A New Chore In Order

My two little mess makers

Here’s the truth.  I’m dirty.  As in my house is always dirty; in result of me never cleaning it.  You may walk into my home in the morning and find dishes filling the sink, a kitchen table covered in remnants of last night’s supper and the floor in good need of a sweep and wash.  Gross right?  I know I think this very thing when the sun peaks through the clouds and I trudge downstairs to witness the mountainous slop of work.  The dishwasher (me) was not on duty, when she most certainly should have been.

Yes she may look innocent, but the proof is in the mess!

 I know it’s important to have an organized and clean home- in fact I enjoy being in shining orderly houses.   They smell good, the floors are spotless, the counter tops glitter, everything is in its place.  Oh it such a refreshing and comfortable thing.  I mean you can’t help but be at ease when sitting in someone’s bright, immaculate home, all the stress just melts away.  Oh how I long for this, a relaxed, organized, glimmering home, complete with lemony aroma. 

But…first I must overcome my laziness.  You see, I have a stronger desire to read other people’s blogs, stories, emails, Facebook statuses and such when I should be cleaning.  These are new found addictions, but I must scale down and do the job I know I should be accomplishing.  And I have recently come up with another avenue to resolving this mess, an excuse to bond, teach and show a good work ethic with the girls.  It’s an idea that forces a new chore upon a four and a half year old girl and a tag along 17 month old.  After all, I am only one person!?!?  Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed!! And NEWS FLASH, I am not the only one that creates these tornados we call messes.  

Elly has an artistic side, she create this fine contraption

Which is why this week we are instilling some new habits for Mommy and girls: It is called let’s all clean up the kitchen after dinner!  Yay!!  “I don’t like this job.”  Elly sulked the first night.  But despite this we pumped up some tunes, cleaned off the table, and began washing the dishes.  Elly brought over a chair to stand upon and dried the dishes.  She also sweeps.  Can I just say this is a fond memory I have with my own father?  Mom made the dinner and Dad and I would clean.  Can you ask for anything better?  A chance to get the place clean while teaching your child good work ethic, and getting some special undivided attention with your kids. 

See how happy she is to dry dishes!?!

And this is what we’ve been doing.  It’s getting easier to round the girls up.  Yes even Brinley wants in on the action: Though she is more the director of sorts, hogging up Elly’s chair and spewing out gibberish orders.  I’ve been able to turn on my favorite relaxing music-jazz, and we watch the sun begin to set through our little window over the sink.  And miraculously Elly said to me today “Mommy, I want to wash the dishes.”  I gave her a golden promise of when she turns five she will get that chance-and I meant it.  The best part of all-the kitchen is in a much better state when morning arrives. Diehes are washed, most of them are put away, half of the floor is swept, and the table and countertops shine.  Much better.  It’s not perfect but it is not scary crime scene stuff.