Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Summer Cleaning

I don't spring clean. It's a nice thought - but spring is baseball season in my house and we really don't have time for anything else. I don't fall clean either. But I do clean prior to the start of a new school year - very similar to spring cleaning I guess. I start at one end of the house and work to the other throwing out, reorganizing, and cleaning everything. The goal is to not have to search for the pencil sharpener after school starts as it will have it's own little space, along with everything else.

I started last Sunday - as it will take me a few weeks to complete. 5 hours I spent on our pantry, laundry room and kitchen. 2 bags of trash later (because instead of throwing away the blender that made it's last milkshake before cracking - it was cleaned and put away) I called it quits for the day. The twins became fascinated after I had washed the outside of the fridge - amazing how new something looks without 1000 fingerprints. T1 actually helped clean the inside of the fridge and the outside of the dishwasher until he got bored. T2 would just walk by with stellar comments like "Is that what it looked like when we bought it?" "Wow Mommy, its just so...so clean!"

I was actually pretty proud of myself and all my hard work. I took the rest of the day off (other than the folding of the laundry) and played in the pool with the boys. The next morning, while fixing breakfast, T2 looked inside the fridge and said "Well it's not perfect, you missed a spot. And another spot right there."


Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing. ~Phyllis Diller, Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints, 1966

3 comments:

  1. I never spring clean. I don't keep anything so I never have a need to do it. I'm visiting from sits. You are like me, the long commute from the middle of no where to the city for work. I'd kill for your 45 min. drive over my 1.5hr to 2.5hr commute in traffic the entire time.

    Off to read more of your post, visiting from sits!!

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  2. can't even tell you how many times i have quoted that phyllis diller quote ... read it in reader's digest one time i think. SO GLAD you are one of my minions now ... small group, but we are a rowdy bunch! marvel at the working mom. i would truly lose it if i had to do it, so you have my SPEAKING FROM THE CRIB blessing. I love the comment from one of your boys about 'missing a spot'. My son will often comment on my scrapbooking, saying 'that tear needs to be hidden'. What the ... so i hope you can follow me, i know u r busy but i promise laughter thru tears (my favorite emotion)! SPEAKING FROM THE CRIB

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  3. Hooray for you! There is no better feeling than the satisfaction of a house that has been cleaned and organized (or maybe that's just me). I was like Nathaniel, always helping my mo, clean. My sister (one year younger) was a Tyler...LOL!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving congrats on my new baby girl.
    SITSterly,
    Teresha

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