So far, so good!

OK. I got a lot done last night. Right after dinner, hubby took the older kids to the park. Baby was asleep so I stayed home. Yes I vegged out in front of the TV for about 20 minutes, then I went to clean off some shelves in the kids' room. I had set the timer for 15, but the baby woke up after 9ish minutes, so I played with him & cuddled for a while, then went back in for the other 6 minutes. These 6 minutes consisted mostly of me yelling "NO!" while he took things off the shelves, tried to eat papers, etc. As I was about to give up, his eyes caught a Little People farm that I had freed from a pile of junk. While he played I managed probably another 15 minutes. I tossed a bunch of stuff they won't miss (junky prizes from goodie bags, a set of dominos missing half its tiles). I also took some other items they won't miss into my donation bags, such as a babyish and annoying toy-guitar-like-thing that lights and plays the same few songs over and over when you "strum" the air, and a phonics "writing desk" learning toy that they have never really used (there is another over at my MIL's if they get desperate). In the process, I found tons - and I mean TONS - of loose trading cards - baseball, wrestling, Garbage pail kids, Webkinz, etc. The boy does have a large collection of these, organized in binders, so I'm not sure what all these extras are. I put them in a box for him to deal with later. The shelves are looking better already.

Anyway, once they came back from the park, the Boy and the Girl got involved in a game and were actually playing together nicely (despite banning the Baby from playing one of his own new toys, which was somehow part of THEIR game). I managed to get in the kitchen and get some stuff done there too. I did clean off both of my kitchen carts - though not completely and not perfectly, I worked for 15 minutes and got rid of even more stuff, including:

• big box of instant hot cocoa mix packets that has been there for at least 4 years (yuck!)
• big box of microwave popcorn packets - the popcorn tasted funky last time I made it, probably because the packets said to use by 2007!!!
• dried up plastic placemats we haven't used in years
• old cookie sheet with burns and scratches all over it
• stale gum from breadbox

What's left is a lot neater, too.

Things I'm not sure what to do with (hey, ya interested?)

• Gift box set of Remy Martin liquor and glasses - we're not really drinkers but I don't know whom to give it to
• Gift box set of some other fancy liqueur and glasses (ditto above)
• Old Pentax Optio digital camera that stopped working (would someone want it for parts?)
• 5 rolls of Fuji film (I do still have a film camera, but haven't used in a while. How long does film keep these days?)

I also put a bunch of books up on Half.com but I've had others up there for years with no takers. Does anyone actually use this service? I think I'm better off with Paperback Swap.

Finally, I cleaned and shined my sink as Flylady insists you do when you start/restart her program, got all the dishes done, and cleared one of my "hotspots" (a Flylady term for an area that keeps getting cluttered and recluttered - in this case, the corner of my dresser).

So I'm feeling optimistic as we head into the weekend. Busy weekend ahead, a wedding shower tomorrow (have to go tonight and buy the gift!), a Mets game tomorrow night with the family, and then another Mets game on Sunday (our annual "group outing" with a bunch of friends - and probably our last, since the new Mets stadium is going to be so pricey and inaccessible). Next week is crazy because I am spending a lot of it at my inlaws' house and commuting from there - hubby is taking the Girl on a father-daughter trip from Tuesday to Thursday, then taking the Boy on their father-son trip from Friday to Monday, and MIL will be watching the baby (and the kid who is not away with Dad) while I'm at work. So I guess I will be spending most of my nights on Long Island, since I'm still nursing and since baby Boy doesn't like to sleep in a crib...

4:19PM Edited to Add:

I wanted to add my weekend goals. I'm tempted to list a ton of stuff, but I think it might be better to list only the things I'm realistically going to be able to accomplish. To that end:

Weekend Goals
• Small food shopping excursion (just the basics, since I will be gone much of the week
• 15 minutes per day in kitchen
• 15 minutes per day in kids' room (preferably with kids helping, though more gets done without them
• Put new photos onto computer so camera is ready for hubby to take on his trips
• Clean out one shelf of videotapes/CDs/junk from entertainment center (there are 6, I have done one already).

That should keep me busy, especially since I am trying to keep up with VERY basic morning/evening routines (cf Flylady) once again.

Happy weekend everyone!