I'm Not Even Attempting To Connect The Dots

First. I got very tickled yesterday afternoon watching David and Alex "read the paper" (well, D. really was reading, not "reading" - which is a good thing indeed). For the longest time A. sat on the opposite end of the couch from D., looking at all the fliers and circulars. A. eventually moved to the coffee table, where he told us EVERYTHING listed in the circulars, and it was one of those sweet moments where Alex totally studied and imitated his daddy. A. "read" for almost an hour. AN HOUR! Of calm! With no screaming! And no running! Aren't you happy for me?

Next. I have an unwritten rule that I don't buy flowers unless the house is very, very clean. What's that expression about putting lipstick on a pig? That's why. Anyway, this whole FlyLady deal? It is really working for us. I feel like I have some housekeeping skills now. Skillz. Mad skillz. Yo.

I know that David and I have a different situation than lots of folks because he works from our house, and truthfully that's made things even easier on me in terms of the FlyLady system. But here's what we're doing - for what it's worth.

Every morning, after I get dressed, I unload the dishwasher, put on a load of laundry, figure out what's for supper and make sure that the sink is clean (WHO KNEW a clean sink was such a key cleaning component?). And then David follows my four things with his four things: he makes the bed (and he's done a beautiful job, though this past Wednesday he asked, "Hey, you know that throw thing that you put on the end of the bed? Why? What's it for?"), puts the laundry in the dryer, makes sure all his dishes go into the dishwasher, and keeps the sink clean. I cannot tell you how much those four simple little things help me during the day.

The house being clean is a total stewardship issue with me, and I think that's why it affects the way I feel so much. It's not just a practical concern - it's a spiritual concern - and to know that we're developing a SYSTEM for taking care of everything makes me feel much more in control (as opposed to the house controlling me). Thus, we have flowers. Not fancy flowers, but flowers nonetheless. It's a start.

C) We had the new members meal at church last night. I ended up doing lasagna, salad, bread, and Diane's idea for ice cream sundaes. I decided on that menu because it was familiar cooking territory and every bit of it could be done ahead of time except for the salads. It was a good batch of lasagna and blah blah blah - but can I just tell you? Serving ice cream for dessert? A REVELATION! The men loved it - most had seconds - and the women seemed to appreciate that they could just have a "bite" of something sweet and not have to feel guilty about eating a big ole hunk of cake. Cake does come in hunks, you know. I believe it's the official cake measurement.

4) I won a contest. At another blog. For a recipe. Seriously.

Last week I was visiting The Chaotic Home, familiarizing myself with all the LBY bloggers and trying to figure out who's who. I noticed that Karin was having a soup and salad recipe contest, and in a fit of spontanaiety I clicked over to my recipe page, copied my favorite salad recipe, and pasted it into her comments. Didn't think about it again. But as it turns out, I am a winner, ladies and gentlemen...and am going to be the proud recipient of a new cookbook, courtesy of Karin. After my walk down the red carpet and my tastefully tearful acceptance speech, I decided that the proper bloggity thing to do was to mention Karin's blog (not to mention her generosity) here. So be sure to click over her way for a visit. You'll feel right at (chaotic) home. Oh I am punny.

I believe we're all caught up now. Except on sleep. But isn't it great to have sunshine until 7:30 again?