Stupid Stuff

I am completely lost right now- Moose has been out of touch because of school/football practice/military exercises and Belle is in Italy on an educational tour.  I was planning on a "super, selfish Spring Break" where I got to do exactly what I wanted to do.  I had it all planned... well, not so much.  I figured I would sleep in- other skate mom's know what I am talking about.  That was as far as I got.  I did try to plan a lunch date with a friend.  The thing is that with Belle on a "once in a lifetime" trip I don't really have a lot of extra money to do anything.  I am saving on skating this week so that is good, but still it doesn't quite equal the output.  So I decided to clean.

 Belle's room was number one.  Now I know that many of you are shaking your heads as you read this and thinking that I shouldn't  do it for her or invade her space or both, but it had to be done.  It was scary!  I had scheduled the exterminator to come and I didn't want a lecture from him about creating a bug habitat in an upstairs bedroom and how he couldn't possibly spray in there.  In any case, there was trash, a lot of trash.  It was really, really GROSS!   It is clean now, the rug is shampooed, the linens are cleaned and there are 3 boxes of stuff to go through with Belle.  Oh, and a lot of clothes to sort through as well- she needs to purge!  The cleaning sort of lead to the stupid stuff.  Here are some of the stupid random thoughts/things that happened while I was cleaning.

*I found duct tape in both my children's rooms.  I have no idea why.  I can't ask them- they are busy other places.  It is driving me crazy.  When they were little I used to find the measuring tape in their rooms, we actually had 2 and I would not know where either one was- sure enough each kid had one.  I think it is a conspiracy to make me nuts.

*Belle wastes a lot of stuff.  I found a bunch of stuff that would have been usable if properly dealt with in her room, but now it is trash.  I didn't have the energy to sort the opened water bottles from the unopened. 

*Mascara doesn't come out of a carpet.  It doesn't matter how many times you go over it with the spot tool.

*Chocolate, likewise is fairly permanent.

*Skating competitions give away too many bags- Belle has an enormous collection of them.  It filled the bottom of her closet.  Thank you to our rink for switching it up and giving other kinds of "bags" like lunchboxes and beach bags.  Yours stand out from the crowd.

*I need to sell some old skating dresses, but I am not sure I am ready to part with them.

*In fact, I think there is a lot of old athletic equipment that could be sold just sitting around our house.  Hmmm, garage sale?  Is there a market for used soakers, skate guards, free weights, basketball shoes, workout bands, etc.?

*How long should you keep old running shoes?  Is there a time limit?  Why do my children have so many pairs of old athletic shoes laying around?  I hate to say this, but if they are past the point of wearing for training they should go in the garbage!  No one else really wants those stinky shoes either.

*My dogs love dirty laundry.  They have been in heaven since I threw all the clothes over the balcony into the living room to wash.  I think 1/2 of them were clean but again, I didn't want to sort and they all seemed kind of gross to me.

*How many towels can a 16 year old girl use?

*The next time I say look in your room for the phone and they say- it isn't there, they are going back to look again.  I found them both in their bedrooms!

*My sister called while I was cleaning.  She is considering adopting a little dog that she has sort of been foster dog parenting.  She said she is naming it after my Mom.  Mom does not think this is funny.  I sort of do.

Well, I don't know how "super or selfish" my break has been, but it has been productive.  I am happy with the carpet cleaning.  I even got out today and went to Wal-Mart (oh, the excitement) to buy more cleaning supplies.  Tomorrow is a test session for our skating club so I will be there.  That is actually an entirely full blog of it's own, but I am back on the board for the time being.  Saturday we are headed to see Moose play in a scrimmage.  Peter Pan is beyond thrilled.  I just can't wait to see Moose, football or not.  But in any case we have a busy weekend planned.  Sunday we pick Belle up from the airport.  I can hardly wait.  Like I said, I am completely lost!