Time off for busy behavior?

Vacation Begins (Photo credit: GollyGforce)

I’ve had a few weeks “off” from posting. Things have been very busy here, with getting back into the homeschooling swing of things after some time off, starting a new quarter teaching Abnormal Psych and Critical Thinking classes to college students (online!), hosting over 100 people for several different work parties today and in the next two weeks, and a bout of a tummy bug through the whole family. (That’s one less fun fact about bigger families – it takes longer for a bug to pass through. I imagine it’s even less fun for those with larger families!)

Why didn’t I post? Part of it is that when things are off-kilter here, it feels strange to showcase it. I’m good at putting up what I’ve done well with. My laundry system (which I’ve recently changed to a family closet!), using the freezer to my advantage when hosting parties, and doing parsha fun with the kids are things I usually do really well with. And they are things you’ll see here on OJH (I have been updating the parsha page with a new format – more pictures!)

But it’s not always (if ever!) perfectly neat and tidy here. I want to show you the less-together side, too, lest you think I blog from my perfectly tidy desk in my organized office with color coded somethings…I can’t even think of a good color coded set right now, but here’s a neat photo suggestion I got:

Color Coded (Photo credit: Orin Zebest)

Remember my NOT to do list? If you haven’t read it yet, check it out. It’s one of my more popular posts. But this current untidiness and less-than-organized-ness goes deeper:

I’m sitting, fairly exhausted, in the midst of the mostly cleaned up party in our common area. Things have been put away – not far, though since they’re coming out again several times in the next two weeks. But some things, like vacuuming, wiping, and mopping will wait until tomorrow. And dishes – our dishwasher is broken. It won’t stop working unless I turn off the fuse it’s hooked up to – along with our microwave!

And so, as I sign off, dear readers, I want to be sure you know that things aren’t perfect here, despite the name of my blog. Things are still good, and still busy, but not as smooth as they often are. And I’m OK with it for the most part. There will be work to do tomorrow, and I will do it with renewed energy and stamina. I’ll finish the clean up from the party, work with my kids, and bake a BUNCH more snickerdoodles for my freezer and future parties–party-goers went through more than 4 dozen today alone, along with a few other kinds…It’s on my menu for each party (yes, the menus are all the same since the guest lists don’t overlap, and yes, I have most of the food prepared already and waiting in my freezer), so we’ll be making lots more.

But that’s a job for tomorrow. I’m content that I put a post up and let you know how things are going. Maybe it’s broken the posting ice, so to speak. Life here is full and good. I’d love to hear from you!

Shuli, I’ve started writing and rewriting an answer to your question several times, and I’m getting closer to how I want to say it – expect it soon, bli neder. I’m also getting together some Purim preparations thoughts- did you know it’s at the end of February this year?! (And Pesach – yes, I said it! – is in March!) Lots to do, baruch Hashem!

And that’s it from me for now.  🙂