Cleaning the Fridge

I've decided to stop stressing about blogging in order and just writing when I've been thinking about something.  I may never finish the Disneyland post that I started 6 weeks ago, but I have other things I've been thinking about.

Recently, I finished serving as a Co-Chair for Danny's Cooperative preschool.  This was a fantastic experience.  I worked with a lot of wonderful parents and had input about how to spend the co-op $ and the curriculum.  I was in charge of running meetings and making sure everyone involved was doing their jobs well.  As the school year drew to a close, many parents praised my efforts and encouraged me to do it another year, since Kaylee would be starting at the preschool in the fall.  A part of me wanted to, but after a lot of pondering and prayer, I decided not to.

When we moved here, there were very few young families, and no organized church playgroup.  A friend and I got one started 2 1/2 years ago, trading off scheduling and emailing reminders.  She moved out of the ward and a new work schedule precluded her from attending as often, so I took over most of the playgroup organizing.  It was really, not a big deal at all, so I kept doing it.  Then earlier this year I realized I was almost never able to attend these playgroups anymore because of my own busy schedule with preschool.  There have also been many new families move in, so I finally passed the torch onto someone else.

I've been in my calling 2 1/2 years with the Young Women in the church.  I have LOVED it, but keep feeling that change is imminent since it's been a few years. 

So often, I really worry and fret over these little life changes.  Can someone else do the job?  Will playgroup fall apart?  Will the girls get along with new young women leaders?  Not to mention all the other life changes - potty training Kaylee, teaching Danny to read, walking the dogs (not a change except that I don't do it anymore).

But lately, I've been feeling like an overly cluttered refrigerator door.  You know what I'm talking about.  The door that's filled with condiments, half of which you've only used once.  There are multiple mustards, because one slipped behind the jar of pickle-less pickle juice, which is being saved in case you need it for an egg salad recipe.  There are 5 different half-used bottles of random salad dressings, and one bottle of Ranch.  The Ranch dressing, which we can never have enough of, is turned upside down to get the last drops out.  There are many important things in the side of the fridge - soy sauce, ketchup, parmesan cheese, mayonaise.  But why do I have a Rudy's bbq sauce packet and Dijon mustard.  I don't even like mustard. 

I feel like I'm cleaning out my fridge.  Taking everything out, and reassessing what is really important.  It's been wonderful to just let some things go, and then make more time for things that matter most.  Spending a little less time emailing others about preschool and playgroups and a little more time just being with my kids.  I still have a long ways to go, but my fridge is getting a little more organized. 

Don't like change . . .

Matt and I were going over our summer plans last night.  We are thrilled to have lots of visitors and trips all summer long.  I'm pretty sure we should start charging room and board for all our guests.  For the past 4 weekends we've had 4 different sets of guests.  I can hardly keep up! 

Truly, life seems to have picked up pace drastically the last several months.  I couldn't pin point why or how, but it feels like we've been racing all over the place.  I swear we just celebrated Easter and now we're only a few weeks away from the 4th of July.  Didn't May just start?  Aaagh!  Maybe it's because Danny just graduated from preschool.  Or because Kaylee is talking so fluently and wearing panties consistently enough that we can't call her a baby anymore (she is almost 3 after all).  Maybe it's because Daisy, the beagle puppy we got shortly after being married, was called an elderly dog by the vet at her last visit.  It all boils down to this, LIFE IS MOVING TOO FAST! 

So I depend on little consistencies to keep me sane.  That is why, when I got on blogger about a month ago to post on our recent trip, I was furious that they had changed things around.  Can't I just have one thing that stays the same without constantly changing and evolving and growing up (OK, so I'm talking about the kids again).  But c'mon blogger.  I needed you to be the same.  In rebellion, I just haven't posted in ages.  Turns out the change is not that drastic.  Also turns out there aren't enough blog readers to mind that there haven't been new posts.  But, I've missed the writing release, so hopefully this is the beginning of a return to blogging.