me.
I gave him a quick tutorial on blowing the leaves out of the yard and into the compost, flower beds, and garden. He wasn't doing a perfect job, but for nine, he was doing a pretty good job, and he was blowing more leaves out of the yard than I was going to get done that day. I left him to blow leaves, and went into the house, clothes pins still in hand.
Walking by the computer, I decided to check my email quickly. I read a couple emails, and responded to some. Then I went to the next room; the kitchen.
Lunch dishes were still on the counter, and the dishwasher needed emptied. I went to work on the kitchen, and was almost done when the washer finished its cycle. Wanting to keep laundry going, I stopped cleaning the kitchen, and went to unload the washer.
Taking the load outside to hang up, I discovered that I had never finished the load I was working on when the leaf blower distracted me from my work. I hung up the two loads, and took down a dry load. I returned to the house with the dry load, walked through my kitchen that still was not completely cleaned up, and past the computer desk where I noticed there were clothes pins lying on the desk. Now how did those get there?!
What has happened to my brain? I normally am a very organized, methodical, efficient type person. I have plans to get things done. I start projects, and finish them before starting new ones. Over the past few years though I've been increasingly distracted.
I've self diagnosed myself with a new disorder; discovered by me. I'm calling it Maternal Attention Deficit Disorder: MADD. Too bad that acronym is already taken! Is anyone else afflicted with this? Do you find projects half completed? Do you forget what it was you entered a room for or what you were doing before the baby started crying? Maybe you have MADD too.
My self prescribed solution to the problem: enjoy it while you can. Someday our lives will return to their neat, orderly methodical ways, and we will miss having little ones pulling us away from the task at hand. At least that is what moms with grown children keep telling me. I'm taking their word for it. Now what was I doing before I started typing this post?
This is a nice picture of the wreath Kellen made, but it isn't exactly what I had in mind to send with the Christmas letter. Yes, I checked it was not a store error. That is what I ordered. Hey, it isn't my fault. Don't you know I have that mommy disorder?.
Last year I told you about our visit to the Pumpkin House. Well, I think it is going to become our new family tradition. We went again yesterday (Saturday) night. They do not have nearly the pumpkins completed this year. I didn't ask, but am assuming the the unseasonably hot weather followed by a week of rain put the production behind. There were still plenty of pumpkins to see though.
This picture was actually taken in February. Both the kids seem to have grown so much since then.
Not a title you see very often is it? Though I do tend to tell stories about Nolan(3) that show his stubborn or ornery side, he really does have a tender side. He can be very sweet and loving. He is the biggest cuddler, and is the only one of our kids to get attached to a security item. He has a red fleece throw that he sleeps with. In a pinch, he can be consoled with a substitute, but that is not always an easy task. Anyhow....
A few minutes later, I feel Nolan cuddle up to me. When I looked at him, his eyes were wide and brimming with tears. He looked up me and holding back the tears asked, "He isn't going to shoot us is he?"
. There really are a lot of similarities between our way of living and theirs. They raise meat and vegetables. They forage and hunt for food. We do too, but there are a couple of major differences. For one thing we have a lot of tools that make the jobs easier. I don't think I'd want to build a log home in the manner that they did. The second thing is we are not really and never will be completely dependent on the land for our survival, and I am glad for it.
The grass has sprouted and hopefully we will have a nice lawn yet this fall, and a lot less mud to deal with!
Shhh. . . Do you hear that "music?" That would be The Little Appletones; the sibling band. It isn't exactly in tune. Well, who knows what tune they are trying to play anyhow? The rhythm? Well, let's just say they are each playing to their own drummer. Yet, it is music to my ears.
