I like clean. I like organized. I like everything I need at my fingertips. Today, I have achieved this! If I could install an under chair toilet, and have food and drink delivered at regular intervals, I would never have to get up again. At least until I used up all the lipgloss in my pocket.

Plus the six lipsticks in that purse.

I know I mentioned that I was really purging and cleaning my house. Did I mention my cousin was coming each weekend to help me? It is such a help to have a fresh eye look things over. We moved here 5 years ago, and I put the table long way in the dining area, and that’s how it stayed. And I cursed it almost everyday as I tried to walk around it to do stuff, and clean around it in the back, etc. Today, she said “let’s turn it, and put the hutch…..”. Well, I said there was NO WAY we could stand to lose one end of the table, but I called everyone in to come take a seat just to prove her wrong, and Lo and BEHOLD, we fit, it fit, they fit.

And I can clean behind and around and it’s EASY. I hate to fight my house to clean it, and if you saw the place, you would know. And, yeah, we scrubbed the floor on our hands and knees to make up for my weeks of neglect.

You can see the dining area as it used to be here and here. This is what it looks like now, except I’ve re-hung the curtains. They were in the dryer when I took the picture.

I am tired. That’s not lightweight contemporary furniture. It’s solid maple that dh inherited from his parents. And the freezer was no cake walk, either. (Not that I moved that very much–I let dh do it instead, LOL). I can’t wait to throw out another metric ton of crap and create more living space. The bathroom is next!

That’s what I’ve been doing. That, and heavy cleaning. And also, losing weight, one whole pound. (Woot, we can skip the plus size lingerie) And I realized after I posted my update last week that I skipped a whole section of my goals post. I crammed all this

I’d like to go somewhere as a family this year. I want to go out with husband now and again. And I want to read a book every month that will help me as a wife or mom or teacher. I want to finish that massive to-do list. I want to be organized.

into one paragraph, and I skimmed right over most of it last week. So, what am I doing about it?

I went to see Sweeney Todd with Dh, which reminds me, I should totally tell you about it.

I am reading a book about wife-liness, which I will also be reviewing for you.

I have not yet begun the massive to-do list, but I am actively working in other areas that will allow me to do so. IOW, when you bite off more than you can chew, you have to spit some of it out.

As for being more organized, that is a slow process as well. To do that, we are going with a less is more philosophy around here: less stuff is more room, physically, mentally and chronologically. Kitchen down, everything else to go.

Oh, I have been so ill about the messiness of my house. And yet so unwilling to do anything about it. Last night, I had a real wake up call. Yeah, the cleaning fairy, she ain’t coming. Can you believe that crap? Sigh.

So last night, I cleaned my room and bathroom. I left DaBaby in the highchair while I did my room, and put her in the bathtub while I did the bathroom. And it looked so good! And then! The girls messed it up getting ready for bed. So! I got them all up out of bed*, and made them clean it all back up. Hahahahahhaahaha mom 10, messy kids 0. I totally won.

They’d been there less than 3 minutes.

Well, I was quiet about the cleaning thing yesterday. All that got done was maintenance on the areas I’ve already cleaned. I didn’t go backwards, but I didn’t go forward either. So, I’m upping the ante. In order to earn a goodie anymore, I have to clean for an hour beyond the maintenance.

I guess I should also mention that I am not spending as much time on the computer either. I finally got around to doing some routine planning, and amazingly enough “sit at the computer all day while fairies cover your household tasks” is nowhere on that list. The upside is that I am spending more time with the kids as well as with the house (LOL), and I am more focused when I am here. Today, it was after noon before I even opened my email. Crazy, huh? Even crazier is the fact that it was all there waiting for me.

Technorati Tags: cleaning

Yes, I cleaned. And I got a cool new lipstick that you twist until color appears in the sponge. I’m wearing it for my this week’s Self Portrait Sunday picture. And also, a rootbeer lip balm.

Today, no cleaning. I left with my mom at 11:30, not realizing she planned to keep me all day. But it was fun to spend time with her, and I got to work on her computer. Gosh, I always feel like such a genius when I hook up a machine. It’s not new, I just moved it. It’s the same one I put together for her last month (when it was new).

Technorati Tags: Self Portrait

This last hour saw the foyer tidied, the other computer desk tidied, and more laundry. DH has taken responsibility for the computer pieces and parts between that desk and my hutch. The hour also included significant haolding of babies, but it was because they asked, so I’m counting it. My reward: happy babies and one “chai love you” lipstick.

I think I’m done here for today

This one included yet more laundry–ha my hours start and end this way, it seems, finishing the living room and beginning the “foyer” that holds a hutch and a couple of bookcases with our school stuff on them. Only salesmen and such use the front door, so I don’t feel the need to keep it spacious, just tidy. To us, it’s a fire escape.

Oh, and the goodie was nail polish.

I think I’m going to take a nap I’m tired and lack the patience for any more organizing. At least I don’t have to figure out a place to store extra golf cart parts. If we had those, they would be in the shed, and the shed is DH’s problem.