Our Freedom is Almost Here! Yeah!

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Kitchen before – with chocolate paint on everything

I don’t feel like waking boys up this morning. Yes, they have been sleeping past wake up time for many weeks now, but 8 am is still the official wake up time for most of the boys. I think the whole move has been wearing on all of us, though earlier this week, when things were getting frustrating, I realized I was getting just a taste (albeit a very tiny taste) of what our ancestors were go through in Mitzrayim (Egypt.) I am so needing my “freedom” and I am more than ready to start doing what I want to do, namely, have a schedule with the boys and get back to our schooling.

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New brighter colors makes it look happy and bright and large!

Over the past month, I have been unpacking boxes, putting away, unpacking more boxes, putting more away, thinking the house was looking neater only to have to dismantle everything so that we can put in better storage containers and shelving and turning around and finding things worse. But, Baruch Hashem, I think we are about there. I didn’t have time to organize like I wanted as I was putting away, Pesach was coming and we needed to empty as many boxes as we could. I think we are down to about 2 boxes that have not been looked through at all, 2 that are “storage” for now, and 2 boxes of papers that are almost all trash but need to be gone through to pull out the few that are needed.

The painting we wanted done for now is finished, as well as the fixes and tiny remodeling that we ended up having to do. The kitchen fridge and freezer just need a quick wipe through again and one bedroom upstairs needs to be finished. After about 100 loads of laundry (well, just kidding, but I’m sure I did at least 15 so far this week with 1-2 small loads from the last day or so of clothes) I am about there. I don’t normally have this many loads the week before Pesach, just somehow it worked out that way this year.

KIMG0173I have not been able to learn about the Yom Tov with my boys very much this year. Occasionally it happens when life happens and I am unable to teach like I want, so I try to just add in little tidbits here and there while cleaning or eating or yelling from frustration as the lack of a schedule is really getting to all of us. It is a good time to put on the Pesach CD and say yes to Mr. Little when he asks for it again, and again, and again. Chabad.org has a 45 minute video of the story of Pesach and we watched that over the course of 2 lunches. So, they really are learning, just maybe not quite like I want them to, however, I find for myself that sometimes throwing out little tidbits and short D’var Torahs can be just as effective as sitting down and learning. The older boys know more than the basics right now and I think the cleaning and the tidbits are what they need. It is Mr. Little that needs a little bit more, so when we pulled out the Pesach box and he found his haggadah we made a few years ago, IKIMG0095 made sure to sit down with him and we went through it again, together. He loves singing, so I sing along with him during the day and while he is getting ready for bed. So, perhaps things are not so bad. He came and told me last night that he was just too excited. I told him that Pesach was almost here and that is probably why. No, that was not all, he was just too excited and he was not sure why. I can’t complain!

Unfortunately, not all the boys feel quite the same way, but that is one good thing about homeschooling. The boys are home with me and that gives me ample opportunities to talk to them and try to help them. It is not regulated to just after school or right before bed. We have done many errands to Home Depot and I can probably drive there with my eyes closed by now, but that just gives me time to take a boy or two and get them out and about. (And who every came up with the idea of making RED paint rags?!?!?! Do not buy them for one might want to save money and be a little bit environmentally friendly and reuse the rags. Said rags might end up in a white wash accidentally (more than once) and turn WHITES into PINKS. Which is okay if you have girls, but my boys do not appreciate pink underwear, socks and Shabbos shirts…. Just saying….and bleach does not take it out….The red dye gets on everything once they are just a little bit wet – walls, floors, everything, so you can’t use them for cleaning really anyways.)

Cleaning for chometz in the bedroom.
Cleaning for chometz in the bedroom.

Earlier this week I took three with me to store with red paint cloths (I did NOT buy more but found more pink socks and underwear this morning, thought I actually washed all the red cloths already, guess not, maybe I need to just throw them out?) and while we were waiting for our order to be filled (we placed the order online and I went in to pick it up,) all three of them bought themselves tools. It has been very nice for I have had boys put the Ikea furniture together and they just took out their toolboxes and went to work. Another boy was excited for he had a screwdriver set and has been busy taking apart everything he can get his hands on, provided I do not see and grab it away. But it is all good.

I guess it is time for the last hurrah and I need to get some beautiful boys up so they can finish my van and the garage. We are almost there, I think all of us are really excited about it, for after this our moving is basically completed. It just took about 7 months, but I will take 7 months over 210 years. Hoping to have only one more move left, when Moshiach comes, and even if he comes now, I will gladly pick up and move again. But, until then, we are hoping this is it.

Wishing everyone a Chag Kasher V’Sameach, and freedom from your own slavery.
Kol tuv,
Rivkah