WOW has this been a busy couple of weeks! I’m typing this much later than I usually
would get to it, because MY KIDS ARE GROWING UP!!! Princess Cheerio just turned one this week! ONE!
And Cheerio Champ turned five last week!
We’re planning a big party this weekend, we had family pictures taken
yesterday, we hosted an Easter brunch at our place last weekend, there was a
lot of spring cleaning, and etcetera! Thus,
last minute post. I’m doing good to have
remembered to post at all…
Cleaning! I’m not sure
I know what that even is! I feel like my
house has been in desperate need of a cleaning since I was pregnant with my
first. I found out the hard way that my
husband has way looser standards of what “clean” is than I. (Rinsing out a bowl to use a second time a
day later is NOT clean, man! What is
WRONG with you??!) He works full time,
so he doesn’t have the “time” to spend on chores that I “do”. (“apparently”
I feel like “using” “quotations”
all the “”time””?)” He cleans when he’s
feeling charitable, so I try to keep him happy.
(Is that so wrong?!)
My house is in a state of flux at all times. Its clutter and cleanliness are directly
reflective of my inner state of mind at any given time. If the front of the house looks great, I’m
putting on a face for the world, but you can bet the bedroom is full of things
to sort through and organize. Hey! I just sorted through some inner demons! Time to tackle that closet!
I try to keep up with the day to day things and at least not
make a bigger mess of things, though I’m finding that harder and harder the
more mobile Princess Cheerio gets. She
likes to pull all the books off the bookshelves and eat them. Literally EAT them, like a literal adorable
bookworm. I’m not sure that is the
healthiest thing on the planet, so I try to discourage that if at all
possible. But, I digress. Cleaning up after the kids 1,048,209,034,403
times a day is not helping me catch-up on backlogged chores. Also, homeschooling and exercise dips into
that time drastically, and errands, not to mention actually spending time with
my family!
I read a tip once that helps. Let’s say you are in your living room, but
you need to get your kiddo a cup of water.
On your way to the kitchen, you can grab a cup someone left on the coffee
table and rinse it out as you get your kid his juice. When you head back to the living room, you
have the juice, but you can also take that magazine that came in the mail to
the coffee table. See where I’m going
with this? It works, but I have one issue: I easily get sidetracked and find myself
leaving jobs half-finished or starting a project that is just not very high on
the priority list. (Yeah! What a great time to scrub the faucet! My face sure looks funny like that!) Two hours of cleaning = zero complete
projects. “Hi honey! What did you do today?” “…I don’t know…”
Don’t believe all the tips though. I read a tip that suggested not
procrastinating anything that takes less than 30 seconds to complete. That sounds reasonable and is all good and
fine if it’s a toilet paper roll on a holder, but 30 seconds is an eternity in
tot time. Tot time, by the way, is the
term for the amount of time that passes when you are not actively watching your
child. (Yes. Coined by me.
I’m allowed to do that. I’m a
blogger. Please don’t try this at
home….unless you’re a blogger.) You know
the feeling. “Kids are playing
nicely. Awesome! Time to pee!”
*sits down* CRASH! *gasp*
“WHAT WAS THAT??!” THAT was a tot
second. 30 seconds five times in a row
lands you some dead kids. That’s all I’m
saying.
In a perfect world, I have assigned each family member (who
is old enough) chores per day, leaving chores on their chore towers when they
haven’t been finished. We flip them when
they are completed. Here’s the schedule:
Sunday:
- Hubby-take out trash, wash dishes with wifey (no. He doesn’t call me this, thankfully), dust mop floors (we have hardwoods), bathroom surfaces (main bathroom)
- Myself-bathroom surfaces (master bath), wash laundry, wash dishes with hubby, sweep and mop bedrooms and hall, wash towels
- Cheerio Champ-make bed, clean room, help sort laundry
Monday:
- Hubby-clean toilet (main bathroom)
- Myself-clean toilet (master bathroom), wash laundry, wash dishes, dust mop
- Cheerio Champ-make bed, help sort laundry
Tuesday:
- Hubby-take out trash, clean bathtub and shower (main bathroom), wash dishes, clean out van
- Myself-clean shower (master bathroom), wash laundry, dust mop
- Cheerio Champ-make bed, help sort laundry
Wednesday:
- Hubby-day off
- Myself-wash towels, wash laundry, wash dishes, dust mop
- Cheerio Champ-make bed, help sort laundry
Thursday:
- Hubby-take out trash, wash dishes, mow lawn (though not in the winter, obviously)
- Myself-take out recyclables, wash laundry, dust mop, wash Princess Cheerios’ bedding
- Cheerio Champ-dust, make bed, help sort laundry
Friday:
- Hubby-take trash cans to curb, sweep and mop dining room
- Myself-wash Cheerio Champ’s bedding, wash laundry, wash dishes, dust mop
- Cheerio Champ-take sheets off bed, help sort laundry
Saturday:
·
Hubby-wash dishes, sweep and mop kitchen,
laundry room, living room
·
Myself-wash laundry, wash my bedding, dust mop
We have monthly chores on a checklist that we try and
usually fail to keep up with. I remake
the list each month. Trees hate me like
that.
Like I said: that’s
the run down in a perfect world.
Usually, I run out of time in my day or collapse in utter exhaustion
before it gets completely finished. Or
throw a tantrum. That happens
occasionally. Okay, frequently. FINE!
Every afternoon. Get off me! If something disgusts me enough, or if I know
company is coming, I clean. This is why
cleaning businesses do so well. I would
be putting people out of their jobs if I cleaned! They have mouths to feed! I guess that implies that I’d hire them. I’m too embarrassed to invite them
inside! My house is a mess…
How do you do it all, moms?
What about you, dads? Any
advice? Stories from the trenches? Cleaning company recommendations? Leslie will have her say on Saturday, and we
will have a fine new topic in the week following. Good night! Zzz
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