Just call me June
um, yeah right. I had a funny moment this afternoon when I thought to myself "I'm just like June Cleaver." It's funny because this moment was preceded by many scatter-brained slovenly mom moments and followed up by more of the same all day long. Let's start at the beginning, or somewhere near there.
We all know it's been a busy week around here. The house started out fairly clean on Monday - or about as clean as we normally get. On a good day, right after my husband and I have cleaned up with all the enthusiasm we can muster just in case his brother and his brother's girlfriend who we've never met before but understand is very important to him may stay with us during their visit - on a good day like that, our house is pretty clean - not perfect, but not so gross that most visitors would be disgusted by our slovenliness. But the busy week has happened, I've been feeling frayed, and have not done as much maintenance as I try to do in a normal week.
This morning Julie had school first thing, and I had to run an errand while she was at school, so the breakfast dishes were still scattered around and filthy, the dishwasher still full of clean dishes, the tray from Sophie's high chair still covered in sticky clumps of drying pear and Oatios when we came home, and shortly after that a friend who had never before been to our house was scheduled to arrive. I had to help Julie use the potty*, then change and nurse Sophie, and before we were even fully done Julie announced "They're here!" and the doorbell rang.
In came the lovely R and her two boys, close in age to Julie and Sophie. She was ever-so-graceful about it and pretended the mess was all okay, but I very nearly melted down when I noticed that I was standing in something sticky on the floor of my kitchen. If there's one thing about a nasty house that really makes my stomach turn when I see it, it's a filthy kitchen floor and suddenly there was mine not only covered in dried muck tracked in on snow-covered shoes all this week, but also all the crumbs and detritus from breakfast. Oh, and about a million bags and parcels and bibs and various bits of crappe covered my counter tops, which I do strive to keep somewhat clear. What a way to make a first impression. Indeed, I almost fell in a whimpering heap on the floor, but instead I kind of laughed hysterically and made us all some thrown-together lunch. R was very polite about the whole thing.
We had a nice play date, the kids played fairly well, but everyone was a bit tired from having been to pre-school all morning, and I was really relieved when it wasn't my kid that melted down first this time. Little O was clearly ready for a nap, and I managed to sneak a few bits of chocolate and a trashy magazine into R's bag on her way out the door as good luck charms for a fall-asleep-in-the-car naptime break for her.
After they left, Sophie fell right to sleep, and here comes that June Cleaver moment. Instead of going to town really cleaning up the kitchen mess, I cleared it up just enough so that Julie and I could make banana muffins with chocolate chips for snack. I had to do something to quell the chocolate-chip cookie jones I've been experiencing for the last few days, and I was about to just make some damned cookies when I realized there were about a million overripe bananas in my freezer waiting to be muffins, so I had a compromise. I'm loving this flour mix that we use instead of wheat flour - you really can't tell that these muffins are gluten-free.
But back to the story - just as I was putting the batter in the muffin pan, right before Sophie started to cry in her crib - that's when I had that "I'm a great mom" moment. It only lasted a moment, I swear, and then it turned into a "I'm still a pretty darn good mom" moment when I realized that no, I don't wear high heels and panty hose every day, my hair is not pouffed, and nobody would want to eat off my floors even on their cleanest days - except maybe Sophie when she finds a rice puff left from the last meal (yick!). But I love my kids and I'm here with them, and I put them as close to first as I can while remaining sane.
I don't know where I was going with this. It's a ramble. Here's the muffins:
They're not even all that impressive looking, but boy are they tasty - this is a mini-muffin pan that I bought 75% off after Christmas, and I love mini muffins especially.
Here's a random picture of Julie today, wearing the pink sparkly tutu because the purple one is in the wash because there was an accident yesterday involving a child too intent on whatever she was playing to go to the bathroom and tinkle.**
Now I have to go pay some bills. Oh, the joy.
*Oh, and I have to brag - finally, FINALLY, finally the lightbulb has switched on in Julie's head and she has figured out that it is more pleasant to poop in the potty than in her pants. Halle-freakin'-lujah! It's only taken six months.
**Two steps forward, one step back.
We all know it's been a busy week around here. The house started out fairly clean on Monday - or about as clean as we normally get. On a good day, right after my husband and I have cleaned up with all the enthusiasm we can muster just in case his brother and his brother's girlfriend who we've never met before but understand is very important to him may stay with us during their visit - on a good day like that, our house is pretty clean - not perfect, but not so gross that most visitors would be disgusted by our slovenliness. But the busy week has happened, I've been feeling frayed, and have not done as much maintenance as I try to do in a normal week.
This morning Julie had school first thing, and I had to run an errand while she was at school, so the breakfast dishes were still scattered around and filthy, the dishwasher still full of clean dishes, the tray from Sophie's high chair still covered in sticky clumps of drying pear and Oatios when we came home, and shortly after that a friend who had never before been to our house was scheduled to arrive. I had to help Julie use the potty*, then change and nurse Sophie, and before we were even fully done Julie announced "They're here!" and the doorbell rang.
In came the lovely R and her two boys, close in age to Julie and Sophie. She was ever-so-graceful about it and pretended the mess was all okay, but I very nearly melted down when I noticed that I was standing in something sticky on the floor of my kitchen. If there's one thing about a nasty house that really makes my stomach turn when I see it, it's a filthy kitchen floor and suddenly there was mine not only covered in dried muck tracked in on snow-covered shoes all this week, but also all the crumbs and detritus from breakfast. Oh, and about a million bags and parcels and bibs and various bits of crappe covered my counter tops, which I do strive to keep somewhat clear. What a way to make a first impression. Indeed, I almost fell in a whimpering heap on the floor, but instead I kind of laughed hysterically and made us all some thrown-together lunch. R was very polite about the whole thing.
We had a nice play date, the kids played fairly well, but everyone was a bit tired from having been to pre-school all morning, and I was really relieved when it wasn't my kid that melted down first this time. Little O was clearly ready for a nap, and I managed to sneak a few bits of chocolate and a trashy magazine into R's bag on her way out the door as good luck charms for a fall-asleep-in-the-car naptime break for her.
After they left, Sophie fell right to sleep, and here comes that June Cleaver moment. Instead of going to town really cleaning up the kitchen mess, I cleared it up just enough so that Julie and I could make banana muffins with chocolate chips for snack. I had to do something to quell the chocolate-chip cookie jones I've been experiencing for the last few days, and I was about to just make some damned cookies when I realized there were about a million overripe bananas in my freezer waiting to be muffins, so I had a compromise. I'm loving this flour mix that we use instead of wheat flour - you really can't tell that these muffins are gluten-free.
But back to the story - just as I was putting the batter in the muffin pan, right before Sophie started to cry in her crib - that's when I had that "I'm a great mom" moment. It only lasted a moment, I swear, and then it turned into a "I'm still a pretty darn good mom" moment when I realized that no, I don't wear high heels and panty hose every day, my hair is not pouffed, and nobody would want to eat off my floors even on their cleanest days - except maybe Sophie when she finds a rice puff left from the last meal (yick!). But I love my kids and I'm here with them, and I put them as close to first as I can while remaining sane.
I don't know where I was going with this. It's a ramble. Here's the muffins:
They're not even all that impressive looking, but boy are they tasty - this is a mini-muffin pan that I bought 75% off after Christmas, and I love mini muffins especially.
Here's a random picture of Julie today, wearing the pink sparkly tutu because the purple one is in the wash because there was an accident yesterday involving a child too intent on whatever she was playing to go to the bathroom and tinkle.**
Now I have to go pay some bills. Oh, the joy.
*Oh, and I have to brag - finally, FINALLY, finally the lightbulb has switched on in Julie's head and she has figured out that it is more pleasant to poop in the potty than in her pants. Halle-freakin'-lujah! It's only taken six months.
**Two steps forward, one step back.
posted by Shelly Kang at 7:54 PM
5 Comments:
Your daughter will not remember whether the floors were clean or not when they grow up, but they will remember the times you did something special with them and the times you made homemade treats for them.
I promise you we were not grossed out by your floors or any other messes:-) If you could only see my kitchen floor right now. You were tidy compared to the disaster I came home to! Messes are good, it means that we are busy having fun with our kids, right? (At least I try to tell myself that, ha!)
We had a blast yesterday. You were the most gracious hostess during Little Man's meltdown. Can you believe, he never even fell asleep!
Don't worry about housecleaing. "clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy" is my mantra. Clearly your house is clean enough to be healthy, so who cares?
I dunno. It looks pretty darn good to me.
Until the baby goes to kindergarten (assuming kinder is a full day otherwise you'll need to wait for first grade) I felt like I'd climbed Mt. Everest every time I could FIND the floor, much less mop it.
There's plenty of time for clean.
I'd rather dance with the ballerina.
Hi June! Your kitchen sounds like mine, seriously! I wish I could have been there yesterday too. Jackson was healthy, but I didn't want to risk it considering that this bug has a tendency to "hide" for awhile and then jump on the next kid! Can we join you for another playdate? Pretty please? You don't even have to clean up for us! :)
Post a Comment
<< Home