Cleaning rant...

I don't know what it is, but children can take a completely clean house and turn it into a nuclear dump in less than 15 minutes. J is fantastic at cleaning and returning the house to order quickly. I, on the other hand, clean...but it takes me much longer to do it. I would like the house to look like it does when she is done with it, but for some reason, I just can't get it quite right. She tells me that she loves me for trying, but sometimes she just shoves me out of the way, tells me to go somewhere or do something, and she can knock out the job in a very short time.

She is gone today and I am responsible for the kids and the house. The house was cleaned yesterday, but the minute she walked out the door the kids started dumping toys out and running around. The bun got into the new box of wipes and I found a whole pile of fresh and moist wipes in her bedroom. When Goobs put the straw in his new juice box, somehow half the box was squirted on the kitchen floor. The swirling vortex of messy that suddlenly appeared picked up speed and more crap came flying out into the livingroom. I tried to pick up behind them, but that seemed to be a losing game. Toys were all over, slippers were out, blankets tossed willy-nilly, and fruit loops ended up on the sofa.

Lunch time came and more fun came about. We are trying to get the bun away from sippy cups, and that alone creates problems. Since there is an excess of hot dogs in the freezer, dear old dad decided that the lunch du jour was the dreaded frankfurter. Goobs did very well getting his ketchup on the dog. The bun still isn't at the stage yet to eat a hot dog as if she were at the ball park. I cut up both the buns and dogs for her, gave them both grapes, and this was probably a mistake by dad... a and a pile of doritos for each kid. Getting back to the Bun's milk...she started dipping her cut up bun in the milk like the great eater Kobiyashi at Nathan's hot dog eating contest. Before she ate the milk soaked buns, she rubbed them all over the table. She had a puddle of milk in front of her...and of course, some flowed onto the floor. The spilled milk had turned orange because it had moved into the pile of doritos on her plate. She seemed happy, but she was drenched and orange.

I had to bathe the bun after the meal. Goobs at least was somewhat clean at the dinner table. It was now nap time. I did get the kids to bed and they stayed down, which is a miracle in itself. I then had to get to cleaning. I had to get washrags, the broom, and mop out. The kitchen took about 20 minutes, which actually surprised me. I got all of the toys in our new toybox...ten bucks at a rummage sale...the best buy of the month for the kids so far. I have just finished getting everything else up. I'm tired. I think it looks okay, but I'm waiting for the final judgement from J when she gets home.

The Bun just ran into the room, so nap time is over for one of the kids. She is now dumping out the wastepaper basket next to the desk, so I have to run. I suppose it will all start over again now that they are up. Wish me luck.