Since I have been very lazy about blogging for the past few months, I am going to make it up by blogging excessively during this long weekend. (It is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada).
My latest aspiration comes from reading a book that has a character who is a Portugese immigrant woman, single mother of three children, one of which has a brain tumour that is recovering well. This woman has time to keep her house spotless, and paint her toenails pink fuchsia, and date a married man back in Portugal. Married affair aside, I would like to (for once) have a spotless house.
Hm. I forgot one small detail. She did not work.
Anyway, I am trying to figure out how to increase the amount of sparkle on my floors, kitchen sink, and oven, as well as vacuuming more often. I have a cleaning lady who comes once a week and does the floors, the bathrooms, and vacuums a bit. She does not dust or do laundry. My day's chores go something like this: in the morning, empty the dishwasher, make breakfast and clean afterwards (including the floor if Emma eats by herself), sweeping around the birds' cages, folding the laundry from the dryer and changing the sheets (every other day or so), washing two more loads (one whites, one coloured) and getting lunch started. Then I play with Emma a bit, we bathe and take a nap on the clean sheets. When we wake up, we have lunch, clean up afterwards, and go to babysitter/work.
When I come back, we go shopping if we need anything (twice a week) and make dinner, which usually creates a huge mess as Emma wants to help me. I have to cut things on the floor, and let her play with the chopped vegetables. It pays off though, as every time I am busy doing something like sweeping or brushing the carpet, she grabs her own item of cleaning (a small broom, or a sponge) and starts "helping out". It is so cute to see how she wants to be involved.
At night we load the dishwasher and the washing machine/dryer, and MrH cleans up after dinner (dishes, floor, Emma's high chair), while I wipe the counter in the bathroom.
Any stories of how cleaning goes in your house would be appreciated.
I figure anyone who has a "sparkling" clean house can't be trusted. I think it is more important to have fun and enjoy your children and live in a relatively clean environment. That list of activities tired me just reading it. I think you are doing a great job.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather be outside so the house gets sidelined all the time! I usually do the same though for morning routine and try to get things somewhat under control and then for a half hour to hour after kids are to bed I like to run around and try to get one thing off my list and do a tad more organizing....but really I'd rather rake leaves, garden, go for a java, or well anything but clean. So if you ever want to be made to feel great about your place just pop over for a cupa! LOL
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