Of Cleaning for Others

Here is my sad confession of the day:  My motto for cleaning my home today (which is showing the aftermath of a Mommy who was sick for a weekend on the tail of a couple of snow days) was, "Clean as if someone were coming."

I have come to realize that I often tell myself and others that I just haven't had the time to clean.  Truth be told, however, that if I am told in the morning we will have guests that evening, I can have a clean house by the deadline - lights dimmed, candles lit even (sometimes to hide a little dirt, but that's just between us).  If we were having weekend guests, the house might even shine and, while it would take some sweat, it would be entirely feasible.

So, why is it not feasible when it's just us?  Just the Rowland clan lounging around?   Part of this is because a full-scale, whirlwind whisking of clutter requires a lack of attention to the small things - and by small things, I mean the ones that say "Mommy" and tend to prefer an interactive care-taker, no matter how much they love Dora the Explorer. 

The other part is . . . I'm good at excuses.  The ones that sound like, "You deserve a break," or "Philip will help you when he gets home."  I throw those out the window when I'm up against the ropes, but on a calm day, the sirens of sloth and self-indulgence sing to me.  And their melody is lovely.

So today, after the munchkins were snuggled in for their naps, I drowned out the voices with the tunes of The House FM and got to work on the kitchen.  I saw portions of my counter top which have been hidden since December (as evidenced by the Christmas-themed sugar cookies which finally found the trash can).   I actually feel like I can do something useful in my kitchen and I have the space to do it (ok, I felt that way . . . and then I made dinner . . . so hopefully by the time I get to bed, I'll be able to feel that way again).

Thus, my goal is that by this weekend, our home will be ready for our imaginary house-guests - who will definitely appreciate shining counter tops, organized bedrooms and fluffy towels.  They are so welcome.