Figuring

What is it about January that makes me want to rent a dumpster?  I could maniacally go through my house and throw. away. everything.  Just looking at all the crap I need to go through makes me want to scream and throw up.  I think it's a universal syndrome.  Well, maybe not the screaming nausea, but the clean-out part.  I've been seeing posts on facebook of people saying that they're decluttering and getting rid of stuff.  They also say how much they love it and how good it feels.  I get the feel-good effect, but I don't enjoy the job.  Just thinking about it makes me want to take a nap.  A long nap.  There are so many other things I would rather do.

And yet, I am compelled.  It's like someone else has robotic control over me.  I just go into a room, and I start throwing things away.  Don't care what it is.  Don't care if we need it.  Don't care if we might use it someday.  Pitch.

It's really good, but also a little dangerous.  I do have three boys, and probably shouldn't get rid of too many boy clothes.  My system is that I put one size in a clear plastic Sterilite storage tote, and I can only keep as much of that size as fits in it.  So I whittle it down to only what I can put in and barely cram the lid on.  And then people give me stuff.  And.... aurgh... I have to... go through stuff again.  Decide what goes and what stays.  But is it really a good idea to only keep as many pairs of boy pants as one child will need per size?  At they rate they get holes in them?  Should I really get rid of ANY boy pants?  Prolly not a good idea, actually.  So then I need to keep them. Somewhere.  Among the piles. But my robotic arms start pitching.

Sigh.  Why do kids need so much STUFF?

I always have these winter projects planned.  Projects for the time when I don't have so much to do and can tackle these fun things that I don't usually have time for-- painting projects and sewing projects and photo projects and such.  But it never seems to work out.  The winter passes (thank the LORD!)  and I haven't touched those things and why?  Because I was sorting crap. But mostly reading books and being lazy.  But the sorting crap made me feel like I was accomplishing something, so I never get to all the other stuff.  And now there's also an astonishing amount of child care that needs doing. But I really just wanna read a book. Or hibernate. 

Why don't we hibernate, anyway?  That's what I'd really like to do.

Oh, and there's also trying to plan  trips to Oregon and Minnesota to visit family.  There's another job that makes me what to take a nap.  Trying to figure out all those logistics... yikes.  Maybe it's not really that bad, but it feels like it.

How do I fly to and from Portland with three children, two of whom need constant holding?  Nathan can't decide if he's going or not, and even if he does, he can't stay as long as I want to stay, so that means I get at least one trip solo.  I thought it would be so much easier if I had a direct flight --get off the plane and be there!-- but it doesn't exist.  No. such.  thing.  They just don't do non-stops between Portland and Detroit.  And I'm torn about how long to stay. Two weeks is too short, but three is a long time to leave Nathan here alone.  I miss him just thinking about it.  So I dunno.  And if he goes for part of the time, then there are a whole other set of things to figure out.

So the craziest plan that we cooked up is this--  Drive to Minnesota, visit there for a few days, then Nathan puts me and boys on a plane there, where we can have a direct flight.  Then we could fly back to Chicago (again, direct flight!) and have twice the drive home.  Plausible?  Maybe.  Crazy?  Probably.  Stress-filled?  Absofreakinlutely.   For one, there's the driving to Minnesota and Chicago in FEBRUARY.  And then, when I try to picture planning such a trip?  Take the stress I feel getting ready to go to Oregon, then take the stress of getting ready to go to Minnesota, add them together and multiply by 439,000 and that will be approximately the stress of getting ready for both at the same time.  Wheeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

So I dunno.  But we need to get on it and plan something.

Meanwhile, I'm gonna go throw something away.