List # 7 of the 52 Lists: The Things I Didn't Get Done

I am way behind on my lists here. Actually I feel way behind on everything.

I went to bed by 8:30 3 times in the last week, and it threw me for a loop. I can't sleep that much because I just don't get anything done. My night time hours are not just when I blog--they are when I do the dinner dishes and clean up the kitchen. They are when I fold the laundry and straighten the house. They are when I get to the little projects, like sewing a curtain, or the big ones like cleaning a closet.

Falling asleep that early meant I was playing catch up the next da,y as well as carrying on with my regularly scheduled programming.

I hate that.

The other day, I was pulling my 3 kids out the car, saying things like, "please put on your shoes." and "what happened to your jacket?" and "I don't know where Baby Cheetah is, he's not my toy."

A mom in the parking spot next to me said, "God bless you. I can hardly manage 2, so I don't know how you do it with 3."

"Well, I can hardly manage 1 sometimes, so you're ahead of me," I replied.

Doesn't it feel that way sometimes? There are days, weeks, where I am treading water. Where I serve my kids hot dog buns with butter for breakfast because we are out of bread and I didn't feel like going to the store the night before. I was glad to learn that I am not the only mom who has given her kids half and half mixed with water when we are out of milk. Thanks for the shout out of solidarity Cassie.

It's nice to know we're all in this together.

That is why I give you this list. Because, we are all in this together. And maybe my list will make you feel better about yours. I do what I can, friends. I do what I can.

List # 7

The Things I didn't Get Done

1. I didn't celebrate Arbor Day. Arbor day was one of my favorite holidays when I was growing up. Not because I loved trees particularly, but mostly because that was the one day of the year that I got to wear shorts to school. Yep. Arbor Day. It was big time.

My brother and I went to a small Lutheran school. We didn't wear uniforms, but shorts were not in the dress code. Except on Arbor Day.

I still remember one of the pairs I wore. My favorites. They were pink with tiny, white dots that made a pattern of flowers on the shorts. My mom made them for me and I thought they were amazing. In fact, I don't think she had the buttons done in time, but I was so adamant that I would wear my new shorts on Arbor Day that we just closed them with a safety pin. My turquoise top covered it up and I know I looked awesome.

Besides the shorts wearing, it really was fun to spend the day sprucing up the school grounds. We had the whole afternoon off from classes and we pulled weeds, trimmed branches, raked, and, of course, planted trees. Each class (there were only 2 -- upper grades and lower grades) planted a tree. The big boys dug the hole and then we all got a turn throwing in 1 shovelful of dirt.

It was fun. And it really instilled a sense of pride in how our school looked. I liked the way it felt to take care of our school and to make it look pretty.

And each year after, we watched our trees grow.

It was a good holiday. And not just because of the shorts.

I wanted to celebrate with my kids this year. I wanted to tell them the stories of the Arbor Days of my youth. To work in the yard together and feel that sense of pride and connection to earth. And of course, to plant a tree.

Today was Arbor Day. This was as far as we got with our celebrations: reading this sweet, vintage book.

It is a great book and I recommend it for any day. Not just Arbor Day.

Oh well, we'll try again next year.

2. I didn't clean the school room closet. The closet that makes me want to say bad words every time I open it. The closet that is supposed to be for the kids but they are not allowed to open because something will probably fall on their heads and send us to the ER again.

3. I didn't call the fire department when James got stuck in the avocado tree. I got him down all by myself and neither one of us panicked.

4. I didn't do the ironing, remember to wash the shower curtain liner, or remember to return that bag of tupperware in the back of my car to its various rightful owners.

5. I didn't make May Day bouquets with the kids. Yes, May day is tomorrow. The first of May, right? When I was a kid, I read in some book about leaving May Day bouquets on the doors of your neighbors. I thought it sounded like a perfectly lovely idea. I don't recall if I ever actually did it, but I always wanted to.

So much so, that I want to do it now with my kids.

But I forgot that May Day would be here so soon. This weekend. Tomorrow.

So these lovelies will have to wait until next May Day.

That's OK, because it will probably take me that long to figure out how to make them. (To figure it out yourself, go here.)

I don't think I will spend tomorrow worrying about the things I didn't get done. I am going to enjoy my day: a hike, some butterflies and some swim time.

The list will still be there on Monday.

Hoping your weekend is filled with lots of things getting checked off your list. Or not. No matter what, just try to have some fun. And if the weather is nice, be sure to put on a pair of shorts.

Happy Arbor Day!

Love from Greta