Nesting, phase 2

We painted the boys' room, and set it up.  All it lacks is the stars, the flag, and I'd like to hang some things on the wall - like a framed Gettysberg Address and the Declaration or something.  And some quotes from Spirit.
We painted their bathroom, all it needs is a shelf for their stuff, and maybe another towel rack, which I have.

We painted the girls' bathroom, hung the shower curtain.  It needs a shelf, more towel racks, and some rugs (I guess the boys could use rugs too).

We painted the nursery, needs the recliner taken up there, pictures hung, coats removed, baby bedding in place.

We painted my bathroom, needs a mirror hung and some storage help.  And I'd like a big picture of lilacs to hang above my bathtub.

That might be all we do right now.  My blood pressure is starting to climb, so unless I can enlist some big kid or husband help, I don't know if the other painting projects will happen anytime soon.  Oh well.  I am immensely pleased with the progress so far.  Now we have to clean up the mess. 

The other things I am giving my attention to are school prep and food storage.

School prep is mostly spitting in the wind, but it means coming up with chore assignments and charts for at least September, daily schedules (because most days will be more different than similar, and not the same for each kid), and a plan for my time - how to get through the day and get it all done and feed all the humans and not die.  We got our standardized test results back and the truth revealed therein is that I need to do more one on one with everybody, less delegating.  This will require a plan.  A loose plan, adjusted frequently, but a plan none the less.

Food storage is because we are anticipating hard times.  There is a drought.  Things are dying everywhere (including my dogwood, sigh).  Prices will go up.  Anything I can afford to buy and have room to store, I need to do it.  It is also easier when school starts to have small grocery lists and have much of what we need on hand. 

I'm also thinking about how to say, politely and thankfully, something like this:

Dear people bringing meals, you may or may not have noticed that the new mother has lost about 60 lbs in the last year.  Please do not bring your most delicious fattening comfort foods to reverse her efforts.  Also, she does not eat sugar (or sugar substitutes), so feel free to omit dessert, or just bring fruit, or simply bring enough for Dad and the kids to have one portion, but not lots and lots, no gallon sized vats of Death by Chocolate.  Finally, we know that providing food for such a large family is overwhelming, and that most people think of pasta dishes, but please also consider doing a salad (without fruit or sweet dressing) or soup or perhaps some breakfast muffins or something like that.  Thank you very much.

I'm not sleeping well - so hot and so active mind.  As usual, I am overwhelmed with the pre-baby suspense - when and how and how will I know.  I don't have the option of just knowing how everything will turn out, it never works the way I think it will anyway, so I have to put my effort toward trusting the Knitter of Babies to bring this one forth in His time and way. 

So much advice, so many opinions, but in the end, I just have to hide in Him.