Evening Inventory

First, one quick note: Deb from KidsOutAndAbout.com is going to be on Tuesday’s noon news on Channel 13, WNYT, and one of the things she’s planning on talking about is favorite sledding hills. She made a survey, and we’d love help with filling it out.

Even though I have the whole day to do it, I often don’t get to writing blog posts until the evening. After dinner, Cute W reads to both the girls together a while, and if the kitchen’s clean already, I start the post.

Tonight, I had no ideas. In fact, I was pondering doing the February break camps post, but it’s tedious, and I’m feeling lazy. (Hey, how many of you actually enroll your kids in multi-day camps? Just curious. . . .)

As I walked around the house, I kept chuckling over one thing or another, so I figured that I’d share the evening inventory. I try to maintain some order in our common living and dining areas, because it makes the time after they’re in bed feel more gloriously serene.  I thought we were on track tonight, but while they were brushing their teeth, I took a look around:

It’s rare that I don’t find discarded dirty socks by the couch. They have to tidy up before watching tv, but they always miss them and so do I. Parenting tip: it’s not worth threatening to throw away socks. The only one who actually cares about a sufficient supply of decent socks in the house is mom, anyway.

Also, what the hell? J likes her stylish new jeans jacket, and these hand-me-down shoes have high heels. She was wearing both at some point today, and she clearly decided that they were so fabulous that they should remain display in the middle of the living room with the help of M’s cello stand.

It’s wonderful that my children sneak carrots, but then I find discarded bags, often still containing overpriced produce  hither, thither, and yon. Why are they so good at taking items out of the fridge and so bad at putting items back in?

Of course, it’s tough to get annoyed when M cleaned the closet, unprompted, again. That girl rocks.

Isis the furry daughter has placed herself in the exact middle of the loveseat again. She’s not good at sharing. And earlier today she knocked my water glass all over my papers while I was typing (she likes to get between me and the monitor).

Meanwhile, upstairs it’s worse. The little room that we call “the schoolroom” apparently exploded when I wasn’t looking. This will be a weekend project. In the center of the floor is the silver tape dispenser that is never, not-ever, supposed to be removed from my desk. There’s blue tape on the floor because if we ever get our act together this will be a master bathroom instead of a giant paper-and-office-supply magnet.

And finally, look at cute little J! Her Christmas present leotard was too small, so at today’s class we got a replacement. She likes it so much she’s wearing it as pjs, too.

Good night and have a great weekend!