just call me Mrs. Clean...

I've always been interested in birth order studies.  Recently, I've had some clarity about my own complexities because I've come to discover that I have typical characteristics of both a baby of the family (which I am) and an only child or firstborn (because my sisters are six and eight years older than me).  This is why I am competitive and seek to please people, which flies in sometimes direct opposition to my free spirit and often times laid back approach to people and old-fashioned rules.

But one thing about me that I cannot shake -- that I dare not be rid of -- is a love for cleanliness and order.  I married someone who isn't naturally inclined toward these traits, and I've benefited from this.  He has taught me to ease up and relax when my controlling nature would rather harp on something just a little bit longer.  Having two young boys, I've taught myself to enjoy being with them rather than spending every waking hour cleaning up after them (though sometimes, I regress).

Still, I love to clean! And damn proud of it!  Granted, I can get lazy at times.  Sometimes I wish I had a maid come and do it all (I think I haven't committed to this for several reasons, one being that I actually, truly do love to clean my own house myself!); other times, I pray that at least one man in this house would take after me in this department!  The older I get, the more I tend to want things "just so" when it comes to cleaning... I want no interruptions, I want to clean MY way and as I choose (so I spend an hour on a spice cabinet... who cares?), and I want to do it myself and usually alone without someone else's "help" (because if I waste time telling you how to do it, trust me, that is no help!).

Today, I started to tackle my less than spotless house.  The dust has been berating for weeks, while the carpet... OH, that blasted carpet.  I am counting the days until we can pull it up once and for all!  My boys are going to get their own room each, if only for a sense of order when it comes to their toys, books and clothes.  I love my sons, but I'm done with this house being a community-wide dwelling place.  Sure it's OUR house, OUR home... but their stuff shouldn't occupy lots of space in the dining room, sun room, living room AND their bathroom, playroom and bedroom.  Enough is enough!  They are older now, not babies anymore.  Time to contain their belongings to basically one space each (and a shared bathroom), PERIOD!

My task is a big one... try as I might, I get virtually no help in this department.  My children rarely remember on their own to put things back from whence they came.  My husband -- a hard worker AND student -- does well to keep up with the weekly trash and occasional car and outdoor task; he also likes to cook on occasion.  Laundry, dishes, all basic and deep cleaning, picking up, organizing of any kind, etc. falls on me and me alone.  And I am so grateful that I love to clean.

So, I'm no cook.  I don't craft.  My skills are not in the shopping or decorating or PTA arenas.  But oh, how I love to clean and care for and organize my home!  I'm not especially fond of cleaning toilets, but there is a real sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in taking care of what is mine and what I've been entrusted to care for, even if it means I eventually have to do it (at some level or another) all over again tomorrow!