Char's Blog
Sparkling Clean
My house hasn't been this clean since we moved in! In the last 3 days we've had 2 housekeepers here for a total of 13 hours - we're talking serious cleaning here not that "Dash Clean" routine that moves what is undesirable to unseen places!! I think we are coming close to eliminating the last of the dust, cobwebs, grease and mold. We hired the second one today to come on a bi-weekly basis. Not only that, today we bought a dishwasher and it will be installed on Thursday!! It's crazy. (We still have 3 inches of ice on the drive way so from the exterior you can still find us. Next year I'm gonna put a board at the end of the drive and use the garden house to fill in the bumps so we can skate on it!! I digress.)
So anyway, want to know some "unrelated" news that accompanies this miraculous transformation of our small domain? Turns out that my husband has a buddy that's coming to stay with us for six days here in TO - on Thursday no less (see dishwasher installation date above)! Yep, some guy he 'knows' from the internet. Don't get me wrong now. By his own accounts this guy sounds alright http://www.theheresy.com/editor.cfm but I have to say that he has friends who post photos that suggest otherwise.
Questions: Are we such complete slobs that two housekeepers and a new dishwasher are required to bring us to a socially acceptable level of cleanliness? Was my husband simply trying to make life easier for himself by reducing his required contribution to the upkeep of our home? Did my husband hire 2 housekeepers and buy a dishwasher to support, encourage and in every way make life easier for the love of his life, the delight of his heart and the bearer of his two beautiful children? Or was all of this done for an online, unknown, yet to be confirmed as okay, guy?
You be the judge. Let me know your thoughts!
(Tongue firmly in cheek:)
As a Pastor, Darryl only works one day a week.
Why can't HE keep the house clean?
Ouch!!!
Char, I believe that it is both. Darryl honestly loves you and wants to help you succeed. If housework has been sacrificed while you tended to other things, then getting help is a loving, supportive act. The imminent arrival of his friend was probably just the "get off your butt" factor. Of course, I cannot see into someones heart, but where you are concerned, Darryl wears his on his sleeve. Take it with the love it was offered and then get those cleaners to my messy house!
Personally if it takes a stranger to get the house clean, I'm good with that! It is true that we can live with quite a bit of mess in our home, , in our character, in our lives, until we get a glimpse through someone else's eyes! Then it's shame that motivates us...WHY CAN'T LIFE JUST BE EASY! Appreciate you!
Pam
Well, Leighton sure looks normal:
http://tinyurl.com/2mwry
I'm not afraid to admit when we need help! If we could just convince our kids that cleaning was fun...
In answer to Q1, of course not, cleaning is the art of creativly moving crap from one place to another. Q2, of course, we're men and husbands. That's what we do-spend as much thought energy as possible into doing as little work around the house as we can comfortably get away with. Q3 and Q4 (one question in my mind)from the husbands perspective-Damned if you do damned if you don't. If he does nothing he doesn't care, he's insensitive, and caught up in his own little world. If he takes action and helps out his motives are always questioned. Because I'm often in the same precarious position, and since we're judgeing the pureness of hubbie's motivations I'm inclined to say that all was done for his strong,undying,magical,deep,intense,burning,passionate,overwhelming love for the woman of his dreams.
It's funny I check in on Darryl's blog everyday, pretty much, I haven't checked yours for a while. It was good to check in today and read, not just the latest post, but all the ones before that 'till the science experiment.
You are on a journey my friend. God's breaking you and remolding you into something else. That much is obvious. All I can say, is that even with all the pain that come from brokeness, broken or not, you're still in the master's hands. And there's no better place to be.
In terms of the house, we had a cleaner come in one day and it was great. Wish we could do it more often. Take it, it's great as you've already found out.
When we moved homes we got a dishwasher, it broke down a few months later, can you say panic? It's fixed now. Whew!
About Leighton, tell me after he's been here. But if I know anything, I think you'll really like him. Remember when we were in Essex and we used to come down and visit. I think it'll be one of those times. Oh yeah, I guess you had no idea of who we were when we came down to stay the first time. Maybe we need to do that again, have a sleepover, what do you think?
Love you friend
Whooowhee! Talk about taking straight aim! I have to figure out a way of pulling the arrowhead out without removing anything important!
Housework is not high on our list of domestic priorities. Our house is messy and I (much to my wife's detriment) use the "Dash Clean" formula when cleaning up as well! (Can you see the blush?)
It would be great to have a clean house 24/7 but the truth is housework is akin to being a janitor at the Sky Dome after a game or concert. (Yuk!) So, the question remains, was the housekeepers and dishwasher provided to clean the house for the visitor or to show how much the husband cares for his wife? Truthfully, it was not done soley for his wife's pleasure but more for the visitor from afar. As a man, it is more difficult to be motivated from within the home than from without the home. (That is until the line is drawn in the dust). Our spouses married us for better or worse and unfortunately we men tend to brush off those "undignified" chores as long as possible. But to be judged by an outsider based on the cleanliness of our house? Oh the horrors! Now where is the vaccum????
Well, I see there's a theme here, Arthur excepted: enjoy your clean house and Darryl's a great guy. Not to worry Arthur, I'm certain David would join you in the cajoling should he weigh in on the matter!! One final thought to our friends and family, all of whom live closer than Saskatoon, please drop by sometime soon so you can catch a glimpse of the sparkle for yourselves! (Catch it if you can!)
I totally believe that a messy house is a sign of good priorities!!!! Focus on people, not on the mess! Read a story to your kids or help them with their homework or play in the snow with them instead of tidying!
(I have no idea what this opinion says of people whose houses are tidy. I'm not sure I know any.)
Anyway, enjoy the clean and enjoy the dishwasher.
And if Ed & Vania organize a sleepover, I want in!
Char, the reason I chose to make light of the matter is simple: My Mother never raised an April Fool! I'm not becoming embroiled in any battle of the sexes, even if you guys are family!
For the record, though, I'm with Tim: Damned if you do and damned if you don't!
Just please give me a week's notice before you drop in for a visit, okay?
Wasn't part of this housekeeping won in an auction? (let's give him a little credit)Anyway, I find it hard to keep up with housework while working full time, so I wish I could hire one sometimes. As for the dishwasher, I'm typing with mine right now, but I'm all for making life easier, so I say Yeah to that. No one really likes housework anyway (except weird people- oh, and Martha Stewart...)
As far as men and housework go though, I think most of them are either less observant about such things-they don't always see what needs to be done- or they can live with more mess than women can. My father was like that- he left most of the household duties up to mum. But when things needed doing, all mum had to do was ask him, and he would do them, whatever it was- dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, etc. I wish he was still around to ask.
Charlene and I both frustrate and yet compliment one another when it comes to cleaning.
Charlene is detailed. She could take an entire day and clean, say, a dresser. Meanwhile, the rest of the house...
I clean everything but in much less detail than she cleans her one thing. And of course it isn't as thorough. We need both approaches. In reality, we've probably just compensated for one another.
And Karen, you're right - in the end it sure beats having a person around. How much more important than cleaning. That's why (as some of you have said) this stuff is small potatoes.
Oh, I forgot to say:
"Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing."
I am quite amazed at how alike Darryl and Kevin are in many ways - and you and I. If you can't clean it right, why clean it at all? And Char - when's the last time Darryl cleaned out his dresser? I know Kevin's still got some 80's clothes happening in his closet...
Those clothes are coming back. Like Grandad's wide ties...
I totally agree Pam - our guys are very similar and so are we.
I did not expect people to see my post as a battle of the sexes because when it comes to chores Darryl and I share alot of stuff both inside and outside. And, I must confess that we both agreed to a dishwasher some weeks ago. Like you said earlier Pam, we're motivated often by shame/pride.
One final note: I found new cobwebs today!! "Sparkling clean" definitely under-delivers and is,therefore, as you say Lori, way over rated!
First a ROOMBA! Then two house-keepers! Now a dishwasher! Such love......... or such dirt!!!
Oh....by the way, all that aside, Darryl IS a doofus.
All kidding aside: isn't that the way things are supposed to be...complimenting one another, sharing chores, demonstrating our love for one another, having a bit of fun at each other's (and our own) expense?
I've often said that one does not tease people one cannot love...or at least like.
Darryl and Char: consider yourselves loved. And judging by the some of the responses, I would add: "loved a LOT!"
Whatever you do, just don't let Leighton think you cleaned up just for him. it'll go right to his head!!!
Have you guys won a lottery??? Boy, am I jealous!
I am always motivated by the "someone's coming over" type of clean while Pete likes a schedule. What's that??
if you get him a new gadget, you can make him do anything!