Random Housekeeping Post

"Cleaning the house while the children is growing is like shoveling snow when it's still snowing."
- Erma Bombeck

I recently read this quote, and, boy, did it hit home! This is a complete diversion from my usual post, but I have been thinking lately about how to better manage my household, so I'm sharing what I have come up with and invite comments to see what works for others.

First, I have created a cleaning schedule. Obviously I'm not doing too well with it today since I'm on the blog and not cleaning our fun room like the schedule says. But the schedule also allows for some free time as well. Over the summer, Elliott has gotten less consistent about taking a nap. Today is one of the days when he apparently fell asleep during rest time. Other days, he rests in his room for a few minutes and then is back up. It was really throwing me when this happened, so I created a daily schedule to accommodate days when he doesn't nap. Part of that schedule is a daily cleaning routine.

In the afternoon during naptime, I work on my daily cleaning project. I broke our house into manageable parts, and I focus on one small area each day. Thus not becoming overwhelmed with cleaning the whole house during naptime, though quite frankly that never happened. So Monday is laundry and clean the fun room day. Tuesday, I clean the kitchen/dining room. Wednesday is bathroom day. On Thursday, I work on the bedrooms. And Friday is living room day. I also straighten up my desk and pay bills. Now, my system is not perfect and admittedly I get distracted some days, but it is helping me to feel better about my housekeeping. I also feel like I'm more able to do some deeper cleaning since I'm only focused on one room at a time.

I am also trying to do better about keeping up with the daily things. Elliott now helps unload the dishwasher every morning and sweep with our new Swivel Sweeper (a product recommendation for all households, but especially those with young kids).

I'm also trying to streamline my cleaning products. I use a spray bottle with 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water to clean just about everything. It works on windows, mirrors, countertops, bathrooms, high chair trays...you name it. And I have read about using borax to clean toilets, so I'm going to try that when I run out of toilet bowl cleaner.

Another area that was bothering me was menu planning. I used to plan meals for each week. Now I've started planning meals for a whole month. I just print out a calendar from Word, look at our family calendar, and write in what's for dinner. I usually cook 3 times a week, so I start there. It's easy to make adjustments and I don't have to go through the "What's for dinner?" dilemma every week. And I think once I have several months done, I will just repeat them.

Well, if you're still around, you must be a really good friend or also in need of some household help. I really would like to hear what works for others. I don't see hiring a maid in my future, so I hope this plan works out for me. It's Monday...I better go clean the fun room and check on the laundry.

August Highlights

Boys in Bandanas:

The Boy version of dress-up:

Elliott got out his Thomas the Train costume and Aaron wanted a turn. The costume was a bit big for him though, so I had to turn it around backwards so he wouldn't trip over it. And of course, Thomas needs a beach hat, right?

Elliott the builder, quite a common sight.

And finally, the boys helping around the house:

Elliott making some homemade salsa.

Aaron using the new swivel sweeper to clean the floors. Is that a great birthday gift or what?! Even a not-quite-two-year-old can help clean!

Lucky girl

Have I mentioned what a lucky girl I am? One more talent that my husband possesses is the ability to make these incredible chocolate chip cookies. He uses his mom's recipe so how could they be bad? The answer: if someone other than a blood relative makes them. Matt can make them. His sister can make them. I can not make them. I tried; I really did. And the ones that I made were fine, but they just did not measure up. In fact, after my first and only attempt at making these cookies, Matt decided that they just weren't quite right and proceeded to make his own batch. In the same kitchen. With the same ingredients. And, you guessed it, his turned out better than mine. So ever since that day at least 5 years ago, he has had the honor of baking the chocolate chip cookies in our household. (I can bake a mean snicker doodle though.)

This past weekend we had a baby shower for Matt's cousin and his wife, and Matt had the task of baking the chocolate chip cookies...because quite frankly, I am never making them again. In the process of measuring the ingredients, he pulls out this little silicone spatula and laughs about the story of its origin. You see, I had the larger spatula and really liked it. And one day around Christmas, I was doing some baking (not the chocolate chip cookies), and said, "I really wish I had a smaller spatula like this one for icing cookies." And then my husband disappeared, only to rejoin me moments later with a look of triumph on his face and the smaller spatula in his hand. He had gotten one to put in my Christmas stocking! So he was quite the hero and I got my present a bit early.

See what a lucky girl I am?

Friends

This morning I kept the boys' good friends Caleb and Seth. They have such fun playing together. I got out the playdough for them and it lasted all of 10 minutes, but they enjoyed it. And then the little guys ran to the front door to watch the lawnmower. Entertainment is so easy for these little boys!

First Sentence

Aaron said his first sentence this morning. Anyone who has spent time around the little guy will find it entirely appropriate. While we were all lounging in our bed this morning, Aaron said, "Go Eat!" The boy does love to eat! Guess it's breakfast time now.

When you gotta go, you [don't really] gotta go

Oh, some of our "adventures" are just too crazy not to share. I hope that this will be funny to me tomorrow.
Today, we had lunch at my favorite fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-a. After lunch and playtime, we finally made it to the van where as soon as I had strapped Aaron into his carseat, Elliott announced that he had to pee. So since we were in a somewhat landscaped area of the crowded parking lot, I told Elliott to do his business as discreetly as possible there instead of unstrapping the tired Aaron and hauling both boys back into the busy restaurant and to the restroom.
After getting Elliott in the van and starting on our way, he announces that he now has to poop. Really badly. So badly that he can't wait until we get home (which is probably about a 20-25 minute drive). And since we have somewhat recently had such a poopy accident in a very similar scenario, and, come to think of it, the same Chick-fil-a, I promptly pull off the interstate just one exit from where I entered and pulled into the Mapco. A Mapco which smelled like some fried gas-station delicacy gone terribly wrong. So from the moment we entered the store, both boys kind of screw up their noses at the smell. It doesn't get better in the restroom, where we promptly enter the stall for my firstborn to do his business. And then...he doesn't. "I guess I didn't really have to go," he says. At this point, I am racking my brain for some way in which to make him go, and realizing that is a futile effort, promptly inform him that the next time he says he must go, I am not stopping. Perhaps this should have been handled with more kindness and patience. Please don't leave negative comments on my parenting. I know I should have handled it better.
Moving along, we wash hands, and Aaron's paci which he has dropped on the bathroom floor, and then head to the automatic hand dryer. As soon as Elliott put his hands underneath, Aaron freaks out at the incredibly loud sound. He was a little apprehensive when we flushed the toilet, but this beastly machine on the wall was just too much for the little guy. He is afraid of loud noises after all. I'm not sure how he lives in our house, but I digress. After we are all clean and dry, we head back through the stinky store and get everyone strapped back in to carseats and continue on our merry way with no further stops.
It's so nice to be home.

Stop, Drop and Roll

Elliott and I had our first lesson on dialing 911 today. We talked about some scenarios when he should or should not call 911. Tonight as I was putting him to bed, he wanted to continue talking about it. His first scenario was if Daddy was cutting down a tree and it fell on him, then he should call 911. Next, he says, "If Daddy was by the campfire roasting marshmallows and he stepped in the fire, then I should call 911. No...I think I would say, 'Daddy, you should just Stop, Drop and Roll. That'll help ya.'"

Matt wants to know why all of the scenarios involve him being injured.