I'm not sure why I feel like writing this, maybe it's because of other blogs I've read or maybe it's because I want to complain...to myself or maybe it's just because I want to remember...writing this with the hope that it won't always be this way.
I've found a saying on a website recently
"Good Moms
Have sticky floors
Dirty ovens and
Happy kids."
Now, I do agree with this not only because my oven is dirty and my kitchen floor tends to be sticky for 3-4 days out of the week, but because I understand the meaning behind it. It's better to let your house go a little to spend the time to invest in your kids. But can't good moms have clean ovens, clean floors and still manage to have happy kids?
I'd like to think so, in fact I hope so.
My reality is that my house is most of the time not as clean as I'd like it to be. I try to keep it clean, but with 5 kids all under 10 it can seem an impossible task at times. I mean I can't even make my bed in the morning without being interrupted, so you can imagine how easy it is to get an actual room cleaned. Yeah, and my small kids are amazingly good at undoing whatever it is I've cleaned in a fraction of the time it took me to clean.
I would love nothing more for my house to be company ready all the time, but that is not my reality. Will it be someday, I hope so...maybe not always company ready but at least to the point where I don't have to fear my guests feet will stick to my floor. :)
Aside from wanting my house to be ready for surprise visitors, which will take a while since my house is visitor ready for maybe, 30 second intervals I really do enjoy having my house clean. I feel more relaxed when my house is clean. I don't feel guilty checking my email or facebook when my house is clean...I just enjoy it.
I know some people would say, you have 5 kids put them to work. We do. It's not always easy to get them to finish or even start the task you've asked them to...like cleaning their room (that requires a post all on it's own). I think a lot of it is the ages of our kids and the fact that between school and life we're busy.
I don't know if any of this is making sense? I,surprise, surprise have been interrupted while typing this.
My hope is that one day my house will stay clean for longer then 30 second intervals and also be organized (again, needs it's own post) but for now my reality can be summed up by something a friend of mine once said.
"Cleaning with small children is like trying to nail jello to a tree."
