On Tidying Up

mariekondo    /muhREE KAHNdō/

verb mariekondoed, mariekondoing
      
      to purge those items which do not bring a person joy

      Today I mariekondoed the heck out of my family room.

Yes, my friends, the mariekondo phenomenon that is sweeping the nation has indeed swept our house too.  Since Christmas break, I have been purging and reorganizing and it feels great. To be totally honest, I started this bout of purging before actually watching her show, but sometime in late Christmas break, my kids and I watched a few episodes, and her gentle, firm demeanor just added fuel to my fire.  I have taken several loads to Goodwill already, with more ready to go once the temperature reaches a respectable number.

Have you seen the show?  Just kidding, of course you have!  The show stars Marie Kondo, a lovely little gal who gently visits people's homes and proceeds to revolutionize their lives, all without ever raising her voice or slouching in the slightest. Years ago, Marie wrote a book entitled The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  When I heard about the book,  I checked it out from the library and skimmed it/tried to read it/had good intentions of reading it.  Then later, I got it on audio book and listened to it for about 20 minutes one day while folding laundry and then promptly forgot about it.  So when I saw that Netflix had a show called Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, I knew it was fate that I watch it - after all, I had almost read some of her book!  So I tuned in and was immediately concerned.  Subtitles?  Marie with ramrod posture and such a quiet, demure manner? I was used to Chip and Joanna for goodness sakes! I wasn't sure I'd make it.

But as I watched the first episode about a young couple who felt overwhelmed (and tried not to gasp with jealously when I heard the stay-at-home-mom sent her laundry out to be done!), I was gradually sucked in.  Early on in the episode, Marie had the family do a sort of awkward thing:  thank their house.  The husband looked decidedly uncomfortable at the beginning, but by the end was a little emotional, and so was I.

I was thinking of our house. Our often-messy, always loud, never-fully-cleaned, usually-needing-updated house. And I felt a little sentimental myself (shocking, I know).  I love our house!  Our house might not be perfect, it's definitely not huge and it sometimes needs more attention than we can give it.  But it has been the beautiful backdrop for almost all of our family memories, and I knew it deserved our thanks.  Since actually thanking the house was a little out of my comfort zone, I said a prayer of thanks for our house and all the joy it has brought and continues to bring our family. Score one for Marie!

And as the kids and I watched subsequent episodes, I found I was enthralled by her kind and sweet approach to our belongings. The older I get, the more I find myself embracing the idea of "less is more", and the concept of keeping only what brings us joy resonated with me.  I don't follow her method exactly, but I have been thinking about what our family needs and what our family uses as I purge and organize.

So thank you, Marie, for the life-changing magic you're bestowing on all of America.  I think we needed you.
     

Under the Weather

Several years ago, I often said, carelessly, "I never get sick!".  Then I would breezily go about my day, tending to my sick children and husband, with nary a concern of catching any of their germs.  I would say to the children blithely, as I stroked their fevered brows, kissed their warm cheeks and cleaned up their piles of kleenexes, "I'm not afraid of your germs!".

And I wasn't.  I was almost never sick.  Until the last couple of years, which seem to directly correlate with my going back to teaching.  Yep!  My middle-aged body was up to the task of handling a houseful of sick children, but apparently not a class full of sniffly preschoolers.

Last week, my youngest daughter was sick all week, and on Friday morning, I succumbed as well.  I debated and debated calling into work, but then realized the inevitable.  I was sick and there was no way I could go to work.  I didn't allow myself any pain meds for several hours, apparently because I felt guilty about missing work and thought I should suffer because of it?  I'm not sure what was going on in my foggy brain, but my head ached for hours before I finally took some Tylenol.

My daughter and I cuddled under the blankets on the couch.  I was shivering and listening to the TV, when I heard a Goldie and Bear episode about learning how to ride a bike.  The dad was teaching the child (or bear or something, I don't know, I wasn't watching it, I was shivering under my blanket), and the dad let go of the child as she learned how to ride the bike.  Cue the waterworks.  Turns out I am an emotional mess when I'm sick, and the sweet little coming-of-age episode threw me over the edge.  Oh my heart!  Children growing up!  Children becoming independent!  It was all too much for my feverish soul to bear.  A little bit later, after a nap, I woke up to feel my daughter giving me a back rub and telling me she loved me; I guess she knew mommy was a little off emotionally.

We're both better now (she on nebulizer meds and me on an antibiotic), but we both have killer coughs still.  No concern about spreading any illness to anyone else, however, as we are inside for a three day stretch due to the lowest temps our area has ever seen.

So today (and yesterday and tomorrow) will be made up of baking, cleaning, games and more cuddling on the couch.  Let's just skip all sentimental movies, though, just in case.

The Last Month in Pictures

Happy New Year!  A few moments from the last month at our house:

My youngest daughter was given the role of her dreams and played Mary in the grade school Christmas program last month.  She had a scant few lines, but treasured the opportunity to play Jesus' mother.  When I asked her why playing the part of Mary meant so much to her, she talked of Mary's great faith and openness to doing what God's will for her was.  I hope my daughter can continue to emulate Mary as she grows up!

Changing gears from the solemn topic the first picture lends itself to, I give you this picture.  Let us pretend the second line doesn't take God's name in vain, and once you've done that, you can understand my home.  The boys want to wear only shirts and shorts and feel incredibly annoyed when I care about their well being and suggest otherwise.  I can't say my girls follow this as well - they seem to be a bit more sensible in the clothing department.  But the boys - YES.  "Leave me alone, mom.  I am fine!!"

This cup, from my sister for Christmas.  😊  I don't think I am the best sister ever, by far (I have been told numerous times how bossy I was when we were children (and I concede I may have been a wee bit authoritative)), but every time I drink from it, I think of my sister, and remember what a great sister she is! What a blessing to have a sister! 😊

And this wine glass, from a student (and her mother I think 😉).  I have used it a few times since I received it, and it makes me smile every time.  I'll take a time out now and then! 

Our poor pupper, Shadow babies, being tortured with a bath at a nearby pet store.  He endured the ordeal bravely, but as you can see in the picture, he has perfected his "poor me" face.  Mommy was happy, however, as we got a punch card - 5 baths for $25!  Waaaaay better than cleaning the entire bathroom of black dog hair!  He smelled a little better, and I didn't have to clean the bathroom.  Win win!

And this little list.  My daughter returned to college yesterday, and this list pretty much sums up life around here after she left.  I'm glad she is where she is, and she is too - happy and enjoying her classes and friends.  But that doesn't mean I can't also miss her when she leaves each time. Our house just isn't quite the same without her in it.  When I set the table with just six plates, it causes my heart to ache a little, and when I look down the church pew and see only four pairs of legs, things feel a little off.  I look forward to the next time she's home again!!

Mary Poppins Returns (and warms my heart)

My girls and I saw Mary Poppins Returns this afternoon, and I loved it!  I arrived home floating through the house, pirouetting as I prepared dinner for my family, sniffling a bit still from the tender parts.  I was singing songs from both movies and felt as though I was light as air as I danced through the kitchen. In reality I can't dance a step, but so in the moment was I that it didn't feel that way.  The movie was whimsical and touching and so reminiscent of my childhood.  I cried no less than four times (even though no one died or had any major traumatic events, although the death of the children's mother was an overarching theme, causing many touching moments for this mamma), but after each teary scene, a lighthearted one followed, drying my tears and making me laugh.
I loved all the casting choices:  Emily Blunt as the loving but no-nonsense Mary Poppins was wonderful, even though I am a serious Julie Andrews fan; Lin Manuel Miranda's talent was showcased as Mary's sidekick, and all of the other names made me happy too - Angela Lansbury, Meryl Streep, and definitely Dick Van Dyke's cameo - that man is still so agile at 93!  My daughter told me that Julie Andrews was offered a cameo too - I would have loved that!  Not sure if it's true or not, but my daughter said that Julie (we're basically BFFs, so I can call her Julie.  Or Jules), turned down the cameo, saying that she wanted this to be Emily's movie.  If it's true, yet another reason why I love her!
It feels like children today (mine included) seem to need more and more from entertainment and they have shorter attention spans to boot.  Mary Poppins Returns was old-school; there were moments of animated whimsy, and it had an overall lighthearted feel.  It seemed as if Mary Poppins came to save the day, but the real salvation was in the Banks family realizing that family was more important than material items, no matter their sentimental value.
I'm no movie critic, but this is the stuff I want in a movie - singing, dancing, feel-good storylines, and the realization that family and relationships are at the heart of everything.
Mary Poppins - many thanks, sincerely!