IT'S TIME TO GET IT TOGETHER, GIRLFRIEND

SO I HAVE NEVER BEEN A PARTICULARLY NEAT PERSON. LIKE I'M NOT DIRTY JUST A MESS. I WILL WASH ALL THE CLOTHES BUT NEVER FOLD THEM, ALL MY SHOES ARE NEXT TO THE ORGANIZER INSTEAD OF IN IT, DISHES GET WASHED BUT NOT PUT AWAY, ETC, ETC. YOU GET IT RIGHT?

WELL LATELY I HAVE FELT THE NEED TO CHANGE THAT, STRONGLY.  I AM GOOD AT CLEANING UP I JUST WANT TO WORK ON NOT MAKING SUCH A BIG MESS OF EVERYTHING FROM THE START. LIKE MY MOM IS GREAT AT CLEANING UP AS SHE COOKS, ME NO BUENO. THEN, AFTER DINNER I AM USUALLY TOO TIRED TO CLEAN, SO I DO IT HALF-ASSED. AND ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE BEING A MESS DOESN'T WORK WHEN LIVING IN A TEENY APARTMENT WITH NO CLOSET SPACE ( I STAY OPTIMISTIC BY TELLING MYSELF THIS IS WHAT IT'D BE LIKE LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY, WHICH I'D LOVE TO DO SOMEDAY, BTW).

WELL ANYWAYS, THE ARRIVAL OF FALL HAS SET OFF A GREAT SENSE OF URGENCY WITHIN MYSELF TO GET MY SHIT TOGETHER. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S JUST THAT THE HAS SEASON CHANGED. OR THE FACT THAT BY THE END OF THIS VERY SEASON THAT I WILL HAVE TURNED 30 AND HAVE AN 11 YEAR OLD. THAT MEANS I WILL HAVE HAD 11 YEARS TO PERFECT THIS WHOLE HOMEMAKER THING. AND THEN THERE LOOMS THE REALIZATION THAT I AM GOING INTO MY 2ND DECADE OF MOTHERHOOD. AND I THINK, 'LIKE BY NOW I SHOULD TOTALLY HAVE IT TOGETHER, RIGHT?' 

I GAVE UP ON ALL LAZINESS AND PITY FOR MYSELF AND GOT TO WORK. I TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY GUTTED OUT PHOENIX AND SUNNY'S ROOM. NOTHING UNDER THE BEDS, DEEP IN THE CLOSET, ON THE CLOSET SHELVES, BEHIND THE DRESSERS OR IN THE DRAWERS WAS SAFE FROM ME. I GOT RID OF THE TOY CHEST WHERE EVERYTHING WAS JUST THROWN IN AND REPLACED IT WITH A COUPLE OF PLASTIC CARTS WITH 3 DRAWERS AND WHEELS. YOU KNOW THE KIND THAT TARGET REALLY PUSHES TO STUDENTS IN DORMS. ALL CLOTHES AND SHOES THAT WERE TOO SMALL WERE BAGGED FOR CHARITY. ANY TOY THAT I DEEMED USELESS WAS TRASHED (BUT OF COURSE I KEPT WHATEVER I BROUGHT BACK MILLIONS OF MY BABY GIRLS, C'MON I'M NOT A TOTAL TYRANT). AND THIS WAS ALL DONE WHILE THE GIRLS WERE IN SCHOOL, NONE OF THAT 'BUT MOM THAT'S MY FAVORITE' CRAP WAS FLYING. ONCE IT WAS DONE I FELT AMAZING. I AM NOW GOING ROGUE ON ALL THE CRAP IN OUR ROOM. I FINALLY GOT RID OF THE LAST BOX FROM OUR MOVE IN ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO THAT HAS BEEN STASHED IN OUR CLOSET. HALLELUJAH!

AND TODAY! OH TODAY! I WASHED EVERY SINGLE DIRTY DISH IN THE SINK. I HAVEN'T PUT THEM AWAY YET BUT I PROMISE TO DO IT AFTER I DROPPED THE GIRLS OFF IN THE MORNING. OH YEAH AND FOR THE PAST MONTH I HAVE GONE TO THE LAUNDROMAT EVERY MONDAY ( WELL EXCEPT THIS WEEK I WENT TUESDAY MORNING, BECAUSE I WAS EXHAUSTED FROM THE WEEKEND) AND STAYED THERE UNTIL ALL CLOTHES WERE FOLDED. WHAT A FEAT FOR ME! SO YEAH ANYWAYS I HAVE TO FOLD CLOTHES ALSO IN THE A.M. SO YEAH I AM GOING TO PUT AWAY ALL THE DISHES AND CLOTHES TOMORROW AND REJOICE AT HOW I AM REFUSING TO LET MY PROCRASTINATION GET THE BETTER OF ME.

AND CANT FORGET ABOUT THE MOST ADORABLE LITTLE LAUNDRY HELPER, WHO MAKES IT 10X'S HARDER BUT 100X'S CUTER! SHE DIDN'T JOIN ME TODAY BECAUSE SHE WAS SICK AND DECIDED TO SLEEP IN. ALTHOUGH I'M REALLY SAD WHEN SHE'S SICK I DID ENJOY BEING ABLE TO BREEZE THROUGH THE LAUNDRY THIS MORNING!

AS OF LATE...

TODAY IS MONDAY THE DAY FOR MUSIC. THERE WILL BE MUSIC JUST A LITTLE LATER. FOR NOW JUST A BIT ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING AROUND HERE LATELY.

RIGHT NOW CHILI IS COOKING IN THE CROCKPOT. I HAVE BEEN WANTING CHILI REALLY BAD LATELY, MAYBE BECAUSE FALL IS HERE. AND FALL MEANS LOTS OF CROCKPOT AND SLOW COOKED OVEN MEALS. MY FAVORITE FOR NOW AT LEAST, (UNTIL MEMORIAL DAY ROLLS AROUND AND I  WANT TO EAT NOTHING BUT BBQ). THINK POT ROAST, WHOLE CHICKENS, SOUPS AND YES, CHILI. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS  HERE IN LOS ANGELES FALL DOESN'T REALLY KICK IN UNTIL MID TO LATE OCTOBER, TODAY IT WAS 80 DEGREES. BUT I COOKED CHILI ANYWAY BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT TASTE THE BEST ON A CHILLY DAY(LOL) I JUST COULDN'T WAIT. WELL AT LEAST THE MORNINGS HAVE BEEN COLD. THAT COUNTS FOR SOMETHING, RIGHT?

OVER THE PAST WEEK ALL THREE GIRLS HAVE BEEN SICK, WITH VIOLET BEING THE ONE TO GET IT LAST AND THE MOST EFFECTED. RIGHT NOW SHE IS TRYING TO DRAG HER HIGH CHAIR THROUGH THE HOUSE, CRYING ALL THE WHILE. SHE DOESN'T WANT ANYBODY TO PICK HER UP, SHE JUST WANTS TO DRAG HER HIGH CHAIR. SHES SO MISERABLE. SHE HAS SPENT THE LAST 36 HOURS MOSTLY CRYING. 

THE ONE PERSON THAT SHE DOES WANT TO HANG UNDER IS HER DADDY AND OF COURSE HE'S THE BUSIEST. IT JUST MAKES ME SO SAD. 

ON SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE SHE GOT SICK I HAD A GIRLS NIGHT OUT. AND I HAD A BLAST. AFTER WONDERING AIMLESSLY AROUND DOWNTOWN CULVER CITY TRYING TO CHOOSE A PLACE TO EAT, WE DECIDED TO HEAD A LITTLE FURTHER WEST TO THE ALIBI ROOM. I HAD THE BEST TACOS EVER, THEY WERE MADE WITH KOREAN SHORT RIBS. OMG SO GOOD. OH YEAH, I ALSO HAD SOME FRENCH FRIES WITH KOREAN SEASONING AND A DRINK CALLED THE CUBAN MISTRESS. I WAS IN HEAVEN AND COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH MY NIGHT OUT. BUT WE HAD SITTERS FOR THE NIGHT AND COULDN'T CALL IT A NIGHT JUST YET. SO WE WENT TO DO KARAOKE AT THE TATTLE ROOM. SO MUCH FUN!! I SANG SHOOP BY SALT & PEPPER. WE LAUGHED, DANCED SANG AND DRANK. I HAD NOT HAD SO MUCH FUN IN A VERY LONG TIME. THE PICTURE BELOW PRETTY MUCH SUMS UP HOW FOOLISH WE WERE ACTING. LIKE SOME TEENAGERS, ACTUALLY MORE LIKE A GAGGLE OF 7 YEAR OLDS!

NEEDLESS TO SAY AFTER A SICK BABY AND A GIRLS NIGHT OUT I AM EXHAUSTED. MONDAY IS SUPPOSED TO BE LAUNDRY DAY BUT THAT HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL TOMORROW. TONIGHT I'M CURLING UP WITH A BIG BOWL OF CHILI AND CORNBREAD AND TAKING IT EASY.  AND OH YEAH 2 BROKE GIRLS IS ON TONIGHT!

HAPPY MONDAY.