All you do is CLEAN Kiley

Yesterday morning I had posted on my facebook wall, "My goal: Spring clean the entire upstairs. Go through everything and either donate, chuck, or keep! Wash all the bedding (blankets if they need it) Maybe even go so far as wash curtains, windows inside and out and walls and molding. Plus fold and put away laundry. Should keep me busy until the wee hours of the morning." Now, for those of you who read my posts often, know that this is something I post pretty much everyday. I am either cleaning something, organizing something, or washing something. And then I had a good friend from college write this:

"Kiley all you do is CLEAN. Lol. Every status is about cleaning. Give yourself a break!"

She is so sweet and I love her for telling me to take a break!! If she only knew. I even had another good friend tell me the same thing. So I thought I might tell everyone the reason why I am constantly cleaning my house.

First of all, for those of you who have had the pleasure of visiting our house lately, may have seen that things have gotten tighter in the last 5 years. With a two bedroom, 1 bathroom home and the kitchen in the center of the entire house, lets just say it makes for a tight squeeze. The kiddos lost there "play room" upstairs and now is a bedroom for the girls. The master bedroom does not have a closet, so all of our clothes are laying in piles on the floor. The only two walk in closets (or closets period) belong to the kids. One is for their toys, puzzles and games. The other is for their clothes and books. Its probably the neatest in the entire house. That said, the kids really don't have a place they can call their own and play. And we really don't have a place to put all of our clothes and such. So it makes it tough.

Then we move to the downstairs. Where our laundry room is in the kitchen, so laundry gets piled up, even when I keep up with it. It just ends up being a landing pad for EVERYTHING. Not to mention the kitchen. Its were bills, toys, food, dirty dishes, you name it, gets piled onto the counter-tops. Even with Jason and I cleaning it twice a day, it still gets cluttered with stuff. Having the kitchen be the entire center of the home, makes it frustrating.

I really, really, REALLY rather not be cleaning. I even get out of the house so I don't have to clean. But it still just doesn't stay clean. The kids want to play, we need to cook, and our house will always have laundry for 6 people, (7 come August). Between clothes, bedding, towels, and just the extra washings from dirty clothes from leaky diapers, or wet bedding from 2am accidents. Its my life :-)

Jason and I don't have help, we do it ourselves. We don't get a baby-sitter unless its a special occasion. So usually only once a year if that. We don't have a maid come in to help us with the cleaning. We home-school our kiddos. I have girl scouts in my home once a week. And count swimming lessons and our weekend run around, we are busy people. Our house is tiny for 6 people, a dog and a cat. Our house is a zoo on Tuesday afternoons. And soon to be Thursday afternoons when I take on another troop come the fall. Not to mention a new baby. But you know what, as much as I complain about our cramped quarters. I am happy. I have a wonderful husband who helps me out on the weekends. We stay in more and spend time as a family. Especially on rainy days. I am hoping the summer weather will have us outside playing more. Going to the park, enjoying the warm weather. My home tends to stay a bit more "organized" during that time. We are always out, and by the time the kids come home, they shower, eat and go to bed. So there really isn't time to make a mess. Except laundry, once again. That always is a everyday thing.

For now, we continue to make it work. We are in the process of either finding a bigger home, or adding on to our existing home to make a playroom/office area for the kids. Someday I will have more time to spend enjoying life, and less time cleaning. But until that days comes. Its a clean fest everyday.

Thank you to all my friends who tell me to TAKE A BREAK. Someday, when the mess doesn't bother me so much, I will :-)