Sliding

I figured I'd skip Wordless Wednesday this week. It's been an exhausting past 48 hours with a sick child (that ended up with the worst diaper rash she's ever had in her short life), a sick husband, and me trying to get well from being sick most of the weekend. I feel sorta like I'm sliding down a slippery slope and can't stop.

No flu. I'm thankful. Really bad colds though that make you feel like you've been hit by a mack truck, in my husband's words.

I'm cleaning out. I figure I may not be able to prevent sickness from creeping in my house; but I can prevent my house from being sick with clutter. I've been convicted: we have entirely too much junk stuff. I'm sick of it!

Too many clothes. Too many frames. Too many books. Too many things that should have been thrown out, given away, sold, whatever years ago! I'm ready to slide all of it down that slippery slope...instead of me!

I've always had a hard time throwing/giving things away. I come by it naturally. I'm not talking about old mail or old wrapping paper. It's old clothes that I haven't worn in 2 years but just might need next week. It's stuff we bought that we really didn't need...but might. It's the 103rd candle that I just can't give up...even though it's crooked and won't burn right anymore but might. It's all the stuff that I've given or thrown away over the past week that I can't even remember what it was now...but might.

I'm over it.

To date: I've cleaned out Paul's side of the closet (with his help), my side of the closet, most of the shelves in our closet, the hall closet, the coat/suitcase closet, the guest bedroom closet, the junk drawer in the kitchen, and my biggest project to date...

...our storage shed. After I dropped another 4 bags of give-away at Faith Rescue, I came home while the girls were at lunch bunch and spent the fastest hour and a half ever cleaning out. There is a ginormous pile of stuff on the street as I type. It's kinda strange to watch people slow down as they pass your house peering into your trash (it really is trash) wondering if there is anything there they might want. I can assure them; there is not. It's old power tools that the previous owners left that we never bothered to plug in to see if they worked. They don't. Two rabbit cages. No rabbit. Two old dog beds. Not being slept on except by the squirrels. A Christmas tree that paul cut up for firewood. Christmas trees don't make good fire wood. An old shelf, an old screen, too many baskets and plastic flower containers to count...and on and on.

It's liberating.

Sorta like sliding...but the good kind.

Do you remember sliding as a child? I remember how cool I thought the huge, spiral slides were. They looked so tall. I never understood why I didn't fall off. I slid down one with Addie a few weeks ago. Not so tall anymore. I guess it's all about perspective.

I always tended to slide the "correct" way. I mean. It was the rule. You go feet first. And you don't climb back up the slide. You just don't. I was too much of a rule follower.

Addie, on the other hand, not so much:

Get Ready...

Get Set...

Go!!!!

Check out that foot!

Pure joy (as I regain my composure!)

I think it's more fun to slide down head first...as long as you can see where you're going! But that's a whole other post.

Happy Wednesday!