Clean It Up!

1. I have looked everywhere for someone who posted the Laurie Berkner video for "Clean it Up" and can find it nowhere. It was originally on her Buzz, Buzz music album and then in an episode of Jack's Big Music Show, "King of Swing." Anyway, it has been the theme of my life this week. 2 weeks of sloth must eventually lead to a week of frantic activity.

If you are unfamiliar with Laurie, I am so sorry. You have missed out on the best pre-school music available, ever. Go buy some, now. Actually, I just checked her website to see that she has a new cd and dvd available. Guess what my kids are getting for Valentine's Day?! Guess who's going to love it more than them = me.

2. Back to the cleaning: in between all of the Words with Friends games I've been playing, my twice weekly PT appointments, MOPS, Bible study, Youth Group and all of my regular chores, I have actually been cleaning up the massive mess in the house we've managed to make, with assistance from husband and children. And the lady who cleans my house came yesterday, so we can see the floors again. I still have Miranda's toy bins to sort, piles of clean laundry to put away, but the view from here is much better than it was last Saturday. My ankle felt better this week, which allowed for extra activity.

3. I have gone a little overboard on Valentines this year. Maybe it's because Alex had 40 to do for his classes and Miranda did about 30 for hers, or that my Hallmark software makes card-making so darn easy and fun, or that my husband isn't supervising how quickly I use up our postage supplies, or making cards for other people makes me happy, or for them all together. I sent a lot of cards this year (the last go in the mailbox today) and it was fun!

4. It has been a strange winter here, but in a good way. We had a light dusting of show yesterday, just enough to look pretty with nothing sticking to the roads and all melted by afternoon. That's how I like my snow. I have a feeling we'll be going to Longwood Gardens earlier this year for the customary spring viewing of the tulips. Here are my crocuses from yesterday:

5. Monday is the 100th day of school for Alex so his teacher has sent home a pattern for making a vest out of a brown paper grocery sack for wearing on Monday, with 100 of something stuck to it. A fun project for me, to be sure. I expect Alex will help but that I will do most of the work. I hate school projects like this.

6. I picked up Smiley's People by John le Carre and Theories of International Politics and Zombies by Daniel Drezner at the library yesterday, so it should give me an interesting weekend's worth of reading. I am still anxiously awaiting the publication of Fair Game by Patricia Briggs and The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan. Amazon pre-order, I love you.

7. Marshall picked up a couple new-used laptops for us since the ones he and I have been using were slowly failing and so this week I've been trying to transfer my stuff. Strangely enough, I don't have a lot of documents anymore that aren't already in the cloud. Too weird.

And here's Hallie. (Remember, Jen's taking a break to finish her book!)