A Cost of Procrastination

Once again, due to lack of organization, I'm paying the price.  Since Dad had his heart attack things have been a bit busy.  Typical really of any month in our house.  I had gotten "lazy".  Mail had been stacked on the kitchen table along with a lot of other items.  I THOUGHT I had been pulling out the bills and putting them in the bill box.  Therefore, the only mail on the table should have been magazines and junk mail.  In an effort to clean off the table I moved the pile to my bedroom and knew I had a bill in the pile.  this week I decided to clean up the pile and catch up on bills. I THOUGHT the consumers energy bill was in the pile.  No bill except propane.  I go to the computer and do not see a check number next to my consumers entry so I think I have lost the bill and will be late.  I write out ANOTHER check to consumers and mail it out yesterday.  Today another check cleared to consumers that I hadn't entered into the register.  Huge sigh. guess I'm ahead but would have liked to have had that money for another thing!

Hard to believe my son is now a high school graduate.  I am very thankful, however, that the openhouse is over!  We may be eating chips and cheese along with tacos for a very long time though!  Good thing it's food we love.   Now to focus on finishing out the youngest ones schoolwork and getting everything together to mail in to the college for the one who just finished.  Then, there's the making of lists for everything to pack him off to college.  No, the graduation wasn't the tear jerker....it's the driving home after leaving him 5 hours away that is going to do me in!   The time has come for momma to drop the apron strings of control and let him sink or swim.  I'm hoping that we have taught him how to swim well enough but I think, just in case, we'll be buying a GPS for him before he leaves for college.  After all, I want to make sure he can make his way back home!

Music in the morning

Several days ago, I finally figured out that I can hook up the speakers from the "dead" computer and listen to my iTunes when I clean.  Now this might seem elementary but stick with me.  I would normally hit the play button and by the third song my computer monitor (which has built in speakers) would go into "sleep" mode...essentially cutting me off.   Now, even if the monitor goes to sleep, the speakers keep the music coming.  I need all the motivation I can get people!  
Today, I was also once again reminded why I need to shower when I get up at 5am.   At www.flylady.com she tells you to "get dressed to your shoes"....and here I sit at 840 still in my jammies.  Now in my previous life...pre-day shift...I would be still in bed sleeping so I suppose I'm not doing too bad.  However, I WANT to take a shower right now.   Problem?  No hot water!  3 showers taken this morning (2 boys and 1 honey) and then I ran the washer on it's monthly "clean" cylce that I haven't done in 2 1/2 months.   Now the dishwasher is running.  I'm thinking by 10am I should be able to get myself a half way decent warm shower! 
I finally bit the bullet today and threw away at least 15 odd socks....so sad.  I am certain that next week their mates will suddenly appear from somewhere!  It's ok, I still have about 25 left in the basket.  Maybe someday when I have a totally clean house and organized basement I will feel comfortable tossing those odd balls that come out of the wash.  Since just a month ago when the snow melted and I found one of the boys socks frozen stiff near the back door, I'm just not fully into the tossing them out mode yet! 
Off I go on my search for the elusive Economics folder.....you don't think those kids would have hidden it so they don't have to do projects do you?

cooking 101

Yummy!  My boys are really learning how to cook..well sorta.  Tonight I made Tilapia with mushrooms and squash.  They loved the Tilapia, tolerated the squash and refused the mushrooms (more for me!).  They just whipped up their own breadsticks and I must say I'm fairly well impressed!  Now, I have less than 6 months to teach Justin how to make healthy, cheap meals when he goes off to college/tech school.  I'm not sure that he realizes that the Kitchen Aid mixer and pampered chef stoneware stays home with momma when he leaves!