Babbling on and on and on

It's February 1st and I am still here.  I finally got all my reports done and that is such a great feeling.  I still have a year's worth of transactions to input in the next week, but for a minute I can breathe a sigh of relief.  So I've been thinking for a while now that I am naming February as my official organizing/decluttering and potty training month!  I know the last one doesn't really go with the other ones-well maybe it does.  Have you seen how many diapers a kid can go through when she HAS to take one off right after she goes?  I hate to sound like a bad mom, but really those things last through the night, so to save time and money, she really should only go through 2 maybe 3 a day, right?!  I'm kidding.  Whenever Samantha is around my kids, she usually ends up saying, "um, I think she needs a new diaper."  To which I say, "I just changed her 3 hours ago, she can go a little longer!"  Really-she has been going on the toilet since December I think, but not regularly.  She'll go if I take her, but as of now, sometimes she tells me right before and I can get her in there in time, and sometimes she goes and then tells me about needing a new diaper.  So that's a goal for February if she is actually ready.  I'm not trying to force the issue-she just seems to want to be like a big girl.  If you call her a baby she says, "NO, I a DIRL. . . otay?!"  I have to remind her of that sometimes when she wants to stand up and go potty though!

So my plan is to go through each room in my house (and I'm writing about it so I will be held accountable!) I need to go through clothes that have been grown out of, toys that nobody plays with anymore, things that I've been saving for no good reason.  I just think it would get a huge weight off my shoulders to simplify my life.  An update to our health things from last time-we are all pretty good aside from colds and stuff.  My thyroid tests came back fine which means I have to work harder at having a routine.  (Honestly I was hoping for the pill that would completely change the way I felt-that seems like the easy way, but I'm sure it has it's drawbacks!)  I have been getting to bed a lot earlier and usually around the same time.  I have also cut way back on my sugar and have been taking vitamins for my vitiligo.  That is also supposed to help my immune system because it's all related.  And we've been eating at home more instead of grabbing fast food.  I haven't felt near as tired as I had been before.  I've been trying to think of things I can cut back on too.  Right now, I'm teaching 2 bible classes, one on Monday nights, and one on Wednesday nights.  I only have 4 more weeks on Wednesday and then I'm going to stop that.  I thought about giving up cleaning the church building, but I seem to have it handled a little better now.  It helps when I'm not exhausted.  I'm trying to keep from offering to do too much.  I like to stay busy because it keeps me from being lazy, but I have to set some limits for myself.  Anyway if anyone would like to come help me organize my house, you have an open invitation!  You would have the reward of helping a mother in need keep her sanity.  I would give you a big hug and a pat on the back.  I know it all sounds too good to be true, but I am actually offering it to you all out there!  My sisters are coming this weekend.  How convienent is that?!  I may have to enlist some help!  

Here's a funny story about Elena.  Typing it may not do it justice though.  They were at my parents' house last week and my mom has a gorilla costume.  I don't know what had been going on, but it was laying on one of the beds.  Elena didn't want to go back to the bedroom where we were because she would have to pass by that costume that she's afraid of.  She finally came in and was crying for Grama.  I saw that her arm was bleeding a little and asked her what happened.  She kept crying, but was saying something at the same time.  We took her to the living room and she wanted to get the gorilla put away, so mom put it in a bag in the closet.  She kept pointing to the closet and her arm and saying "bite."  We finally figured out that she thought the gorilla bit her.  "Rugga, bite me."  "The gorilla bit you?"  With her eyes so big, she said, "YEAH, rugga bite me."  I guess it was so funny because she was just so adamant.  Then it was funny to kind of egg her on and say that the gorilla didn't do that, and she came back with the same response.  I video taped her doing it, but with the camera, she wasn't nearly as animated as she had been without it.  She was too interested in seeing herself in it.  I might edit it down and try to post it on here later.  She still remembers it very well though.  She points to her arm and says "monkey do dat."  

I guess I've used up my allotted time at the computer because Elena is sitting on the desk trying to keep me from seeing the screen.  I hope everyone has a great day and stay away from those gorilla costumes!