Murphy's Law
So today, my in-laws (I feel bad they are the topic of so many entries, but they happen to be here for a month, and that's highly unusual, so we've seen them a TON) came to pick up Mimi so she could have her special afternoon with them. They try to rotate and take one child each time they are here to go do something special. I TOTALLY love that. It's the ideal way for them to get to know the kids, and I couldn't ask for anything better. BUT, we never have them to our house because our housekeeping standards (or lack thereof) fall WAY below theirs, and we hear about it indirectly soooooo frequently that ever since they got a house up here, we just stopped hosting things here. Well since they were taking Mimi to the movies and had to drive by our house to get there, they decided to come here and pick her up.
Being a total SHE who lives in CHAOS (see the FLYlady if you have no idea what I mean), I figured we had 2 hours from the time they called to confirm the plans to the time they would be on our doorstep. In 2 hours, I can surely whip the 2 most visible rooms into shape RIGHT?
Actually, it was right. And while they at that state of clean probably equated to Martha Stewarts's rooms at their dirtiest, they certainly were much better than they had been. The kids and I even broke a sweat. (See, those of you who thought I exaggerate about my house are now mortified to find out I don't.) All the "stuff" that had accumulated in those rooms though got put where it belongs, so it was a beautiful things. AND we finished just before they got there.
Here's where Murphy's Law comes in...if you've ever been to my house, you know I have 2 doors...one on the front and one on the back. That's not uncommon, I know, but in this case, both are used equally by people stopping by as there is parking in both places. And wouldn't you know I picked the wrong rooms to concentrate on because they came to the other door. I SHOULD have been cleaning the kitchen/laundry area and the dining room entrance, not the living room and the dining room. Of course, this is the one time where Mimi (who was sick yesterday with a low temp.) disappeared for 5 minutes before they arrived and actually FELL ASLEEP on her bed, so when I bellowed that they were here and went outside to head them off at the pass, she didn't come running. And of course then my m-i-l walks into my house to say hi to the other kids (and I'm sure to survey the disarray) while I went to locate my missing child.
ARGHHHHH!!!! I'm sure it will come out over the phone a week or so from now in some back-handed comment like, "Clearly, you must be saving up for a new vacuum cleaner, since judging by the crumbs on the floor under your table, the one you have is obviously broken." To which I will have to bite my tongue not to reply, "No, it's just that we found a way to use twist ties to keep the hamster from escaping, so he hasn't been cleaning the floor of crumbs like he did when he was free to roam the house all night."
Anyway, I am convicted that I probably should stop sharing these tidbits, as someday my kids might read this, and I want them to have an opinion of their grandparents formed by relationship, not by eavesdropping into my experiences with them. I am really, truly touched beyond words that they take the time to take each child out individually. It's so wonderful for my kids, my in-laws, and I won't lie, it's great for me too. First, they are forming a relationship that hopefully will last a lifetime, and I think family is soooo important. But also, with one gone even for a few hours, it changes the dynamic in the house, and we all get a break from what life is like the rest of the time, good or bad.
I'm thankful for Mimi's day with her grandparents, and I'm thankful that their stopping by gave us the impetus to clean 2 rooms up more than we usually do. I'm blessed that Mimi is feeling better, and we are all thankful for my step-father's birthday today.
until tomorrow,
obm
Being a total SHE who lives in CHAOS (see the FLYlady if you have no idea what I mean), I figured we had 2 hours from the time they called to confirm the plans to the time they would be on our doorstep. In 2 hours, I can surely whip the 2 most visible rooms into shape RIGHT?
Actually, it was right. And while they at that state of clean probably equated to Martha Stewarts's rooms at their dirtiest, they certainly were much better than they had been. The kids and I even broke a sweat. (See, those of you who thought I exaggerate about my house are now mortified to find out I don't.) All the "stuff" that had accumulated in those rooms though got put where it belongs, so it was a beautiful things. AND we finished just before they got there.
Here's where Murphy's Law comes in...if you've ever been to my house, you know I have 2 doors...one on the front and one on the back. That's not uncommon, I know, but in this case, both are used equally by people stopping by as there is parking in both places. And wouldn't you know I picked the wrong rooms to concentrate on because they came to the other door. I SHOULD have been cleaning the kitchen/laundry area and the dining room entrance, not the living room and the dining room. Of course, this is the one time where Mimi (who was sick yesterday with a low temp.) disappeared for 5 minutes before they arrived and actually FELL ASLEEP on her bed, so when I bellowed that they were here and went outside to head them off at the pass, she didn't come running. And of course then my m-i-l walks into my house to say hi to the other kids (and I'm sure to survey the disarray) while I went to locate my missing child.
ARGHHHHH!!!! I'm sure it will come out over the phone a week or so from now in some back-handed comment like, "Clearly, you must be saving up for a new vacuum cleaner, since judging by the crumbs on the floor under your table, the one you have is obviously broken." To which I will have to bite my tongue not to reply, "No, it's just that we found a way to use twist ties to keep the hamster from escaping, so he hasn't been cleaning the floor of crumbs like he did when he was free to roam the house all night."
Anyway, I am convicted that I probably should stop sharing these tidbits, as someday my kids might read this, and I want them to have an opinion of their grandparents formed by relationship, not by eavesdropping into my experiences with them. I am really, truly touched beyond words that they take the time to take each child out individually. It's so wonderful for my kids, my in-laws, and I won't lie, it's great for me too. First, they are forming a relationship that hopefully will last a lifetime, and I think family is soooo important. But also, with one gone even for a few hours, it changes the dynamic in the house, and we all get a break from what life is like the rest of the time, good or bad.
I'm thankful for Mimi's day with her grandparents, and I'm thankful that their stopping by gave us the impetus to clean 2 rooms up more than we usually do. I'm blessed that Mimi is feeling better, and we are all thankful for my step-father's birthday today.
until tomorrow,
obm
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