tomorrow we do laundry.

As of this moment the post-Christmas crash is going down right outside our bedroom door. And since you can't hear it for yourself, I'll treat you to a little sampling:

Andy (concerned): "I am trying to make ava happy."

Cam (whining): "Moooooooom I can't go to bed."

Ava (sobbing): "I don't want to stop crying. I like to cry."

Twenty minutes ago, Jimmy and I decided that instead of trying to keep the kids in their respective bedrooms (which we had been attempting to do for the previous thirty minutes), we would simply lock ourselves in our bedroom and let the chips (or kids) fall where they may. We've always been curious to know how they would go to sleep if left to their own devices. Would they just drop in an exhausted heap in some random spot or would they finally curl up in their own beds? Or maybe they have more stamina than even we give them credit for, and they will stay up the entire night... I am just so curious. (Currently I am hearing little voices in conference interspersed with random toots on the pink barbie flute).

And even though every Christmas Eve I don't want the holiday season to end, perhaps this post-holiday meltdown is why (without fail) by December 27th, I am looking forward to less sugar/more sleep, making new plans, and organizing the household. So without further ado I, the ever-ambitious-list-maker, present to you...

Projects I would love to complete this year:

1. finish family room (design plan made, hire someone to put in fireplace and built-in shelves, order area rug, decide on coffee table or upholstered ottoman)

2. art room shelving designed and built or bought

3. library decorated (design plan made)

4. herb garden/fire pit area landscaped

5. etsy shop regularly updated

6. cam's baby book complete

7. andy's baby book complete

8. cam's book of remembrance complete

9. pool arbor designed and built

10. annoying flowerbeds replaced with lawn

11. garage organized in an efficient, user friendly way

12. jimmy's tools organized in one spot

13. food storage organized (shelves bought, inventory updated, add to supply)

14. storage area completed (dry walled with door, shelves for all the bins)

15. wall of frames filled with pictures of our ancestors

16. pictures developed + organized by year

And now I'm off to check on those little rascals. And measure the family room.

I really do think they would stay up all night.

(Wash Day Print by Caroline Zoob)