Ups and Downs Part 2

First, thanks to everyone who left comments on that post! What great ideas! I'm totally taking up the chocolate remedy - can we say halloween candy? But seriously, I feel like I'm just treading water in a lot of areas these days, but I guess that really is just part of life. I hope I keep it together just enough that my kids aren't permanently damaged, or at least so they don't miss a field trip because I misplaced another permission slip. One of my new stressors is the array of random papers I created in the front room the other day when I got halfway through "cleaning" out our file cabinets in an attempt to organize. Getting halfway through projects like that apparently has the opposite effect.

I think I have phases I go through when I feel out of control, and one of those involves making lots of lists. When lists don't do it anymore I move to Charts. I've moved into my "Chart" phase this week hoping that will help with getting ready for school in the mornings and keeping the house cleaner, but we'll see how it goes. Sometimes I think just making the chart is therapeutic. As long as the time I spend making the charts doesn't keep me from writing checks for school lunch and keeping Matt stocked in clean bottles we're good.

We also finally started up family prayer and scripture study this morning again (it lagged a tiny bit over the summer). I love conference time. I say this every six months, but by the time it pops up again I always feel very ready. It's another testament to me of an inspired program that among other things helps buoy up our spirits and faith.

As for a few updates, we've heard through the grapevine that the people who sold us our home are interested in settling out of court. Hopefully it really happens when they discover the cost! And the insurance agent I was frustrated with is apparently no longer in business, so by necessity we've changed and it's been a lot less aggravating. The weather's cooled down and draws me outdoors more frequently - a little yardwork goes a long way toward de-stressing, I think. Maybe it's just the exercise, but since I don't do that formally I can only suppose. I picked up three van loads of free mulch yesterday, mowed the lawn and built a firepit. I must be on the upswing energywise.

My grandma had a saying on her fridge for as long as I can remember. "This too shall pass." I think of it weekly and need to create one of my own. I'll put that on a list behind hanging the photo collage in the living room and adjusting the hinges on the bathroom cabinets, or maybe I can work it into a chart somewhere.