Returning to sanity

Good thing I didn't make "Blog every day" a resolution for the new year!

We've been a little down and out at our house these past few days. Elise has had some health issues - that makes it sound like a big deal, like we're waiting on blood tests or something; really not the case - that have left us all rather frazzled. It was just a stomach problem, but she was in obvious discomfort and sometimes pretty bad pain, and a toddler who is uncomfortable or in pain is not a happy person. We had a very trying couple of days. Fortunately, Elise seems to feel much, much better today and is her usual happy self.

Our house is pretty much a disaster area, but there have been some sanity saving moments over the past few days, moments when I have been able to get some things done to keep myself from going absolutely crazy. It is amazing how accomplishing even small tasks can make one feel so good. For example, yesterday Andy took Elise to the store with him, and I cleaned our bedroom. I am ashamed to say that I have neglected cleaning the bedroom lately in favor of keeping the more public areas of our home presentable. I never wanted to do that. I believe that a home should first and foremost meet the needs of the people who live in it. By that measure, one would think that I would clean the bedrooms first. But, no. I hate realizing that my actions don't match my stated priorities, but at least once I realize it, I can fix it. Anyway, it felt so great yesterday to dust and vacuum and put away the clothes and make up the bed, and it felt even better to wake up this morning in a clean room. Now my goal for tomorrow morning is to wake up in a clean room and then to walk into a clean bathroom. Wish me luck.

Other projects done in snippets of time include pinning and beginning to quilt a quilt (I have no pictures to post at this point, but I'll try to remember to post some once the quilt is completed) and...well, gosh, I guess that's it. Boring, huh? I told you, it has been a frazzling couple of days. Right now Elise is asleep, and I think I will take this opportunity to take down the Christmas decorations. I'm ready to take them down. When Andy and I first discussed when to de-decorate, I was a little saddened by the prospect. But now I'm ready. Christmas is over (although there are still a few gifts under the tree) and I'm looking forward to the clean, roomy feel that the living room always has once the tree and decorations are gone. Just writing that makes me want to clean. I'm looking around the dining room at the piles of stuff, the clutter, and I just want it to be gone. So here I go, to make it disappear.