No clean - No guilt.

When I read Jen's most recent blog post titled 'Not enough...' I had to laugh. A few night's ago I started to write a blog post on the same subject but guess what? I didn't have enough time to finish it! Jen has a much more poetic and readable way of writing on the topic but I feel like she took the words right out of my brain. I'm sure most Mom's parents feel the same way.

I have been working for a couple of months now and my days starts when my alarm goes off at 630. I get myself ready, get the kids up and out the door on the days they go to daycare and off I go to my office. By the time I get home again it's after 5 and I have 2 crying and/or whining kids who are begging to be fed. I count myself lucky if I get a few minutes to jump on the trampoline with the boys or take them on a quick bike ride around the block before it's time for bath and bed. I myself try to be in bed sometime between 10 and 11 because the 630 start time just about kills me by Wednesday if I stay up any later.

So. That leaves about 2 hours to do all the things that need to get done. However, since I've had kids I've adopted a strict rule that I don't do house work after the kids go to bed. That rule has softened some because sometimes you just need to get something done but I've tried my best to stick to my original plan. So that leads to my version of the suggested Neglect List....

- My floors are never clean. If you ever stop by unannounced you should plan to see Tank slobber stains and other pet hair. Especially on the stairs. You may step in stickiness from apple sauce that was dropped a couple days ago that may not have been properly cleaned up. You will most definitely see crumbs and food under the counters and bits of cereal everywhere. If I have the energy I will run my mini cordless vacuum over living room I do, but that's rare.

-Our en suite bathroom is always pretty nasty. If something has got to give, it's one of the first things removed from my to do list. I have learned that cleaning the toilet and sink in the kids bathroom while they are in the tub kills two birds with one stone but sometimes I'm too lazy to follow through on this great time saver. The downstairs bathroom... well, see the next item on my list.

-My downstairs is mostly unused at this point. That means unless I know someone is coming over that will want the tour, the dust bunnies have a nice cozy home down there.

-Cooking. My kids eat more chicken fingers, fish sticks and frozen pizza than I'd like to admit. I'm not very good at planning meals in advance and I hate reheated food for the most part so I feed them whatever is quick and easy. I do make sure they eat veggies and a healthy side with it but I miss the days when I had time to cook our favorites or try new recipes.

And those are just the tips of the ice burg. I want to say that I'm not proud to admit these things but they are the reality of my life and obviously I'm not alone. The sad thing is that most of the neglected things are the same things I didn't do when I was home with the kids all day. Spending time with my family, and frankly having the sanity that a decent amount of ME time gives me is much more important to me than a clean house. I envy the people who live in homes where everything is clean and put away at all times but I do wonder what they sacrifice to live that way. So maybe I don't envy them at all.

When the kids get older and don't need to be fed the minute I get in the door I'll have time cook again. I'll get to finish those projects that I don't have time to even think about now. I'll have someone to clean my house so I don't have to. Until then, the dust bunnies and I are living a peaceful co-existence and I choose to feel no shame or guilt over it.