Thoughts on Cleaning

It's 11:52 AM and after 2 1/2 hours, my kitchen is finally clean...well, almost. I still need to sweep and mop the floor. I know 2 1/2 hours seems like quite a long time to be cleaning a small kitchen, but cleaning with a toddler running around is no easy task.

I started this morning by unloading the dishwasher -- a task Jacob usually helps with -- but today he was more interested in the DVD he asked to watch. We haven't been watching a lot of TV lately, but knowing I needed to clean, I reluctantly popped it in the DVD player hoping it would entertain him and keep him out of trouble for at least 15 minutes or so. It did...for about 15 minutes. As I am reloading the dishwasher, I look up and see him pull the last of our large collection of magazines off the coffee table shelves. (You know...all the old magazines you save because there is a good recipe or craft idea, but never really get around to making or doing?) It's just as I suspected. As I am cleaning one room, another one is being destroyed. I stop what I'm doing and attempt to get Jacob to help me put the magazines back on the shelves. Perhaps I should have just thrown them away, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to do it just yet -- so many good recipes. Jacob finds one he wants to look at and since I'm feeling a little guilty for not playing with him, we sit down on the couch and look at the toy catalog. He smells like perfume so I know he's been in the trash can. Last night we threw away an old bottle of perfumed lotion. I didn't think there was anything left in the bottle, but obviously, I was wrong.

As I head back to the kitchen, Jacob begins playing with blocks and as he plays, we're having a conversation about what he is building. Then, I get distracted washing all the dishes that wouldn't fit in the dishwasher. I look up a while later and see all the DVDs on the floor. Each one pulled out of the drawer and some out of their cases. With that task being accomplished, Jacob has moved on to another drawer in the entertainment center. Again, I stop what I am doing and attempt to get Jacob to help me put the DVDs away. This time, he does. Each time he throws one in, he says, "Yay!" He also adds in an occasional "dood dob!" (Good Job!). We finish putting the DVDs away and he runs off to bounce on his zebra. I return to the kitchen. After a couple minutes, Jacob joins me. He opens the one cabinet without a lock and begins to empty it out. He plays with the cooling racks for a while, then moves to the kitchen table. He stands on the chair to reach the napkin holder, then sits back down as I tell him to "SIT DOWN!" He takes each napkin out of the holder, wipes his nose, then throws it on the floor. I stop what I am doing and try to rescue a few napkins. I am too late. Jacob helps me throw each one in the trash can. He gets distracted because he sees the lotion bottle, grabs it and tries to squirt it in his mouth. "Mmmmmmm......nummy," he says. I take it from him and push it down further into the trash can. Jacob returns to the living room and picks up the remote to the DVD player. He brakes off the battery cover before I can take it from him. "Bak-it, " he says. "Yes, you broke it," I respond. "Just wait 'till Daddy finds out." Oh well. I guess we'll just have to tape it back on. As I put the remote up out of reach (something I should have done earlier) Jacob runs off and begins spinning around singing "Ring around the rosies." Actually, he just spins around, says, "Assss---es, Assssss----es......DOM!" (Ashes, Ashes, Down!) then falls down. I feel bad that he's playing that game by himself, so I spin around a couple times with him and sing the whole verse.

I finally manage to finish washing the dishes and start wiping the counters as I see Jacob head over to play with his toys behind the couch. Of course, now that I am done, he's playing quietly and entertaining himself. That's just the way it goes!

I have to say, cleaning is not a task I enjoy. It has never been one of my specialties. Just ask anyone who has ever lived with me :) I do try to keep things reasonably clean though. It definitely takes a lot more effort now than it ever did before, but I've gotten used to it. Hmmm...wonder how it will be with two????

Well, it's now 1:20 PM. Jacob has eaten lunch, we've played a little more and he is taking a nap. Yay! I get to take a break.....except....oh yeah, I need to finish cleaning the kitchen.