Today Taylor and I took naps on the couch for almost the whole day. You would think that I would be refreshed after such a restful day, but instead, I am just as exhausted as before, and annoyed at the general condition of my house. Before bed tonight, I made everyone pick up everything on the floor, because I want to vacuum tomorrow, and I can’t pick up AND vacuum on the same day, because that would require energy that I do not have. I never thought that I would get to the point where I negotiate housework with myself. (This is where all the ladies that have known me over the years fall off their chairs in shock.) This is because I can’t stand dirty houses. I can’t. I can’t even watch TV shows where people’s homes are dirty because they make me crazy and itchy. Cleaning is my love language. It’s why my mom likes when I visit. It’s also why my sister doesn’t like when I visit. I can’t help it. I come, I clean, I feel better. It’s not that I’m passing judgment, it’s just that I’m a really exceptionally quick and thorough cleaning person, because I have mastered that art. And yes, housework is an art.
All homemaking is an art, really.
Getting kids out the door for the bus on time, making sure that snacks and lunches are packed, making sure that everyone’s notes and papers are signed and money is turned in, and hair is combed, and teeth are brushed…. There are hundreds of little things that must be done each morning before 8am. And it’s even harder when your kids are older, because they do things like brush their OWN teeth and pick out their OWN clothes. My kids haven’t figured out that when they give me a kiss in the morning, it’s my secret way of testing whether or not they HAVE actually brushed their teeth, because kids LIE about things like that. They can’t help it, they just have more important things to do in the morning, like eat individual grain of oatmeal on it’s own. It’s just what they DO you see.
The crazy thing about the housework is that I had just figured out the best way to clean this house. You know that every time you move, the hardest part is figuring out the best way to divide up the household chores. Especially if there are certain physical limitations placed on anyone. For example, not everyone can carry laundry up and down flights of stairs. Therefore, it becomes an intricate dance involving multiple partners that are as fickle as the wind. And while some people may be able to bring laundry DOWN, this does not mean that they can bring laundry UP. The same goes for groceries. I will rejoice when the bread can consistently be brought up the stairs without getting smooshed. Have you ever tried to unsmoosh a loaf of bread? It’s not exactly easy.
And with that deep thought, I bid you good night.
