This is the longest I've gone without posting...6 days. Obviously, I've had a lot going on which I'll detail for you. It's been a crazy, crazy week. I'm exhausted, overwhelmed with housework, and generally feeling a little unmotivated. I've got to shake it off and get out of this funk.
My whirlwind week started last Friday with Harper's 3rd birthday. I took the girls to
Git Fired Up in Point Pleasant Beach to paint pottery. I'll post separately with details and pictures.
Saturday, February 14
th was, obviously, Valentine's Day. But it was also the day of Harper's birthday party. We had most of our family here for a celebration. It was so much fun. Again, I'll post separately with details and pictures. The girls loved their
Valentine's Day goody bags that I prepared for them. Their favorite goody was definitely the Play-
Doh! I loved it too...it kept them occupied while I handled some last minute party prep!
Sunday we traveled to central Pennsylvania where my parents had lived and my sister, Holly, currently lives. My sisters, Brenda and April, and the girls and I did the 3 hour drive together. I wish I could say that we were going for a few days of family time, but it was all business. We were there to clean out my parents house and prepare it for a sale.
My mother passed away in July 2007 and a year later my father passed away. As you can imagine, my sisters and I were clearly dreading the task at hand. It was daunting and overwhelming in every way, physically, emotionally and psychologically. But once we arrived and put a plan in place, we were on a mission. We worked industriously going through the house room by room. I can't tell you how many memories came flushing back just by seeing an object such as a mug, a baking dish, or a piece of clothing.
We made tremendous progress each day, and by the end of our 3 days together, we had accomplished more than was expected. It wasn't the most ideal way to spend time with my sisters, but the process brought us closer. I have a greater respect for each of them for how they pitched in and did whatever was necessary to get a huge job done.
On Tuesday, the girls and I returned to New Jersey. Since we arrived home early in the evening, there wasn't much time to do anything other than make and eat dinner and go to bed. On Wednesday, I spent in hour in Emma's classroom helping her and her classmates celebrate the 100
th day of school. Such a fun time, but because that hour fell in the middle of the day, I didn't get much accomplished.
So now, I'm back home where I feel even more overwhelmed by laundry, post-party
de-decorating (I know that's not a word, but it's the best way to describe what I need to do), putting away gifts, writing thank yous, general housework, cooking, and entertaining the girls. Plus, to top it all off, I'm exhausted from the 3 days spent cleaning my parents house. I need to crawl into a cave and sleep for 3 days. Yeah, like that's going to happen!