Packing and More Packing...

I was reading an article in the GR Press that goes along with what we've been up to lately...Here are some interesting excerpts:

"Open home's energy by getting rid of the clutter."
A woman named Christan Hummel says space clearing can remove the clutter that "drains energy by blocking the invisible life energy flowing through a living space." (feng shui) She continues, "Think of it like emotional baggage in the house, it tends to clog up the pipes, and it bogs down the homes' energy. A good house clearing is sort of like acupuncture for your house."
"January has been dubbed Get Organized Month..."
"To our subconscious mind, clutter triggers images of stagnation...when we see clutter our mind equates it with chaos and dead energy."

My! I had never thought so philosophically about the "stuff" in my home - although it does make sense. I feel calmer when my home is orderly. Ken and I have been going through everything we own and sorting. Much is in the garage sale section of the garage; the other side contains boxes filled with items to move. My mom used to tell me to "Be Ruthless!" when I was cleaning my room, going through clothes, etc. Her words have echoed many, many times in the past weeks! Ken is a trooper and we make a good team - we work together and he does all the lifting and carrying. When we moved to this home, it was Ken and I, along with a bed, dresser, kitchen table, couch and chair, clothes, and a few decorations.........now, nine years later, there are 3+ children, a dog, the two of us, and LOTS more than we started with! It's felt good to "weed and thin" as we've packed...and I think we'll appreciate that when we unpack in our new home!

In other news...
- had a good Dr's visit this week - praise God for that! 7 weeks to go!
-Robyn is VERY excited about her birthday coming up Feb 3. She came up to me a few days ago and said, "I've thought about what I'd like to have at my birthday party." Oh? (I guess we're having a birthday party!) If she knows you well at all, you just may be on her invite list...we made a birthday chart together on the computer and each day she excitedly puts a sticker on! Sweet and cute, our girl is.
-Seth has been doing puzzles like crazy! The other day he took out a 63 piece and with minor help from me, did the entire thing. Then he pulled out a 100 piece Care Bear puzzle and worked diligently until finished, again receiving minor help. All three LOVE puzzles!!
-Ever read the children's book Fancy Nancy? Check it out sometime - a young girl who loves all things fancy. After reading aloud to our three many times over break, I brought it to school and read to my students (6th & 10th graders). They enjoyed it much. Nancy loves "fancy" language and throughout the book uses "salsa" words instead of boring words: "Posh is a fancy word for fancy!" The Princess and the Pizza is another current favorite at home.
-We all enjoyed being home together over Christmas vacation. Ken took a few days off after New Years and in the midst of packing we did some fun family things. First grade has been great for Nathan, but it was sure nice to have him home, interacting with siblings, playing games together, etc.
-It's the end of the 1st semester at school this week - complete with exams, etc. I always like this week and how seriously (most) students take their work and want to do well. Next semester my classes switch and I will no longer have my beginning band students, but instead pick up a 9th grade computer class. Band is a joy, bringing them from knowing nothing about playing to doing quite well (for 4 months)...and I will miss them. We have a good time together - it's a fast paced class, and the kids have jumped on for the ride. Excellent students this year, too. They will now be in "full band" every day with the main director. One good aspect about the new semester is that my English class rosters will stay mostly the same - some years there's a huge turnover and it's like starting the year over. The makeup of both English classes is great; I told them I'm glad we'll be together next semester because I like all of them. 10th English has been a great fit for me this year - I've let the superintendent know how I've liked it and would enjoy having 2 classes of it next year. Can't hurt to think ahead, right?

May you experience positive "feng shui" this week by decluttering something! :)