day 14. a photo of one of your favorite family members

Snort.  The title on this one just says "Horse Wreck Face".....

Elle..... recognize this?

Sis, barrels, Bird

Sis and her pet calf... his name was Bwain Dead.... he followed her like a puppy.

Sis, poles, Nibs

In her favorite outfit of all time....

Sis, Chubby, National O-Mok-See champs

Sis, barrels, Slu

If I see this pic show up on a Pepsi ad I am TOTALLY sueing for copywright voilation....

Sis, Bro, rescue race, Sonata

Cables and Clutter.....

Ok. Here we go.  Cables & Cords & Chargers & Remotes... oh my.

Here's what we are dealing with:

One Motorola (looks-like-a-playskool-phone) Barrage (mine)
One some other flip phone (Hot's personal)
One some other flip phone (Hot's work)
One laptop/remote
One old-school ipod
My camera/remote
Hot's camera
Flip video
TV with built-in dvd player
TV/DVD/VCR (3 remotes)
Portable DVD player/remote
A couple of cheap-o mp3 players
Print/scan/copy & a router
Electric toothbrush charger (what?  I was feeling a little insecure about not having enough devices...)

And so it starts..... we had one of those "valet charger" things on this shelf.  Decided I hated it.  Now it looks like this.... must work to hide phone cords. 

Chargers for cell phones (3) generally live in this drawer when not in use.

Laundry room/computer room?!?  Here's the printer.  Any thoughts on that clutter?

On the shelf up there... router.

Ok, the truth?  This is where the computer usually lives......

And then there is the tv..... yes, we do have a vcr.  Two, in fact.  Sweet often brings home videos from the school library.... sigh.  Here lives the ipod speakers... unless they are in the kids' room.  Also, yes, I realize the tv stand is pretty ugly... but it was about $89 and we needed it.  And, if you really want to feel sorry for us.... please note:  32" tv, no cable, no satellite, no Wii, no TIVO, no video games, no, um, what are those other things called?

The spare bedroom houses much....

tv/dvd combo......

Getting closer....

Bam.  Drawer-o-media.  The portable dvd player, the binder of kid movies (behind it is the "old" portable dvd player.... works ok if it doesn't get jostled) and under the dvd is the binder of grown up movies.  Oh my, that sounds more naughty than it is.  We also have a drawer of elk hunting movies.  I'm not kidding.

Scary stash in the armoire.....  The camera charger, ipod cables, etc, etc all live behind those innocent looking pottery pieces....

And the bottom drawer of the armoire.... puzzles and cables.  Now who says that combination doesn't make any sense?  Here lives the laptop sleeve, various dvd cleaners, some computer registration stuff and a box of randomness.... the lock for my laptop, the remote for the camera, some mini mp3 players, cases for cell phones long gone, the arm band thing for the ipod, the converter jobbie that takes pictures off the phone card and puts them on the computer, spare sd cards, flash drives.... you name it, I've stashed it in this little black box.

BONUS POINTS......  Here's my desk at work....  Isn't it nice? 

And here's the dirty little secret lurking behind those monitors.....

AH!  Now on to the make up bag......

day 13. a photo of your best friend(s)

Crap.  Just go here.  I'm so NOT going out to the shed to dig around for some snaps from college.

Mission Organization: I'm in DENIAL

Here are all of the projects I SHOULD be listing as challenges instead of "Cord Management & Cable Clutter"  So be ready to see these challenges in coming weeks.

Number ONE:  Have I mentioned one of my least favorite parenting tasks?  Organizing and sorting the kid clothes.  Seriously.  This is our bathroom.  Bugsy keeps all of her clothes in a single giant drawer in here.  So I thought I'd make some space by taking out a shelf and giving her a little rod in the back..... it has looked like this for weeks now....

 Yup, a curtain rod is buried under all of that.... it was a good idea but the tension rod needs supports and, also, it is ugly.  Hmmm.  The three baskets below are jammie baskets.... I did clean those up after I took this photo.  Promise.

And then there is the chronic washer pile.  I have considered stacking the w/d JUST to eliminate this spot.  The laundry basket is ok.  But the swimming gear needs to go.  And the picture frames?!?!  WTF?

Ah.... and then there is the front closet.  This time of year is always hell for the closet.  Eleventy million pairs of snowpants, winter gear, spring gear, windbreakers, sunscreen, hats, sneakers, mittens, sandals, snowboots, mudboots....... we've used it ALL in the last two weeks.  Heavy sigh.  We built a snowman last Saturday.  I am debating washing and storing the true winter gear this weekend.  That will make is snow.

Just look at that shoe pile.  I love the truly organized bloggers who talk about needing three pairs of shoes per family member.  They don't live here.  We have snow boots, mud boots, cowboy boots, tennis shoes, sandals, flip flops, crocs, fire boots, danskos, hiking boots and water shoes.  Sigh.

These hooks are for the coats/jackets/sweaters/sweatshirts the kids are wearing regularly for the season.  You can see the insanity of spring.  Also... please note the white garbage bag.  Apparently Gunnar was trying to make a "nest" on the down comforter on the "guest" bed..... and caused a snowstorm.  It looked like a goose blew up.  Wow.

day 12. a picture from your day.

Somehow I interpreted "a picture from your day." as a picture of the morning...

Project:  Use it up.  The tail end of a bottle of lotion.... and after I snapped the photo, I tossed the bottle. 

This is where my day really starts.  I let out the cats and the dog, start the coffee, get my mug out of the dish rack. 

This is how my kids' morning is supposed to go....

Whoa.  This is what I found when I went upstairs.... she's shouting YEE-HAW and riding her stuffed horse.

Here is the true measure of my morning.... I'm running a checklist in my head as I gaze at this.... Diaper bag?  Check.  Purse?  Check.  Work files?  Check.  Lunch?  Check.  Car keys, sunglasses, cell phone?  Check.  Coffee?  Check.  Check.

Kids?  Check.

Paci?  Check.

Drop off the Sweet One.

Then the girls and then to work.  Finally.  I feel like I've already had a full day before I get to work and I don't even exercise in the morning.  Is this how it seems to everyone?

day 11. a picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.

Mission Organization: Please give me something easy this week.....

I'm avoiding my TRUE stress areas for organization (the laundry room, the "office" corner, the garage, the shed) and going with something simple this week.

Oh... the possibilities....

Let's tackle cable clutter and technology.

I'm talking the computer and the printer and the router.  Where the camera lives to get those cute shots.  Where is the camera charger cord?  What about cell phones, ipods & flip video?  The hdmi cable for connecting the computer and the tv? 

Bonus:  Show me your remotes.

Find a home for it and make it functional.  Ready?  GO.

day 10. a photo of you as a baby