This and That

Boy, I'm feeling all over the place with my thoughts tonight.

It is cold here!  I'm sure everyone who lives in the midwest would love our weather but I am not used to this!!  We had record lows for 2 nights in a row.  I barely slept worrying about our pipes freezing.  I've dealt with a busted pipe and it is not an experience I want to relive.  Not to mention that our master bathroom is 55°!!!!  Have you ever put your butt on a toilet that is only 55°?  Not a pleasant experience.  I finally decided that it was not worth it and have been using Caroline's bathroom instead.  It was nice to not have to use scalding water to not freeze during a shower.

I spent yesterday trying to restore some semblance of control to my house.  It had gotten a little crazy with a sick kid.  All told, I did 6 loads of laundry, dishes, made the bed, sewed a pillow, cleaned my sewing area and helped Caroline clean her toys.  It was a productive day.  I can't say it's my most favorite of ways to spend the day but necessary.

Caroline doesn't particularly like to clean up. (She must get that from me.)  But she had toys from one end of the living room to the other.  It was not pretty.  I told her to start in her room, which wasn't nearly as bad.  After less than 5 minutes, she comes out and says she's done. When I go look, she had shoved everything in the closet!  She's only 4, shouldn't that come later?  So back in there she goes.  After her room is clean, she starts on the living room. And the whining and excuses start.  First she needs a tissue.  Then she's tired.  Then she's still sick.  Then she's hungry.  Next she wants to know if I'm going to help her.  Then another tissue. Then she's dying of thirst.

So incredibly frustrating!  Why is it that it's easier to just do it for her?  I didn't but I wanted to.  She finally got it all cleaned up and put away.  We can see the floor!

My biggest project (besides laundry) was cleaning up my sewing area.  Fabric and things had been piling up since before Christmas and I had finished several projects this week.  So I folded fabric and did some organizing.  All my thread was a mess, so I straightened it up and cut my finger in the process.  With a pair of scissors.  Smart me.  Plus I bled all over the place.  No stitches needed though. But I got my area all finished.  It's all so nice and neat and calling my name to sew that I sat down and finished a pillow for Caroline.

For the first time ever, I cleaned my sewing machine.  I had so been dreading this.  My machine is new and expensive and I was afraid that I would mess it up when i took it apart to clean it.  But I got out my instruction manual and pulled the needle plate off.  Ewwww!  I should have taken a picture, there was so much lint in there.  It really needed cleaning and I could definitely tell the difference in the way it sewed after I was all done.  Thankfully, I got it all back together correctly and it still works!

Well, I'm going to go huddle under some blankets for warmth and finish watching my DVR of American Idol.  Have a good night!