Pheww!

This little woman has been working hard at trying to finally catch up with this house. See, I have felt so far like I failed at making the combination of the two apartments feel like home because when we first moved into the second apartment I had just had a baby. I couldn't really do much and I let the chips fall where they may and figured I'd have time to make a home out of these two apartments soon enough. Well, I was in for a surprise because adjusting to two little ones was harder than I anticipated. Last year, when I felt as though I had a chance at it again, I'd be so exhausted I couldn't understand it and sure enough, I came down with mono. So, between one thing and the next I never have quite finished the house.

Lately, we have been considering downsizing by moving downstairs into one apartment and renting out the upstairs again, just to even us out with our finances. I was all up for it because it would be a very immediate way to get some money. The only thing that kept nagging at my was the thought that I had failed at managing the bigger house. And the more I looked around me the more I got frustrated by bare walls displaying nothing more than a pretty color; poorly used storage because I didn't have time to organize its contents; boxes full of odds and ends that have needed going through forever; missing picture frames with pictures of loved ones whose faces I'd love to look at regularly, etc.

Coming back from Guatemala it was my utmost goal to catch up with the house regardless of what would happen in the next few months. Therefore, this past week has been spent in trying to catch up with the house. I hate to admit that little girls have been watching way more TV than I'd like them to but I am a woman with a mission. So far:

* Entryway closet has been cleaned and rearranged opening up some more room for storage.
* Kitchen table has been fit inside the pantry allowing for some extra shelving in the pantry and freeing up the room in the kitchen.
* Hanging hooks for little coats have been installed at little girls' reach so their winter stuff is a little bit more organized.
* A couple storage boxes have replaced the basket that held all things winter. By having a separate little box for gloves and mittens and another one for hats and scarves, it looks a bit better and things are easier to find.
* Microwave oven has been scrubbed inside and out.
* Kitchen counters and shelves have been cleaned.
* Although not all the pictures have been found, those that were sitting around waiting to hang from a wall have been hung in our stairway. Going upstairs now is a nice reminder of loved ones and looks more welcoming. It looks uneven because of the missing pieces, but we're a step closer.
* Downstairs bathroom has finally been finished so we (as in Ben) installed new towel hooks including one at little girls' reach so they aren't getting our hand towel wet and dirty every time they wash their hands.
* In addition, by having the bathroom finished, potty training for Elena has finally become a work in progress. If she needs to go I don't need to run all the way upstairs with both of them in tow to make it on time, etc... you get the picture.

Yet to do are tons of little things that sometimes feel like they amount to nothing but, amazingly, all those little nothings bring great satisfaction to my heart!