A while back I read
this post from Donald Miller and was inspired to simplify and online life. So I went through all of the blogs that I subscribe to and got rid of half of them. It was hard to do, but I have to say my life is fine without those blogs and I am actually aware of the extra time that has magically been added to my every day.
The strange thing is that after I
rid my google reader of these blogs, I actually felt the exact same good feeling I feel when my house is clean, or after I clean out a closet. Simplifying and organizing just plain feels good.
And on a sort-of-related thought, I have been cleaning my house differently lately. It used to be that I would start cleaning the bathroom and take a water glass from in there and bring it to the kitchen, and then I would load the dishwasher and clear off the counter, bringing papers to my desk where I would get hung up trying to organize my paper life. While organizing my desk I would return a book to the living room where I'd see the mess on the coffee table. And after 30 minutes of this, I had nothing to show for my efforts. Every room looked "sort of" clean.
So I am now cleaning only one room at a time. And it works. If I completely finish the bathroom first, I often find the enthusiasm to hit the next room. If I tucker out in the next room (or more likely, Ivar wakes up) I still have one clean room to show for my time.
Try this cleaning method. I know it sounds obvious, but it was hard for me to do at first. And it has actually changed my attitude towards daily house work. (well, that might be a bit extreme...)
Vacations are always hard to come off of and this one is no exception. I love family, I love the sun, I love a good hot tub, I love taking walks with the stroller, I love family discussions and I love watching Rory with Ivar. This vacation had it all. We spent most of our time in the pool. The water was about as warm as Ivar's bath water which made it enticing for adults and 3-year-olds alike.
You could also find us zipping around on my Grandma's golf cart, or pushing various combinations of kiddos in the strollers. The weather was perfect every day...and we felt grateful to be out of Minnesota for a break from winter.
My favorite quote from the week came from Mara. I was taking her and Sonna to the pool by myself and as we were walking there I was talking through some ground rules. I told them that they could not swim away from me, that they always had to be close enough that I could help them if they needed it, since there were two of them and only one of me. Mara replied, "I know. We should be close so you can hear our bubbles if we go under the water."
Sonna rocked it in pink all week long. The girl has got style and spunk.
And I believe Svea was just happy that the ratio of adults to children was so high. I think she found this vacation to be a nice rest from well-intentioned sisters who tend to violate her personal space.
Rory got to read two books while we were there. That's a good sign of a good vacation.
And I got to snuggle a lot with my little boy. 
