I woke up this morning feeling about forty percent* better. My throat still hurts in an annoying way, but I have more energy, so I feel alive again. Take that, Non-committal General Above-the-Shoulders Infection! I'm re-animated!
Anyway, I just made an amazing discovery that will increase my weekly productivity by at least eleventy billion percent*.
Every Sunday, Ross leaves for work (a.k.a. church) before dawn. I usually get up at the same time so I can shower, get dressed, and eat in peace before the kids get up. I'm on borrowed time, never more than an hour, but these precious few moments of solitude do exist.
Well, this morning, on a whim, I cleaned the kitchen sink. Then the kitchen counters. Then I listened for the sound of children stirring... and when I heard only silence, I moved on to clean the bathroom sinks and toilets. Then I swept all the wood floors. Basically, I did everything on our chore list except vacuuming (too loud), cleaning the tub, cleaning the kitchen and bathroom floors (which are all on Ross' chore list), and dusting - which I have a special disdain for**.
I feel like I've uncovered a magical secret, and I feel extra stupid because it's been here all along! This quiet hour on Sunday morning, after I've had a full night of sleep and no excuses... where have I been all these Sundays?! (Well, I can tell you where I've been: I've been enjoying a cup of coffee and catching up on the weekly Post Secret update. But I can do that anytime.)
One of my biggest stressors, which burdens me throughout the week, is fretting about finding time to clean the house. During my workweek, I'm simply too exhausted, and the kids are always afoot. Changing my routine, only slightly, for one hour per week is going to really help me fulfill resolution # 6. I AM A WIZARD.
It makes me wonder where else I'm missing time. I could use another extra hour every week to organize a shopping list and work on meal planning. (Now I'm getting greedy, I know.)
Alas, the boys have finally awakened. They've already strapped on their superhero capes and cranked it to 11. If only I could bottle that energy.
*Estimated; I'm no good at math.
**It's just so useless! Everything gets dusty again immediately. Am I the only person who has this problem??
I HATE the dusting. HATE it. Thanks a heep shinny black TV for never hiding a single bit of dust! It's even worse here because there is no air conditioning and so in spring, summer and fall our windows are open and all the ouside dust and pollen and yuck comes in. AND there is no real way to rid yourself of dust, even when dusting you're just pushing it off of one thing, into the air to land again on another thing. UGH... add that to wood floors and my ability to shed like a freaking golden retriever and it's a recipe for total dust bunny insanity.
ReplyDeleteYou've summed up my feelings exactly, down to the excessive shedding. (Minus having the windows open so much, of course. I love our few weeks of open-window weather, but the pollen makes it unbearable.)
DeleteI was just thinking to myself, while teetering on a chair, cleaning the top of the tv stand, where does all this dust even come from? And where is it going?? (As you said, just onto something else.) I even use that Pledge that's supposed to be dust repellent and it makes no difference.
Double bonus, while I was up there, I noticed how dusty our curtains are. GROSS. New problem.
I deplore dusting. Any surface that can be vacuumed will be. And if it can't I generally use my hand to brush it onto the floor and vacuum the floor.
ReplyDeleteDust... well, Manda... I hate to break this nasty fact to you - but it's generally dead skin cells and other particles . . . including fabric and dirt and such. But mostly dead skin cells.
I'm sorry!
Gah, I also deplore vacuuming! That's Ross' job. (Side note, I need a good recommendation on a vac, if you have one.)
DeleteYes, I have heard the stories about dead skin cells... and about how our pillows end up being mostly dead skin cells... ugh, horrors. We replace our pillows yearly; usually whenever someone reminds me of it and I start to obsess. Thx! ;)
dyson! i love that thing (even though i despise vacuuming). it's a pretty amazing machine.
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