Rocks In My Dryer

Works For Me: Babysitter Instructions

I keep a typed (in bold colors), laminated list on my desk.  The paper is entitled Babysitter Information, and on it is every phone number imaginable for any sitters who come to our house.  It includes our home number, both our cell phone numbers and Hubs' office number.  It contains our home address (at the very top, to give to a 9-1-1 operator, *shudder*), and the phone numbers of all our neighbors and nearby friends, as well as grandparents (none of whom live in our city).   That way, when I'm leaving in a hurry (which I always am whenever I hire a sitter, for some reason), I don't have to write it all out each time.  I feel confident knowing our sitter has access to so many numbers, should she need them (which, incidentally, she never has). 

If you'd like to share an idea for Works-For-Me Wednesday, enter your link below.  Please give the link directly to your WFMW post, not to the front page of your blog. 

Complete WFMW guidelines, if you need them, are here.

While you're out and about, don't miss the Carnival of Kid Comedy over at Life in a Shoe!

Memory

We're crankin' up the memory juice around the Dryer house this summer.  I figure my kids better make good use of their fresh, young brains before, like me, they forget what month it is.  We have a list of things I am determined the boys will memorize during these hot and hazy days.  Here it is:

• The books of the Bible (in order, of course).
• The names of Jesus' disciples.
• The names of the US presidents, again, in order.  I've actually promised $5 to the person who accomplishes this first.  Encouraging sibling rivalry?  Yes, we pretty much use whatever tools we have around here.
• Philippians 2:6-11.  The whole family is memorizing this together.
• The words to REM's "It's The End of the World As We Know It".  Just because we like head-banging to that song in the mini-van and we're all tired of singing "la-dee-da-dee-la..." during the fast parts.

Any interesting summertime goals in your house?

See you back here tomorrow for Works-For-Me Wednesday!

The Tree

My good friend Chilihead is starting a clever new series, "Monday Memories".  Go check it out and consider dusting of your own memories to share today.  Here's my contribution...

I was blessed to grow up in the same hometown as my paternal grandparents.  They lived on a large, wooded patch of land, and a stream meandered right through the middle of their property and under a little bridge halfway down their driveway.  I remember, as a child, thinking there could surely be nothing as magical as having your very own stream.  My brother, cousins and I spent so much time there, jumping across it (and occasionally landing in it), racing leaves and sticks down it, and the most daring of us (not me) actually crawled under the dark tunnel created by the bridge.

But my favorite memory of my grandparents' little stream is a remarkable tree that grew out of its banks.  The base of the tree actually grew sideways out of the bank for about two feet, then the trunk shot straight up, forming a perfect "L".  And forming a perfect ledge for a young girl to sit on while swinging her legs over the creek below.

On playful days, it was a perfect perch for watching "leaf races"--we sailed them right under the tree.  On quieter days, the tree grew at a perfect angle to allow an imaginative child to lean back, close her eyes, and think of things as equally magical as a sideways-growing tree.  I'm quite sure that some of my best thoughts were thought sitting right there.

My grandparents are no longer with us, and that tree is owned by someone else.  Owned by someone else, but I like to think it still belongs to me.  I still go there, in my mind, when I need a place to breathe and think quiet thoughts.  And in my mind, I dangle my seven-year-old legs over the side, or I rest my twelve-year-old head against the sturdy trunk--because in remembering that tree, I remember the girl I was there.

Sum-Sum-Summertime

And so it begins.

Tuesday [insert dramatic swell of organ music] was the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.  I'm truly excited to have my kids home, and out of the rat race, for three whole months.  I have the best of intentions for some structured activities, and plenty of R & R, as well.  I'm praying for a peaceful summer, with miraculously little bickering, utter consistency on my part, and cheerful cooperation from my kids.  That's reasonable, isn't it?

In all seriousness, last summer was a struggle for me, physically, spiritually and mentally (and here is where I pause to acknowledge that you wonderful homeschool moms are probably shaking your head to think that one short summer overwhelms me.  My hat is off to you.).  Last summer I found myself impatient, irritable and generally un-focused as a mother.  This summer, I'm determined, will NOT be a repeat.  I'm going to trim back--just a bit--my time spent blogging.  My focus belongs on my kids, and on my own sometimes-crabby heart!  Don't worry--Works-For-Me Wednesday isn't going anywhere. 

So here's to summer fun, pillow fights, tents in the living room, skinned knees, hair full of chlorine, bags full of library books, and the grace for this mom's heart to handle it with patience and humor.  I'm ready! 

******

On a totally different note, to those of you out there who watch the show Lost--feel like dishing about the show last night?  I PROMISE, non-Losties, I won't turn this into a Lost blog, but it was the season finale.  Big stuff.  *SPOILER AHEAD, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT*  Here's what I'm left wondering (among a bazillion other things, of course):

• Is Desmond dead?  And oh-my-gosh WHAT is the deal with his old fiance...remember earlier in the show when she said, "If you have enough money and determination you can find anyone?"  Has she been looking for him all this time?  And I'm wondering now if her wealthy father is somehow deeply involved with this whole thing.  Could he be a Hanso guy?
• And LIBBY met Desmond in a flashback.  What the heck?  Maybe, just maybe, we're going to find out about the back-story of Libby in the mental institution, after all. 
• What was that "knowing look" that passed between Jack and Kate right before the Others slipped the hoods on?  Was it "I love you"?  Or maybe "Let's go kick some Other hiney"? 
• And was it just me, or was Charlie acting a little strange in his last scene with Claire?  Why was he being evasive about what happened in the hatch?
• Let me just go on record here as saying that you KNOW Sayid is going to swoop in and save the day, freeing Jack, Kate and Sawyer and wiping that annoying smirk off Henry's face.  Sayid always saves the day.  I love him.  He may be the most under-rated character on that show.

It will be a looooong summer waiting for answers, my friends. 

Works For Me: "Mom, I'm Bored"

Over the last few days, my kids and I have been working on what we call our "Mom, I'm Bored" List.  Now that summer is here, and our family rules require that no one is allowed to look at any screens (TV, computer, video games) between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm, I wanted to make sure the kids felt empowered to give me some peace and quiet entertain themselves. 

Basically, I had the kids list everything (non-screen-related) they could think of to do.  Now, when they're tempted to use the B-Word with me this summer (you know, the B-word..."bored"...what did you think I meant?) I can point them directly to the list.   And they have had so much fun coming up with ideas..  I told them to get as specific as possible, and they did!  They listed separately every board game we own, and items such as "play pirates", "play super-heroes" and "play cowboys" each got their own line-item on the list. 

Now, on to Mr. Linky...

Though it does my heart more good than you can imagine to get upwards of 75 comments on Wednesdays, I was starting to develop arm cramps from cutting and pasting all your great links.  So I'm going to try out Mr. Linky this week...instructions should be pretty self-explanatory when you look at it below.  (A giant thank-you to Carol for walking me through this--twice--over the phone).  Please, LINK DIRECTLY TO YOUR WFMW POST, NOT THE FRONT PAGE OF YOUR BLOG.  This way people will be able to find your idea more easily.  Let's give this a try...

"Look, Ma, No Speech Delay!"

Thank you for your words of encouragement yesterday reassuring me about my daughter's lack of talking.  We had her evaluated by the speech pathologist yesterday afternoon, and I thought I'd let you know how it went.  You are going to think I'm exaggerating this story for comic effect.  I'm really not.

First, I should explain that we were having Corrie evaluated through a state program called Sooner Start.  It is an impressive program that provides developmental assessments (and therapy, if needed) to any child in the state of Oklahoma between birth and age three.  It is completely free to any resident, regardless of income or insurance situation.  Even more remarkably, all tests and therapy are done in the child's home.  [Let us pause and have a moment of stunned silence over a goverment program that is actually a good idea.]

So the appointment time arrived, and at my front door appear a speech pathologist, two child develpmental specialists, and a social worker.  They were pulling out all the stops.  We all sat on the floor with Corrie, and these women spread out all their paperwork, toys, etc.  Corrie was giddy with joy when she realized--very quickly--that she was going to be the center of attention at this little shin-dig.

I thanked the women profusely for coming and apologized ahead of time if I was just an overly-worried mother.  I ever-so-subtly reminded them that Corrie is my fourth child (read: "I know what I'm doing"), and I wouldn't have consulted them unless I were truly concerned.  "It's not that she has few words," I explained, "it's that she has NONE.  Not a one.  Not even mama--just no words."   I'm so glad I really stressed that last part, so that I could be nice and set-up for what was coming next.

The evaluation began, with the therapists employing all sorts of little games and tests.  Corrie was delighted--fully engaged and in total "performance" mode.  And guess what my little performer decided?  That now would be a good time to start speaking.  To every question they asked her, she happily responded, "Yeah!"  Three times they handed her something and she said, "Thank you."  When she successfully completed a couple of games, she proclaimed, "Did it!" And at one point she handed a toy to the speech therapist and said, "Take it." 

And I sat there trying desperately to look like a mom who knows what she's doing, all the while praying that the floor would open up and swallow me. 

Needless to say, Corrie's test results were such that she isn't "delayed enough" to qualify for therapy.  Actually, her test results were such that she isn't delayed at all.  Is it possible that she has been subtly using these words for a while and I had just somehow missed it?  Yes.  Or could she have been just unusually stimulated by all the excitement, and made dramatic leaps forward in her speech?  It's possible.

Or, could that little stinker have been sitting up in her crib during her nap time, rubbing those chubby little hands together and thinking, "Now this is gonna be fun..."?

She Who Does Not Speak

My sweet little Corrie--that adorable little tubby, huggy, pigtailed, blue-eyed, oh-so-stubborn, 18-month-old doll of mine.  She jabbers all day long in the unintelligible language of a one year old, complete with hand gestures and voice inflections, but she does not say any "real" words.  Not ONE.  Not even "mama".  In fact, the more I try to get her to try a word--any word--the farther that little chin juts out in try-and-make-me defiance.  She will take off on a 2-minute diatribe of Corrie-Speak, finish, look at me for a response, and laugh hysterically when I say, "Oh, really?" or "Sure!"  There is no telling what I'm agreeing to.  She's probably saying, "Hey Mom, when I'm 16, may I ride to California on the back of a motorcycle driven by a guy with a nose ring?"

So this is your chance, Blog World, to jump in and tell me I have no reason to be concerned that my 18 month old isn't speaking--NOT A WORD--yet (pretty please?  Reassure me!).  I've had her hearing tested, and later this afternoon--at the recommendation of our pediatrician--we're having her evaluated by a speech pathologist.  I totally expect that after five minutes with Corrie, the speech pathologist will look at me and say, "Mrs. Dryer, your daughter is not developmentally delayed, she is simply as stubborn as a two-headed mule."

Ah yes, but she is MY two-headed mule, with blonde pigtails.  I love that girl.

My good buddy Chilihead is starting a new weekly series today, "Memory Monday".  Go by and check it out, and dust off some of those memories to share with everyone.

Huh?

Stephen's newest musical fascination is with '80's classic rock, and he's been walking around singing "I love rock 'n roll / so put another dime in the jukebox, baby..."  (I ask you, what God-fearing woman wouldn't swell with pride to have her first-grade son singing Joan Jett and the Blackhearts?)

But five-year-old Joseph, desperate to emulate his adored big brother, doesn't quite get the words.  At the grocery store this week I heard him singing under his breath, "I love rotten trolls..."

It's a Funny Place, This Blogosphere *UPDATED*

Today I passed that most important of blogging milestones (insert drumroll), in which I met--real live, in-the-flesh--some blogging buddies.  Sisters Megan (Half Pint House) and Michelle (This One's For the Girls) were in my city visiting their parents, and they graciously invited my long-time friend Chilihead and me to join them for coffee.  I will confess, going into it, I felt a little like a 16-year-old girl preparing for a blind date.  Would we have anything to talk about?  What if I seemed less "clever" in person than I do in writing?  And immediately, of course, my fears were allayed, when the four of us began and chatting and laughing like old friends.  We talked about our kids and our husbands, our hometowns and our future plans.  We shared the struggle that comes with making schooling decisions for our kids, and we talked with warm affection about many of our "mutual friends" in the blogging community.  After the time passed all too quickly, we parted with the promise of meeting again when they come back to our city.

And I'm left to wonder, as I have so many times before, what it is about this wild blogosphere that seems to foster deep friendships so quickly.  Is it because we can reveal what's really in our hearts and discover--at our very first "encounter"--that the deepest parts of our hearts share similar yearnings and insecurities?  Is it because we can push so quickly past the how-are-you's and find out what really makes another person tick?

I don't fully understand it, but that doesn't matter.  What does matter is that in the short seven months I've been writing a blog, I have developed some powerfully rich friendships--friendships I fully expect to maintain for the rest of my life.  So to you dear bloggin' friends of mine near and far, north and south, east and west and in the middle, long-time and newly-found, funny and serious, joyful and quiet, encouraging and convicting, moms of many and moms of one, pregnant moms and empty nesters, (and all the rest of you I simply ran out of time to list), I say thank you for making my world a bigger and better place.

I'll leave you with the picture of our morning meeting.  Left to right, Michelle, the famously anonymous Chilihead, Megan and me.  And the most adorable little pig-tailed head in the front belongs to my Corrie. 

And you girls meeting in Idaho this weekend, I'll be with you in spirit, wishing I was there in person! 

*UPDATED TO ADD:  Speaking of loving each other across miles of computer wires, my sweet friend MomRN2 is undergoing a very hard struggle with her daughter right now.  Their whole family needs our prayers.  If you have time, would you stop by to encourage her, and most of all, to pray?

Feed the Birds

In effort (I suppose) to accumlate as much bird poop as possible on our patio, we are doing what we can to attract birds to our backyard this spring.  Here's what we're doing:

First, Adam constructed this clever little bird feeder at a Cub Scout meeting.  It's made simply of the bottom portion of a 2-liter coke bottle and string, with birdseed inside:

 

Next, following the advice of a book Stephen brought home from the library, we cut out pieces of yarn and put it out in our bushes.  According to the book, the birds will come take the yarn for their nests, so we expect to be finding pieces of it scattered around our yard for years to come!

And there, my friends, is my nature-friendly effort for the spring.  Enjoy.  Now, we resume our regularly-scheduled mass consumption of styrofoam cups, disposable diapers and batteries.   

Works For Me: Closet Curtains

I have a couple of rooms in my house that have awkwardly-placed closets.  In both rooms, opening the closet doors was tricky, causing us to bang into furniture or other doors.  So I took down the doors and made curtains for those closet openings--problem solved!  And it actually looks pretty cute.  Here are the examples:

In my daughter's bedroom (behind the curtain there is a gate up to keep her from destroying her closet!):

And in the kids' bathroom (the room was so small I couldn't even get a full-length shot of the curtain, but you get the idea):

Really, you don't have to be able to sew to do this--you could even do it by hand if you don't have a machine.  It's just a giant rectangle with a foldover at the top to slip in a spring-loaded cafe curtain rod.  Just make the width of it roughly 75% wider than the width of the doorway, and you're in business. 

Do you have an idea that works for you?  Let me know if you post one, and I'll link to you below.  Those of you without blogs are welcome to leave your own idea in my comment section!

OTHER WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY PARTICIPANTS

List is updated every couple of hours, so keep checking back!  Also, if you noticed I've messed up (or left out) your link, please e- mail by clicking on my e-mail link (left).  Thanks!

• Monica
• Michelle
• Mary Ann
• Michele
• Kim C
• Jane
• Carol
• Julie
• Nettie
• Jules
• Jenn
• Stephanie
• American Girl
• Jan
• Mary
• Amy
• Rachel
• Peach
• Gabriela
• Lammyann
• Faith
• Shalee
• Megan
• Becky
• Theresa
• Janice
• Julie Carobini
• Christy
• Chilihead
• Barb
• Kim
• Tess
• Traci
• Courtney
• Holly
• Jamie
• Mary
• Sandra
• Stephanie
• Katherine
• itybtyfrog
• Melnel
• Rabbit
• Rebecca
• Jodi
• Julie
• The Family CEO
• HolyMama!
• Tina
• Minnie
• Brenda
• ABCMomma
• Maria
• Kathryn Judson
• Amy
• Gina
• Jeana
• Mom2fur
• Lolly
• Shannon Miller

A...B...C...D...E...F...G...

Gearing up for Works-For-Me Wednesday saps all my brain power, so how about another meme?I am just so tickled to be tagged by the funny and fabulous Jeana, I had to play along.  So here we go, two memes in one week--probably more information about me than you ever wanted to know...

Accent: Southern, with a side helpin' of hillbilly.

Bible Book that I like: Well of course, Psalms, but doesn't everyone?  I love Romans, too, even though it's a toughy.

Chore that I don’t care for: Cleaning bathrooms.  Any mother who has to deal with little boys and their less-than-perfect "aim" can sympathize.

Dog or Cat: Dog, absolutely.  I've had a dog almost my whole life.  We currently have a sweet little mutt named Ginger.  I'm violently allergic to cats--I swell up like a toad!

Essential Electronics: Tivo.  Hubs had to talk me into it, but now I couldn't live without it.  And my computer, of course.  Actually not much of a cell phone girl, though I like the feeling of security knowing it's there.

Favorite Cologne: Jessica McClintock.

Gold or Silver: Prefer silver or white gold.  My wedding set is yellow gold, though.

Handbag I Carry most often: Diaper bag.  Haven't carried a "real" purse in years.  Can't seem to master the skill of having both a diaper bag AND a purse, so I just throw it all in one big bag.

Insomnia: All the time.  ALLLLLLL the time.  Thank you, Lord, for Ambien.

Job Title: Referee, nutritionist, coach, teacher, nurse, banker, chauffer, recreational coordinator, housekeeper and occasionally jailer to four great kids.

Kids: Three boys:  Adam (8..."almost 9!" he would shout if he were here), Stephen (7), Joseph (5), and a daughter: Corrie (18 months).  And no, those aren't their real names.

Living Arrangements: In a 25-year-old, two story, four-bedroom house in Somewhere, Oklahoma.  I share the space with a husband, four children, a dog, a hermit crab and an excessive amount of clutter.

Most Admirable Trait:   Felt weird answering this about myself, so I asked Hubs.  His answer was my "empathy for others."

Naughtiest childhood behavior: Wasn't particularly naughty as a child.  My parents read this, and I'm sure they could leave some suggestions in the comment section.

Overnight hospital stay: Just four labors and deliveries.  With my last child (Corrie), my water broke at 32 1/2 weeks, and I had to be on bedrest in the hospital for 10 loooooong days.  Thank goodness for friends who came to visit me and kept me from losing my mind. 

Phobias: Heights and deep water, meaning that flying over the ocean is essentially OUT for me.  Also get a little creeped out driving across super flat, wide-open spaces, like the panhandle of Texas.

Quote: I adore quotes, and one of my most treasured possessions is my "quote book", where I record all my favorites.  I suppose if I had to nail down one favorite it would be by Corrie ten Boom:  "I have learned to hold all things loosely, so that God will not have to pry them out of my hands."  Actually, my favorite quote is anything Corrie ten Boom said, period.  Well, and anything C.S. Lewis said.  Or Elisabeth Elliott.  Okay, basically, I just can't narrow it down.  If there are any other quote lovers out there, I highly recommend this book.

Religion: I'm a Bible-believin', Jesus-lovin', grace-needin', Holy-Spirit-claimin' member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).  But to me the which isn't nearly as important as the Whom.

Siblings: 1 younger brother, who is one of my dearest friends.  Also have two great sisters-in-law (my brother's wife and my husband's sister)

Time I wake up: At the latest possible second.  Usually around 7 or 7:30.  My kids don't have to be at school until almost 9, which works really well for me.

Unusual Talent or skill:  I was a majorette in high school and twirled a fire baton.  And I can read so fast it freaks out my husband.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: Cabbage.  Not wild about green peppers, either.

Worst habit:  Oh my gosh, way too many to count.  Probably poor time-management would be the biggie.  As evidenced by the fact that I'm spending waaaay too much time working on this stupid meme.

X-rays: Mostly just dental.

Yummy stuff I cook: Chicken divan, cornbread and fruit salad.

Zoo animal I like most: Meer Kat.  Hakuna Matata.

I tag anyone who wants to play along!

Do you remember that tomorrow is Works-For-Me Wednesday?  Are you absolutely breathless with anticipation?  Get those good ideas ready and teach us all a thing or two.  Let me know if you participate, and I'll link to you.

Yes, There ARE Still Places Like This

I needed some recharging this weekend, and I got it.  While Hubs was out of town, the kids and I spent a quiet weekend with my parents in my old hometown, in the hills of rural Arkansas (let's call it Mayberry, for good reason.)

My dad grew up there, and my grandfather, and my great-grandfather.  It's a very small town of about 4,000 people--the kind of place where old men hang out at the gas station to drink coffee and everyone in town goes to the Friday night football games.  When I was in college, my dad sent me a copy of the weekly town paper, and one week a "bandit squirrel" causing some property damage made the front page. It's that kind of place.

When I lived there, of course, I couldn't wait to leave.  I thought it was dull and small-minded.  And to be sure, though it's easy to romanticize living in a Mayberry-esque, small, southern town, life isn't as uncomplicated as one might think.  There is little privacy.  My mother tells the story of, when she first moved to Mayberry after marriage, her next-door neighbor came over to compliment her on her lovely new towels.  Towels? my mother wondered, until she realized the neighbor had been inspecting what she was hanging on the clothesline in the backyard.

Now that I no longer live there, it's easier to dwell on my hometown's charm.  As I strolled the streets this weekend, camera in hand (and laughing as passing cars slowed down--I knew I would probably be dinnertime conversation at more than one table as folks discussed who was the strange lady with the camera), I felt the refreshment that can only come from touching our own roots.  I'm not that young girl anymore--I don't want to be.  But something in me just rests when I visit the place where I was completely carefree, not forced to make any decisions or take care of anyone else. 

And so, today, I'm thankful for that little town that used to frustrate me so much.  I'm thankful to  know there's still a place where the beauty parlor is a scene straight out of Steel Magnolias, and a lady taking pictures on the sidewalk is a reason to slow down your car.  Thanks, Mayberry.

Just Tired

I tend to be pretty upbeat on this blog most of the time.  Lest that lead you to think I never get discouraged with the ins and outs of motherhood--and life--please think again.

Lately, I can totally relate to this picture.  Not that I walk around with billowing hair and gown all day--for more accuracy, you'd need to replace the silky gown with grubby sweats, the flowing hair with a short, not-washed-in-two-days 'do, scatter a few Legos and Hot Wheels on the floor and smear some grape jelly on the chair.  But it's a good representation of how I've been feeling on the inside recently.

I'm tired.  Just tired.  Tired of laundry, tired of dishes, tired of permission slips and grocery shopping and diaper changing and bed making and....just tired.  I'm in a rut.  A big, fat, funky RUT.

I love my life.  I really, really do.  There's nothing I would rather do than take care of this family that I adore.  But some moments, do you ever just feel the weight of the responsibilities facing you, and they seem to loom on and on and on into the future and you wonder, "will I still be driving carpool when I'm 80?"  And of course, you won't, but doesn't it sometimes just feel like it?  And then I say things like this, and I think of the mother sitting with her baby in a tent in Sudan and I wonder what on earth I ever think I could complain about.  I feel like an ungrateful wretch, and I feel guily about that, which discourages me more, and....you get the idea.

If there is one thing I've learned in the last few years, it's that God isn't just present at the high points and the low points, He's smack dab in the middle of the doldrums, too.  In the places, like this one, where life just kind of stretches out in a flat, when-will-this-ever change place that isn't exactly painful, but just tedious.

The verse I come back to time and time again--my "banner" verse for this motherhood journey--is Psalm 73:26--

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

I share that verse reluctantly, because I don't want to sound like life is just read-a-psalm-and-everything-will-be-rosy-tomorrow easy.  Chances are I'll wake up tomorrow with the same case of the blahs that I've had these last few weeks.  But you know what?  I'll get up and make breakfast--again.  I'll take the kids to school--again.  I'll drop off the dry cleaning and run to the store and load the dishwasher and fold underwear--again.  And eventually, somehow, the cloud will lift and I'll be back to the place of finding wonder in the things that have me pulling my hair out now.  I know this, because I've seen this rut many times before.  And I'll see it again. 

That's what that Psalm means to me.  When my heart is discontent and disinterested, He gently takes the reins for a while and steers me through the doldrums.  He puts my one foot in front of the other when I just want to curl up for a six-week nap.  And why am I telling you all this?  I'm not sure, really.  Maybe someone out there feels the same way too?  Let's just plug along, friend.

Works For Me: Bunches of Bags

I LOVE bags.  I cannot have enough.  Tote bags, diaper bags, purses, duffel bags...really, it doesn't matter what kind, I just LOVE THEM.  Some time ago I decided to put my ridiculously large bag collection to good use and develop a little system. 

We keep a long row of hooks in our garage, with a label over each hook.  Of course, each child has his/her own hook, for backpack/lunchbox, etc., but I also have a hook and a bag for the following regular "outings":

• soccer
• library
• church
• gym
• swimming
• scouts

Each of these hooks has a corresponding bag that stays ON THAT HOOK, all the time.  If I have a note I need to send with the swim teacher (but lessons are still three days away), I just slip it in the swim bag.  Have library books I need to return next time I head that direction?  I take them out to their bag.  Then the bag goes with us on its particular errand.  Basically, it keeps the neverending flow of paperwork moving OUT of my kitchen into its corresponding bag, ready to be whisked out to its next outing.  Here's a picture of our little set up (and yes, the names have been smudged out to protect my kids' privacy, which stinks, because they have really great REAL names, if I do say so myself):

Alright, now that I go back and look at this picture, I realize this looks like a sloppy mess--but really, it "works for me".   (The ugly brown garage paneling--eh, not so much.)

If you'd like to play along with Works For Me Wednesday, leave me a comment that you're participating on your blog.  I'll link to you below.

**If you're reading this, and you don't have a blog of your own, feel free to leave your own clever idea in my comments section!**

OTHER WORKS-FOR-ME WEDNESDAY PARTICIPANTS:

• Megan
• Barb
• Faith
• Courtney
• Nettie
• Michelle
• Monica
• Kim C
• Mary
• Kim
• Jane
• Lolly
• Gabriela
• Tina
• Laurie
• Jeana
• Holly
• Sandra
• Christy
• Chilihead
• Carrie
• Jules
• Traci
• Maria
• MomRN2
• Carol
• Stephanie
• Shalee
• Lammyann
• Tami
• Tiff
• Amber
• Peach
• Stacey
• Theresa
• Brenda
• Surcie
• Amy
• Meredith
• Katherine
• Shannon
• Kelly Jeanie
• Amber
• The Family CEO
• Jan
• Minnie Hart
• Jamie