Habitual Cleanliness

I started by cleaning my bathrooms. Now I have to keep them reasonably clean or they drive me nuts. Next I need to start keeping my bedroom clean. The problem is that Monkey watches cartoons in there and it makes it hard to keep it very clean. I was also able to cover one laundry room shelf with contact paper (which is easier to clean) and clean out one kitchen drawer.

I guess the first step to cleanliness is one spot. Then it expands, much like clutter and mess. It is hard to get ahead and stay that way. Especially with kids and a DH who only occasionally cleans. Plus Jelly Bean is going through a phase where he doesn't want to be put down. It is hard to get much done with one hand and a baby who grabs things.

Unsuccessful day

I had a list of things I wanted to get done today, but, as usual, everything did not go as planned.

Today I was trying to finish up the laundry room. Soon we will be getting a new wood burning stove. It will take a major change in the layout of the room to put it in the only appropriate place for it. Which means I need to finish cleaning out the room.

I don't know how I ended up with all of this stuff. I don't want to get rid of baby clothes, maternity clothes, baby things, etc. But I have to find storage for it all. Otherwise I will just have to rebuy it all. I can't wait until the attic is ready.

However, that is hard to do with a baby and a toddler. The jelly bean decided he wanted to be held and payed attention to all day. Monkey has not been sleeping well so she was running around all afternoon getting into stuff. She had to be supervised alot. She did not want to fold laundry. Oh well, I addressed xmas cards instead. That needed to be done also. Monkey went to bed early tonight, so things will be better tomorrow.

I read somewhere that parents have less day to day happiness, but more joy over their lives. I know that the terrible twos will pass and she will grow up to be a reasonable person. I just have to wait.

I also miss will this time with Jelly Bean. He loves me without reservation, and only I can meet his needs. I miss that with Monkey. Nursing is one of my greatest joys and I can't imagine not feeding my babies. It is God's greatest gift to mtohers. The ability to solely nurture thier babies.

I will go to bed and tomorrow will be a fresh day.

Overwhelmed

So I have been gone for several days and now I feel like I am further behind than before. I need to unpack,
do laundry,
mail Christmas cards,
clean out the laundry room in order to move out coal and let carpenter in to do estimate,
clean kids room
finish X-mas shopping
put away groceries
and a million other things I haven't though of yet.

I just hope I can get everything I want done. We really need to get the wood stove installed, but I am afraid it will take months. Our landlord doesn't want to do any more repairs to the house, but our gas bill is out of control.

We live in an old house with very little insulation and old doors. Someday we will get it the way we like it. Then it will be time to move. Oh well.

Number One

I decided to start this blog to let others know that they are not alone. I always feel so alone in my inability to keep ahead of the mess in my house. I have been working on trying to find a method to keep my house cleaner. I have looked at flylady.com, but since my husband's only assigned job in the house is the dishes, I am not going to start shining the sink and take that job. If I start doing the dishes, then I will have to do them also.

Does anyone else have problems getting thier husband to help with the housework on a consistent basis? Tell me how you work to get ahead of your mess.

Now I am trying to use messies.com methods. It lets you feel like you are getting ahead by workign 15 to 30 min a day. I can do cleaning for 15 min. It is when I try to do longer that I get overwhelmed and stop. I have two small children. 15 min is usually the time limit I have to do anything.