progress during illness

Took a big bite out of Penelope today.  I was able to conquer the clutter in the laundry room while Hubster slept and little men took naps too.  It felt very good to see the end result and know I had dreamt it up, brought it together and made it happen.  There are still a couple things I would like to do, but for now, it works.  The little men both got sick one week ago today.  I have been without voice since Friday (today is Sunday).  So interesting trying to parent, teach, love while there is no voice to use.  For now I am rejoicing in the little bites I have been able to take.

I have stumbled across a bloc from a family in Washington State who have 9 children and live in an 11,000 sq. ft home.  Sheesh~that made me feel like we live in a castle. Her encouragement and advice has helped me to rethink where I am at in my season of life and how much more serious I need to take it.  Parenting these children is a huge responsibility that I am not taking as seriously as I should.  Having the income we have and not being responsible with it is just silly!  I organized the office area a bit today whilst 'attending' online service.  It worked- but really only made me realize what a bunch of paper mongers we are and that someday- soon- we are going to have to get serious about what we HAVE to keep and start purging what we can...

But for now, Penelope stands. Comforting us, keeping us safe, allowing our clutter and messiness to live another day!

Alpha

All new blogs must have a first post, so this is mine.  I am not sure how much of this is going to make sense, but I need a place to write, to share, to vent, to grow, to find myself in all the chaos that surrounds me.  Why the name?  I have decided to name my life Penelope.  no, I am not suffering from multiple personalities or anything of the sort, rather, I have come to the realization that I am not my life.  Although they are hard to separate, I am not my mess. My life is Penelope and Penelope is an elephant.  She is huge, a bit smelly, in need of a bath, but she is mine, she is what God has given me, she is what I need to eat to improve the world around me.  Penelope is currently a disheveled mess.  I think about all the self-help things i have seen, the shows I have watched, the families I wish I could emulate, and there is nowhere in any of them that shows how they all started- from the beginning.  Clean House shows?  they show the mess, the crew brought in to clean up over the miracle weekend and then the big reveal...but nothing I have seen shows a family simply living in complete chaos and how they overcame it.  sure there are plenty in hindsight, but nothing 'in-progress'.  maybe that should have been my name-in-progress.  so here is to a beginning.  to a cleaner, organized, structured, driven life. to dishes washed on a regular basis.  to laundry folded and put away.  here is to late nights spent on stupid Internet games and husbands who love and support me anyway.