I started cleaning out my office, aka The Library. It’s a major project due to months of neglect and me being too busy to do it. Now I’m finding it hard to find what I need, like my often-used three-holed punch, and pack of index cards, so it’s time I ignore Twitter instead and organize. I’ve implemented a new strategy for teaching the three big ones, adding subjects for Susan, 10, my eldest child. Kitchen transformation crawling due to Doc returning to his real job.

Even my Dell got a tidying. I’d be onto my third cup of coffee before it was ready to come out to play in the morning. Ran Spybot and Registry Fix as per Doc’s instructions, because he knows way more than I about computers. I just want to turn it on and start typing or Twittering or deleting email (Note to self: do something about email, maybe cut a few Yahoo! groups, you wade through too much, Monica).

So that’s what I’ve been doing the first week of the year. All that and Toddler Wrangling. Lucy gets away with more mischief than the bigger three ever did. Back then, when they were little, and I was more of a control freak and paranoid they would chug candy flavored medicine like sweet soda (Oops. One of them actually did), I employed baby gates to prevent them from escaping into No-Toddlers-Allowed Land.

Now with older kids home all day, Lucy has full access to the kid’s bathroom so she can play in the sink with the toothpaste, soap and various other fun playthings.

And can I just share with you something gross? You with perfect children or are easily offended may need to skip this paragraph. She wipes her little bottom on the hand towel kept on the counter top. I’m pleased she’s into bodily cleanliness, but this fanny wiping with the towel meant for clean hands has got to stop.

She’ll be four in April, so Lord willing (please, God!), she’ll outgrow her aversion to toilet paper soon. At least all this is happening in the kid’s bath and not the Master Bath. No, sir. My bathroom is reserved for playing with mommy’s make up or squirelling away the shiny rings mommy leaves next to the sink. Again, I’m hoping/praying/crossing my fingers she gets it together soon because I’m out of practice when it comes to micromanaging a little one. I’ve been spoiled with the bigguns. With them I only have to make sure they don’t burn the house down trying to cook microwave popcorn in a toaster oven.