Let it All Go …

Today is Monday. The day I tackle laundry, baking, dinner menu planning, grocery shopping – basically everything for the week. The day that set ups how smooth the week will go for me. 

But today, I decided to scout out new locations for my session. And then I cleaned out half of the kitchen cupboards and scrubbed them down. Two garbage bags later (!), half of the cupboards are gloriously clean & organised. However, grocery shopping didn’t happen and I didn’t menu plan for the week. And this got me wondering as I folded my second load of clean laundry (thank you, laundry line!) while the cookies baked away in the oven …. will I *ever* get on top of it all? I could go from room to room to room throughout this entire house of mine and clean constantly. It’s not always dirty, but untidy … kids … you know how it goes … so how does one get on top of it all? For a moment – okay, for five minutes or so (half the day?) – I felt completely defeated. And then I started to think about October – four months away – when baby #4 joins us. How will I *ever* get it all done then? Will I be swallowed by laundry piles of dirty clothes and the rush around of schedules for the new school year? 

I came to the conclusion that I can’t do it all.

I can’t keep the house clean *all* the time. I can’t always menu plan the week out. Sometimes, grocery shopping will have to be done at midnight. And I definitely will have a basket or two of folded laundry that will need to be put away on a weekly basis. (Okay, who’s kidding who? On a daily basis.)

 

But that’s okay … cuz’ that means I can sit outside on the back porch with the girls in the afternoon and watch Lacey colour her newest artwork … or watch Lyla dance around in her underwear (does that girl wear clothes in the summer? I would like to know!) or cuddle Lucia when she’s ready for her nap.

There will always be something to do around here. But there will not always be little kids. I am honestly reminded of this quite often (even though the daily grind of life sometimes fades this feeling) because of my husband’s job. This weekend, someone lost their father. Children were without their dad for Father’s day. And a mother was without her child. 

When I think of things like that – smudged mirrors and handprints on the back porch door seem to matter less. I just have to remind myself of this and I will realize what really is important …

Yesterday, Abby had to work at the funeral home so I took the girls to a Faery Festival … and the laundry, the chores, the to-do list waited. 

Because it can. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, we’re going to eat some yummy cookies. Because we can. And because the laundry (albeit clean) can wait to be put away until bedtime tonight.

 

 

I think someone is hungry.

 

 

Okay, enough blogging. Lyla is desperate for a cookie … 

 

 

P.S. These are the coveted Redneck Cookies, introduced to me by Groceries to Go. Quite a few of you have e-mailed asking for a link to the recipe since I didn’t post it last time. So, here you go. Go bake and then sit with your kids and snack away the afternoon. 

 

Yummy Redneck Cookies

 

2 cups – Quick Oats

2 cups – White Flour

1 tsp – Baking Powder

1 tsp – Baking Soda

1/2 tsp – Salt

1/2 cup – Shredded Sweetened Coconut

Mix All Together and Set Aside

In Seperate Bowl Beat with Electric Mixer Until Fluffy:

1 cup – Butter, Room Temperature

1 cup – Brown Sugar

1/4 cup – White Sugar

2 Tbsp – Corn Syrup

2 tsp – Vanilla

Beat In:

2 Eggs

Mix Wet Ingredients with Dry Ingredients

Fold In:

1 cup – Chocolate Chips

1 cup – White Chocolate Chips

1 cup – Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

 

350 degrees for 10 minutes.