(Sarah's muddy hand prints after weeding the garden April 2011)It's how the saying goes. Cleaning your house while children are growing is like shoveling your walk while it is still snowing Or keeping a clean home is like trying to nail jello to a tree. Both of these are true. But living in New Hampshire gave us the perfect object lesson for needing to shovel your walk while it is still snowing--the walk has to be shoveled in between October and April while it is constantly snowing. AND. That house MUST be constantly cleaned even while the children are still growing.
(Bruneau Sand Dunes - September 2010)And now, for my favorite quote:
Housework, if it is done right, can kill you.
Yes. It can. So how do you keep a nice house AND stay alive and happy?
One of my all time favorite talks by Sister Julie Beck is here. In the talk she said (among other VERY important things) that we must be homemakers not housekeepers. At the time I heard the talk I felt relief.
I thought, "See, I don't have to be neurotic about a perfectly, clean home. My family just needs a nice place to live and feel the Spirit. That certainly has to be easier than worrying about keeping a spotless house all the time."
I was dead wrong. Wrong to think that a General Relief Society President would actually lower the bar at at a general meeting. And wrong to think that being a homemaker is simpler than being a housekeeper. Housekeeper or homemaker you still have a ridiculous amount of cleaning and organizing to do. The only difference is if you are a homemaker you need to pretend to be happy about it. The homemaker aims for the Spirit and happiness of all who reside in the home AND that requires A LOT of work done in the right way. Definitely harder than just being a housekeeper.
(Neighborhood basketball game - December 2010)
(Neighborhood basketball game - December 2010)Like it or not, cleanliness brings the Spirit into our homes. It saves time and money. It smells good. It lowers stress levels. Everyone loves a clean home to live in. Awhile back my friend, Lori, wrote on her blog that one of her favorite things is to have a clean house on Friday night. Such a great idea--that way Saturday's activities don't kill your Sunday morning with mess. I've tried to do this and involve my kids--homemaking involves teaching kids to work--that alone makes it harder. "It's FRIDAY mom!! Everyone else is playing basketball. Everyone else is riding bikes. Everyone is at the park. Everyone else is going to Disneyland. EVERYONE IS GALLIVANTING OFF TO BORA BORA TO PLAY IN A BUNGALOW FOR THE WEEKEND! (oh, wait, that was me!)
Sorry, the "getting kids to work" topic is a whole book in itself. AND I posted all these pictures as proof that we have tons of fun most of the time and that kids shouldn't complain so much when they need to help out. Work in progress. Work in progress. Regardless, it sure is nice to have a clean home for the weekend.
(Grandpa playing with the kids after "helping" them clean the yard - September 2010)
(Grandpa playing with the kids after "helping" them clean the yard - September 2010)I've found things that work for us and things that don't work. Nothing is particularly easy about the process. But, when we find the right recipe for homemaking it can be rewarding, refreshing, and invigorating.
(Splash Park - August 2010)
(Splash Park - August 2010)Before I went off on all that all I really wanted to do is post this cute picture of hand prints on my window and talk about Spring Cleaning. I have jobs I like. Jobs I despise. And jobs that are too cute to clean up. Seriously, Sarah's little muddy hand prints stayed on our glass door for over 3 weeks. I just couldn't bring myself to clean them up.
Favorites - organizing closets, shining floors, dusting, garden, and cleaning cabinets
Not good at all - anything AND EVERYTHING to do with grout, changing light bulbs, bathtubs/showers, seasonal clothing change-out, top of my stove
What are your favorite/non-favorite household or spring cleaning chores?
Also, a big part of being a homemaker is not freaking out about the little things when there are bigger things at hand. Like you shouldn't be worried about dingy grout when there are friends to be made, people to serve, piano recitals to attend or, most importantly, a hug or kiss to be given. Things have been quite crazy for us and I've had to really learn that when hard times come it's time to slow down. This talk, by Elder Uchtdorf, has the greatest advise for keeping things uncrazy in times of higher stress. A good reminder for us all!!
(Climbing the willow tree April 2011)
(Climbing the willow tree April 2011)Happy Spring Cleaning!
6 comments:
I love your perspective and the quotes in here and thanks for the "shout-out"! : ) I love reading your blog and keeping up with your family...they're growing up so quickly!
Great post. So I love organizing too and it could be anything. My goal some day is for my house to look like an organizational magazine... you know, the ones with those cool looking closets... on the other hand, anything to do with the bathroom is usually last on my list. Hope you guys are doing great, and hopefully we run into each other some time this summer.
Guess we don't come at the right times to see the actual mess before we come. Should we just surprise you??? I think you do a great job with the kids and the house. You have a lot on your plate, especially lately. I got tired of cleaning up after Kory and Karen coloring all over the walls so I used computer paper and did a bit of wall papering. They loved it and I could pick up a crayon and enjoy time spent creating masterpieces.
I like most household chores ok, but more importantly I like how my house feels when they are done. There are only 2 I can think of that I really hate, cleaning showers/bathtubs and going to the grocery store (the florescent lights suck the life out of me, I come out feeling like a zombie).
Good post! I used to love to clean my house. I love the deep cleaning, I hate the clutter and dishes. It all overwhelms me now. Honestly, I haven't been able to think clearly since I got pregnant with Bradley (almost 3 years ago) I don't know where I would be if it weren't for a dear friend of mine who started cleaning my house for me a couple times a month. She has saved me. If you have never had some else clean your house for you then I highly recommend it. I don't know what it costs but it is worth doing at least once.
good post but I still love the idea of a cleaning lady, then the house would be clean and I would be happy:). Until then the only part I love is the sparkle when I'm finished!
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