I hate housework!!!

I have ask myself why is it that I dislike cleaning house so much. Is it because I know that within 1 hour or so the kids will mess it up again? Is it the monotony of it all? Am I a messy person? or Is it just boring?

The answer to the first question probably is the biggest reason. My kids, even though they are 12 and 9 can still make huge messes. Wil loves Dr. Pepper and he always breaks the little silver tab off the top of the can before he drinks. He just puts them wherever he is sitting-on the computer desk, on the end tables and I also found a considerable stash behind his bed. Mollie has a problem picking up shoes. I constantly have to remind her where her large collection of CROCS should go, certainly not on the living room floor. Mollie does do a great job cleaning her room and she loves to mop. There may be hope for her yet!! I am worried about Wil. He struggles to keep his hair clean, much less his room.

I do also think that house cleaning is very monotonous. It would be great if you could clean the bathroom and it would stay clean even though you use it regularly. I don't know where all the dust comes from either. I dust one day and it seems that within 2 days it's all back again. I think that is why I put some things off. It's like, why bother? Day to day chores, like laundry and keeping the kitchen clean don't bother me that much. I will confess, I do let a load of laundry stay in the dryer for several days. I'll remember it when I am needing to put a fresh load in there.

I don't think I am a messy person. I pride myself on being somewhat together most of the time. My mom, who my children call Cookies, taught me very well how to clean house. I have 2 sisters and we all had chores to do growing up. I think my older sister got most of the cleaning genes from Cookies. She is the clean freak in the family. My younger sister and I both lost out, I think.

Cleaning is very boring. Wade says he thinks I could get things done faster if I wouldn't go from one thing to another without finishing what I start. I agree with him and I am working on that. I just am trying to keep it more interesting, I guess. Sometimes I will be cleaning my bathroom and I will leave that to get a load of laundry out of the washer, which is when I will discover the load I left in the dryer 3 days before, I will fold that load. Then on the way back to the bathroom something in the living room will catch my eye and off I will go to do that chore. Wade says Cookies is the same way. I evidently got that gene from her. I am trying to get one thing done at a time and it does work better. I can get done a lot faster.

I think it might all boil down to the fact that there are 100 other things I would rather be doing. Those may include watching daytime TV, ( it's summer and I don't do much of that during the school year) reading a book, doing things with Wil and Mollie-like going to the movies, going swimming, etc. We are leaving for vacation on Saturday and I always like to leave the house clean when we are going to be away. I just finished the floors, but of course writing this blog has gotten me off track. I am going to have a goal--I want to get all 3 1/2 bathrooms cleaned and our room clean before I go to bed tonight. In between, I have to get a hair cut, go to Walmart and go to church tonight. I think it's an attainable goal-if only a good movie doesn't get me sidetracked.

Sandy C

It's all about Mollie

I have written about Wade, Wil, and now it's Mollie's turn. Mollie is my 9 year old, independent, perfectionist, basketball playing,heavy hitting softball all star, daughter. She is the sort of girl who refuses to wear pink, purple or anything that would lead someone to believe that she is a "girly-girl".

She has just finished playing regular season softball. Her team ended up 5-5, which was a little disappointing for Mollie. She always wants to win!! We started the season a little bumpy. The league rules state that you must be 9 before December 31 to move up to the next league. Well, Mollie's best friend's birthday is December 31, so she got to move up. Mollie's birthday is in April, so she had to stay down in coach pitch. However, the Athens league broke it's own rules and let several girls move up, even though they did not meet the age requirements. Mollie wanted so badly to move up and her dad and I considered letting her do that. After thinking about it for several days, we decided to teach her something. Rules are rules, and we were going to follow them. She was upset, especially after the first practice. She was the only player on her team that really had any experience and later we found out that only her and one other girl in the league followed the age rule. As the season started, we saw Mollie becoming more and more of a leader and a very serious softball player. Her skill level shocked us. She was hitting hard and playing great at 3rd base. She began to "coach" some of the other girls who were less experienced than her. Wade and I were so proud!!!

Last week, the coach of the first place team called Wade and asked him about using Mollie as a pick up player during the district playoffs. We had noticed him hanging around during some of her games. (His team is organized in Chandler and they follow the age rule strictly.) They are an excellent team. Boy, was Mollie excited! She has already gotten to practice with them and will continue to do that until the tournament.
She may not get to play much, but the lesson she has learned is worth so much. You have to follow rules. You may not like them, they may seem unfair, but in the end you are rewarded. Our hearts are just bursting with pride!

Sandy C

Now that she is so confident, she wants to be on the Lady Aggie softball team! WHOOP!

My Baby is growing up!

Today I finally realized my son, Wil, is growing up before my very eyes. We sent him off to youth camp! This will mark the first time he has had an extended stay away from home without the rest of the family. He was sooo excited!! I was excited for him, but it didn't make it any easier for me. He will be 13 in about a month and it seems like only yesterday that his whole world revolved around Thomas the Tank Engine and eating Little Debbie's Chocolate Cupcakes.

I figured out this morning that he is still not old enough to be embarrassed by the affection shown to him by his mother in public. As we were walking up the sidewalk I hugged and kissed him goodbye. Still having issues with the leaving him at the door scenario, I walked him inside the building and hugged and kissed him again. Poor boy! Wade, Mollie and my mother were also close behind. Anyway, without hesitation he hugged and kissed me good bye again. I love his big hugs! I thought about that after we left, are we embarrassed to show God's love in public? Do those around us know that we love Jesus? Whatever the answer, without hesitation, He loves on us!!! WOW!! Thanks Wil for reminding me of that so clearly.

When he gets home on Monday, I am sure he will be full of stories, have a very tired body, and hopefully have a heart filled with Jesus! I am so proud of him!

Sandy C

Now if he only remembers that swimming in the lake at camp does not constitute a bath!!!

I am gleaning!!!!

I have stepped out and decided to give this blog thing a try. I chose the title gleaning for my blog, because I hate that word. For whatever reason, my husband, Wade, uses the silly word all the time. Now it has just become a huge joke that drives me nuts. He first used the word several years ago when we were attending another church. He was teaching our class and he used it to summarize the lesson. You have to know Wade-I was shocked to here him use such a "fancy" word. I didn't say anything about it, but he used it again a few weeks later. That is when I finally had to confess the issues I had over the use of the word. I don't know what it is about the word--it may be the sound of it, but, to tell the truth I think it's the fact that Wade uses it. He is a very intelligent agricultural banker, but to hear him say it, just doesn't seem right. After we moved to FBC Athens and started attending a small group, he used the dreaded word one night. I just mentioned to our group the hang up I have about the word. Several weeks later, we are going through our bible study and there it was--in print!!! Everyone had a big laugh over it and now it is a big inside joke. I think seeing it in print made Wade feel validated in some strange way.

I do love my ag banker and his silly words.

S Carter