While Mom Cleaned

I tried to be proactive. I gave him his own cleaning cloth, a paper towel with Windex, and put his toys away in front of him, in hopes that he would either join me in cleaning, or mess up his toys.

No such luck.

While mom cleaned toothpaste out of the drawer (from what I think was a the-tube-got-caught-in-the-drawer-and-squeezed-out-in-it), Aidan went outside and played in the water. The pants were soaked, and it really became too hot for that outfit anyway.We took a break to swing and slide. While he climbed the playhouse, mom watered the tree. While mom watered the tree, he came down from the playhouse to splash in the mud.

After cleaning off his hands, mom wiped the mud from the counter. Aidan blew out the candle. (Or in his words, "Happy Birthday to you!" which actually sounds more like "Ha Da Day a YOU!")While mom dusted the entertainment center, he found himself a pirate telescope/bugle.While mom cleaned up the paper towels, he dumped out the Bob Books.While mom cleaned up the Bob Books, Aidan found a sword.While mom massaged orange oil into the front door, he hid...in my paint drop box, but at least he's still for the moment.While mom dusted the bookshelf, Aidan turned off the music. Hmmm...the end of the music means pretty much the end of mom's cleaning.

It was just one of those days.

A Place For Everything and Everything In It's Place

This is from Clancy's "Tue Pose A Question" blog, but I started to comment on her question, and it was a big long novel...so, I figured I'd post it over here. Her question was "What do you do to stay on top of things...is there a certain day or time that you clean certain things...etc"

I used to have everything together and in it's place. I have panic attacks about people being in my house if it isn't perfect...and seriously, it's not anywhere near perfect lately, so, yep, I'm basically one big panic attack. As I said in my "random post" #4, I don't have people over enough because I'm too busy focusing on what I have to do "first".
When I had fewer children, I was more on top of things. I loved cleaning. Seriously. I just didn't like people to mess it up. I'm still battling the "people messing it up" part. I can clean and clean all day and the weekend just messes it all up.
I've decided that part of the problem is that everybody wants their stuff out and accessible. Nobody wants to walk to their room to put their stuff away. They all want it in the LR or kitchen.

The only way to stay on top of things is to ENLIST THE WHOLE FAMILY. If everyone leaves their books, toys, socks, shoes all over the house and mom is the only one picking it all up, you are going to lose the battle. In the beginning, it feels like so much less work to just do everything yourself. Trying to get the kids to fold laundry or do dishes or even picking up can seem so frustrating. But...you can't always do it all. Plus, part of our job as parents is to teach our children these basic skills. So, taking the time early on will save time and frustration in the long run.
Kitchen counters are almost sacred to me. I feel smothered if I have cluttered counters. I can't cook in a messy kitchen and HATE papers and toys all over the counter. My wonderful husband and children don't feel the same way. They want the counter to be the place they put everything...and then mom will "take care of it."

To some degree, I like a house to look and feel usable and lived in. I don't want it to be a museum, but I also want everyone to feel comfortable. FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN MUSEUM AND TRASHED...THAT'S LIVED IN.

I checked out flylady a while ago, but it wasn't for me. I liked some of the ideas...vacuuming the "middle of the room" helped me because sometimes, I would get too focused on getting everything picked up before I could vacuum...this helped me to get done whatever was possible. But, some of the structure wasn't something I could do. In my opinion, flylady is good for taking some of the ideas that work for you and ignoring the others. http://www.flylady.net/

So...the things that are most important to me to keep things together...

HOOKS!!! I don't think anyone can have enough hooks. I use not only hook rails, but individual hooks as well, both screw in and self adhesive. The command hooks even have a silver variety now, so they are all over my house. The kids have hooks on the inside of their closet doors, because, let's face it, they aren't going to hang stuff up on a hanger every time. There are hooks on the inside of bedroom doors, on the inside of the coat closet door and also on the wall of the coat closet...kids can't reach the rod, so how are they supposed to hang their backpack and jacket up? They hang it on hooks. We also have silver command hooks on the bathroom doors...clothes, towels, whatever. I use the hook rails on the wall behind the door into the house from the garage....one up high, and one down low.

KEEPING THE KITCHEN COUNTER DECLUTTERED... which means having a file drawer or box, with properly labeled files and a shredder. I'm missing something right now that I had in my last house and I'm getting it very soon...it is essential, in my opinion... "folders" that hang on the wall...either in the office, by the back door, whatever. This is for all the kids papers that we can't file away, can't throw away, can't hang up...

STORAGE AND SHELVES

If something doesn't have a place, it's going to be in the way.

As far as a SCHEDULE for day to day cleaning, I try to tidy daily (or multiple times a day.) When everyone is done getting ready for the day, I want the bathroom counter cleared off...I shove it all back into the cupboards or drawers. I have told the kids that they should never leave the toothpaste out because they should never set it down except back into the drawer...open the drawer, use the toothpaste, put it back in THEN close the drawer. So far, I still have to tell them to put it away, but they do actually remember that sometimes.

Vacuuming in my house is usually Monday morning for sure. I don't usually vacuum on Sunday, so Monday is the day to clean up all the junk off the carpets from the busy weekend. Then, I vacuum the main parts of rooms or entryways as they need it. I vacuum again on Thursday or Friday so that if people are over on the weekend, the carpets are clean.

I sweep daily. With kids, it's pretty much necessary. Dirt, food, crumbs, crayon tips, papers, and who-knows-what-else. Sometimes it's just "spot-sweeping" but it usually just keeps going. I like my broom, but also love my floor duster (this isn't the exact one I have, but similar). It has a wide head, so it goes quickly and picks up everything along the way.

I'm always behind and there is always more to do, but I don't usually feel like I'm drowning in housework. My current focus is getting the wall folders and also entry storage for the back door. When I feel organized, I feel like I can stay on top of things a lot easier and I don't feel like I'm just treading water.

(How's that for a comment on your post...lol)

Manic Monday: Iron

I could just write about how I really love nicely ironed things, I just don't like starch and I don't usually like to do the ironing. That would be about all I would have to say though, so actually, I'll have to share my iron story.
I was probably 12 or 13. (My parents and siblings could probably remember the exact year.) As was the standard for Sunday morning, we were doing our own personal hustling about, trying to not only enjoy the morning with our family, but also get be off to church on time. I didn't really need to iron my whole shirt, but I did need to press a couple creases out. So I didn't leave a lot of time for that little project. After hair and makeup and partially dressing, I dashed out to touch up my shirt. The iron was totally awesome and heated up almost instantly. The shirt looked great in just seconds; I threw it on, folded up the ironing board, then glanced over and switched off the iron. I even had time to help my sister tie her dress and curl her bangs.
Just before we left for church, my dad looked over at the iron, which had tipped over onto it's side, and asked, "who left the iron out?"
I answered innocently enough, "I did, but it was still cooling, it should be fine, I'll put it away now."
My dad was there first and picked it up to hand to me. Not only was it not cooled yet, it was still on. When I turned it off, I was facing the iron, rather than behind it, so I actually turned it all the way on, rather than off. When it tipped over, it was not innocently resting on the floor, but melting a line 4 inches long and 1 inch wide into the carpet.
Thankfully it was noticed before church, rather after (and probably only moments after it was tipped), so that we had a melted carpet line, rather than a burning house. (I don't know, could an iron start the whole house on fire??) Fortunately the carpet was old and my carelessness was the final motivation for new carpet!
Luckily, I learn from my mistakes and I always leave the hot iron on a sturdy surface and not only turn it to off, but also unplug it when I'm finished (with the cord tucked back so that it can't be bothered.)
(Note to family: feel free to correct me on any details...I'm a little sketchy, but I do admit to the deed...that's what matters, right?)