Time Is Running Out....

I will soon have a house full of people and I MUST, MUST, MUST get ready for them.

I work today.

I have church two times tomorrow.

I work Monday.

I need to take advantage of my available time and get ready for the coming KIDS.

I hope to get Blake on Tuesday. And I'm trying to work it out that Caleb and Christie can come too. Then there's Hunter, Haley, and Sam (their cousin). And the second week of Bible School, I think there's going to be one more.

When I had small kids at home and their friends coming over regularly, I had things set up differently. I kept some things inaccessible so that it required ME getting them down before they were played with. I had all my cleaning products on high shelves. I had other things-- e.g. tools and such like-- in out of sight places.

When you live alone and you are the main one who uses what is here, you don't stop to think as much about what a curiosity-minded kid can quickly do with a number of things you normally leave easily accessible. (e.g., I always forget to put my Kleenex box up before Autumn "reminds" me that I should have.)

You have to prepare differently for kids than adults. You have to look around and say, "When I'm busy doing something else and can't keep a vigilant eye on them every minute, is this something that I don't want them to "investigate" or consider to be a toy? -- when it really isn't.

Or is it some small-item set (like Lego) that I don't want mixed in with all the other toys? And it would probably be a good time to go through all those toys I have and just get rid of the stuff that clutters up the floor that they don't play with anyway.

You have to think "outside the box". I thought my treadmill would be fine in the playroom as long as it was unplugged and the cord would not reach the outlet to plug it back in. Then I went out there and found three kids had figured out they could manually force the surface to move if they'd hold onto the bar and push backwards with their feet. (I never thought about them doing that!!) They were having a great time "walking on the treadmill". So, I need to get that treadmill out of the playroom.

And, of course, I have to get the bedrooms ready too. And do some regular cleaning.


So...I need to get to work.