Today I plan to clean the bathroom. The tub’s filled with grime after Jason washed his winter car tires in it, and there are pee spatters on the floor around the toilet. Those are from Tay. I’m happy he’s toilet trained, but he really needs to step up his aim game.
Jason kindly left a bottle of Scrubbing Bubbles on the vanity.
***
Well, I didn’t get the bathroom cleaned. But I did watch the final four episodes of Real Housewives of Potomac.
I guess I could tackle it today, but it’s raining outside so it feels like an excess of damp energy.
***
I’m ignoring the bathroom. With three kids under 8 it’s impossible to keep clean. I could scour it all morning, only to have the kids mess it up again when they get home from school. By the time Jason gets home it’s exactly how he left it. Am I the only one who gets that?
I think I’ll empty the fridge instead. I spied a squirrel in there yesterday behind the expired milk.
***
So it was a nasty eggplant I bought six weeks ago just pretending to be a squirrel. I threw it out but it made me nauseous so I had to lay down on the couch until the kids got home.
***
Honestly, I think Jason should take on more of this stuff. I mean, yes, he’s a busy emergency doctor but we have emergencies at home too. Sometimes we all wake up late, and I have to rush to get the kids ready for school. That means reaching down three bowls for cereal, handing them each Lunchables, and watching from the window to make sure they cross the road safely to wait for the city bus.
As a matter of fact, I nearly had to rush out today when Tay tripped over the curb, but luckily his sisters pulled him back before that electric Volvo got him.
The whole thing shook me up badly. I mean, just imagine if something had happened and the neighbours saw me in my robe.
The worst of it is that I won’t get any credit for raising such agile kids.
I was right to take it easy the rest of the day.
***
I watched a bunch of cleaning tips on TikTok yesterday which were really inspiring. Especially the one on how to get 14-day old cereal off a stainless steel sink. I’m eager to try it, just not today.
***
Last night, Charlotte was upset because her friends teased her about wearing the same unwashed outfit 9 days in a row. I told her to ignore them and just sit by herself. I gently explained that when she gets to my age, those friends will all be gone anyway, and she’ll be alone rearing her kids with a husband who doesn’t do his share of the housework.
I give awesome mom advice but won’t get any credit for raising such resilient kids.
***
Jason gave me a hard time when he got home last night. He was frustrated that he had to use the back door because there was so much clutter in the front hallway. But, to be fair, the kids brought home friends from school and after they left I was emotionally exhausted.
Is it too much to want to practice a little self care? The kids would have helped clean up, of course, but they were busy making dinner.
***
Yesterday, Emma brought home the guinea pig from her class. Jason would have blown an aorta, so we’re storing the little guy in the dryer. At dinner, he complained that there was a weirder smell than normal coming from the laundry room, but Emma said she had an accident in her gym shorts and Jason stopped asking questions. I’m so proud of that girl.
I felt like bragging, because Jason would never give me any credit for raising such quick-thinking kids.
***
Jason has finally threatened to leave if I don’t start cleaning. He said he’s sick of wearing his full PPE at home.
***
Today, I had so much energy that I decided to take some action. So I called in a cleaner. Why didn’t I think of that before? All the ladies on Real Housewives have one. Besides, I can’t be expected to do everything.
And while I’m raising my kids to be self-sufficient, it will be easier once I can get rubber gloves in their size.