My Treasure Box & How to be Lazy

I am still on my decluttering tasks, and with 30+ years of stuff to go through it is no small task. Yesterday just before I had to take Jon and Maddie to Mothers Day Out, I had about 15 minutes -- just enough time to sort through a photo box. Inside I discovered treasures that kept me thinking all day. What did I find?

• Will's first pair of shoes with the toes worn through because he still crawled a lot
• An article in the Independence, Kansas, newspaper about scrapbooking and Chasing Rainbows (the scrapbook store my friend and I opened)
• My Mema's obituary -- she passed away just a few weeks before the triplets were born
• A letter from Allen great-grandmother, now 103 years old, just updating us on her life
• Three micro-preemie Pampers about the size of my palm
• Three itty-bitty hospital bands, about two inches long
• A news paper article and a pile of photos of the 2007 southeast Kansas flood -- the one that meant the kids and I had to move early because the babies were on formula and we couldn't drink the water, but Allen had to stay behind because the refinery was underwater
• A pile of wedding anniversary cards from Allen
• Little baggies with locks of blond hair -- one bag for each kiddo
• Handprint butterfly made by Will (age 2) for Mother's Day

These were things that didn't make it to the toss-pile, but in 15-minutes I saw them all and relived so many memories. All day long I was counting my blessings and realizing how BLESSED I am to have four healthy children, a husband who treasures me, and family who is supportive and loving. Writing this is making me recount them yet again, and I need that today. . . the kids are driving me crazy, but I love them and only have to look at those diapers in the box to remember how much I prayed they'd reach this point.

Today, I've tried to go through so more piles (have I mentioned I collect a lot of STUFF?) In the last few years, I've learned to part with magazines, by tearing out only the parts I wanted to keep. Now, in an effort to purge the lose pages, I thought I'd remind myself of the few things I thought I'd need reminding about.

Cookie magazine (May 2008) published a list of how to get some rest while parenting, "For the Lazy Parent: Lying Down on the Job." Here is a summary of the methods I plan to try this afternoon.

• Play Fairy Tale -- I will be the princess under a sleeping spell. The kids (knights, fairy, and princes) must find the magic wand that will break the witch's spell and wake me.
• Play doctor -- I will be the patient in a coma. The doctors and nurses must go through the body books trying to figure out what is wrong with me.
• Play house -- I will be the sleeping baby, they are the rest of the family having to tiptoe around so not to wake me. I love this game because they give me lots and lots of kisses, so I know where they are.
• Play zoo -- I will be a walrus sunning myself on the rock (couch) while they are animals or zookeepers. . . this one may not fly, though.

Soon, I hope to post the next clipping. . . Right now, I need to go tame the dinosaur who is making the other two shriek and cry.