I Live By My Cleaning Schedule

I really don't, that's just a big lie. I used to though. I used to love to clean. And actually, I guess I still love to do the actual cleaning, and I love the end result, but somewhere between the time I first got married and now, it has lost some of its... Satisfaction? Draw? Sparkle and shine?

I feel like I never actually get to enjoy the end result because there's always 1 or 2 (or 3... Or 4...) kids in my wake making a bigger mess than was there before. I kind of blew up on Saturday while I was cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast, and not 5 minutes after I had started the dishwasher, someone came walking in wanting a snack. Seriously?! No.... Seriously?!?

It cracks me up that when I had 1, and even just 2 kids, I had a rigid cleaning schedule. Nothing else was to be done on my cleaning day. Except cleaning.

Then Daphne came along, and I was working part time, and it slipped a little. It always got done, but maybe later at night when the kiddos were in bed.

Then Bear... And finally Magnus arrived and I'm like, What? So there's a ring around the bathtub... So what? I'll get to it when I get to it. Take a shower instead. Or, What? So there's dust an inch thick on the TV and you can't see what you're watching? You shouldn't be watching tv anyway, either go outside and play, or dust the tv yourself :)

Sometimes, I invite friends over for dinner just so I know I will clean my house from top to bottom. Then a week later (when it's time to clean again) I think, Didn't I just clean?!

At first it stressed me out. My mom is an immaculate housekeeper. I grew up in a house that was always spotless. I finally had to accept the fact that I can't do it all right now, (and I am always left wondering how my mom did it) and I decided that the mess will always be there, waiting to be cleaned.

However, my kids won't be. So, I choose the kids (for now ;) And a semi-sometimes-clean-slightly-strewn-with-toys-and-sometimes-dirty-sticky-smudgy-stuff house. Eh, it works (most of the time)

Plus, look at that face! I'd rather spend time playing with him instead of the broom any day!