Drip Drip Drip Drip
I always have a to do list - as I'm sure most of us do - but somehow, I never seem to get to the bottom of that list. In fact, rarely do I make it
It has finally dawned on me why I seem to wake up, start my day, and then turn around to see that it's suddenly bedtime. It's all the little things that I have to do around the house to make it function properly.
This is a perfect example. This morning, I opened up the dishwasher, and I saw what my family had left for me.
When the dishwasher is turned on with dishes strewn about like this, inevitably one or two gets turned over, and ick gathers in it during the wash cycle. Other dishes quite simply don't get cleaned.
And let's not forget the dishes that don't fit into the dishwasher and are instead sitting on the counter atop the dishwasher.
(On the plus side, they aren't in the sink. I can't stand touching dishes when they've been sitting in the sink. They gross me out, and my husband knows I refuse to do anything with them if he puts them in there. He's slowly learning to avoid this.)
I sighed when I saw the mess. And then I spent the next fifteen minutes unloading and reloading the dishwasher into some semblance of order so that all the dishes would get clean. Note that even the dishes that "didn't fit" are now neatly arranged in the dishwasher. Note, too, that there is even room for additional dishes. Huh.
And then after I redid the dishwasher, I found all the books that were strewn about the house and put them back on their appropriate shelves. Then I resorted the laundry (we have three hampers so each type of clothing can go into its appropriate hamper and I merely have to toss a full hamper into the washer - or so it happens in an ideal world). Next up was taking down all the Christmas decorations that my husband hadn't noticed when volunteering for the job, digging out the Christmas boxes, and unpacking and repacking them so that all the forgotten decorations somehow fit. None of this was on my to do list, of course, but it all needed to be done so that there were no children crying when a certain book was "lost," no white shirts that suddenly came out of the wash pink, and our house was fit for post-holiday entertaining.
I think it's the life of moms that there is the perrenial to do list simply continues on. I have great faith that someday I'll complete that to do list, but until then - if you'll excuse me - I see some Legos on the rug here that are going to get eaten by a cat or lost if I don't put them in the Lego bin soon.
14 comments:
I don't have kids but it seems like my list never gets done. I can't even imagine what it must feel like for you!
Unfortunately I fear that once all of my kids are out of the house and on their own, I will be contending with Grandma duties and the list cycle begins again.
Yes, it is a thankless job. And it NEVER gets done.
I personally believe there should be a class in how to load a dishwasher - maybe it should be required in preschool? And again before marriage.
I've given up on method. It's all madness now.
And days like that (which are every single one of them) are the reason women around the world glare daggers when husbands walk in the door and say "what did you DO all day?!"
You are so good with household orderliness! My husband is the orderly one in our house and often (I mean, sometimes) re-loads the dishwasher after I've put things into it haphazardly. He is very neat; I am messy, unfortunately, but I keep trying to be better.
Oops- That last comment was really from me, not my husband, Grandpa VanderBeek! I didn't know he had logged in on my computer when I was over at my neighbor's house.
Time to delegate, I give my kids a basket and send them on a hunt they each have to clean up their stuff...or the vacuum will-their choice! Works like a charm especially the first time a wad of legos gets sucked boy they will always remember that!
There are a few of us dads in that boat too, Michelle. The dishwasher is also one of my trigger points. I sometimes think they load it poorly on purpose so that it doesn't become their job -- intentional incompetence!
On the other hand, I get annoyed when they DON'T put the extra dishes in the sink. I hate walking in and finding the counters covered in dirty dishes! Sometimes great minds are not alike. =)
I live in chaos. I fix it at night, and somehow it always seems to reappear over and over and over again. I have to organize my troop here into household helpers. It's way too much for me handle alone.
Lol! I have a dog whose an avid Lego eater, so I know that it really is one of those things you have got to get up before bed!
And, I admit, the dishwasher bugs me too.
What is it about the dishwasher getting loaded properly that just isn't possible for anyone but us? My kids aren't old enough to screw this up just yet, but hubby pretty handily messes this up daily. I don't want to discourage his helpfulness by telling him that he's doing it all wrong, but then again, I'm so tired of rearranging all those yucky dishes.
Oh God, you and Marc should go out for a beer sometime and complain about dishwasher load-jobs together! Jeff and I will muck up your clean counters while you two are out... ;)
missris - It's the whole time expands to fill all gaps. Somehow, I probably have the same length to do list that you do. No matter how busy I am or slow I am, it stays the same! It doesn't seem quite fair :)
Tara - Well gee thanks. That really makes me feel better ;)
Regina - Absolutely. Actually, my wee ones generally do a halfway decent job loading the dishwasher. It's the pre-marriage course that needs to be revisited!
A Musing Mom - How is that working? I just can't quite bring myself to succumb to the madness yet!
Karen - My husband at least never tries to pull that one. He knows, as he's seen me. One of the small benefits of being married to a teacher who spends summers home....
Pat - It does seem to be that way in most relationships -- people complement each other, and I suppose that's really how it should be.
Laura - Ohh trust me, they have to do their own stuff. They don't get a pass. But when my husband lets them get stuff out andthen they aren't home when I disover it and it's something the cats might go for....
Tom - My husband doesn't get the counter thing either. I think my issues with roommates who would put things in the sink and leave them there for weeks scarred me.
Kelly - Amen, Sisyphus!
Hyacynth - Yikes. And you've got a big dog who can vacuum those little suckers up quick. At least I know I have a little time with the cats!
Angie - I've given lessons, and the wee ones are getting it (what? yours can load the dishwasher, too!) The lessons don't seem to stick for my husband though.
Jen - Ummm yeah. That sounds like a blast... I think I'll skip the beer, too!
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