cleaning, physically and mentally

I have been cleaning the house in preperation for Christmas. Really cleaning, I sppose the best wy to describe it would be spring cleaning, in the winter, minus the airing out part, eing until today, it has been below freezing out, and between small children and small animals, we need to keep the house warm. Anyways, I am cleaning, and moreover, decluttering. The boys room will be done late friday night, when they will both be gone, and it will be finished, and many things will be romoved and never missed. My room, well, it'll get done sometime after Christmas, even though I know it should be a priority, it isn't, as long as I can safely manuever, and keep my clean and dirty stuff separate, it can wait. The common areas, however, are starting to look good. It is a slow process, but that is because it is being done right. I don't want my house to just look clean, I want it to actually be CLEAN. I will be scrubbing down the bathrooms after BabyBear gets picked up, he is less than six months, and I don''t want him to have a bad reaction to any cleaning supplies, but everything else will hopefully be done before then. Boxes will be emptied, stored, or gotten rid of if I cannot find their contents a home, floors will be vacuumed, furniture will be dusted, shelves will be organized, and once done, it will be kept that way. Everyone of an age to help cleanup has been informed that it will be staying clean, under penalty of pissing off the pregnant woman who makes their meals!

What I am finding, though, is that as the house is getting clean, everything else is getting less hectic, a little more calm, and a little less troubled. As the floor is taken care of, Littleman has a place to roam, which reminds me of the need for baby gates, Bigguy has areas where he can color, or have a toy out, ONE AT A TIME!!!, and I am able to think more clearly. Hubby is less stressed whne he gets home from work, and I am less stressed because I am less worried. This all gives me time to collect myself, my thoughts, and my mind. It's starting to give me time to relax-without feeling guilty for it. I see this trend continueing, and that is good. I see Bigguy playing in his room after christmas, instead of wanting to play in the kitchen while I am trying to cook. I see Littleman walking, cause he'll have all the clutter free space he needs.

Generally, I do not make New Years resolutions, i feel that if something neds changeing, you should resolve to change it when the impact fully hits you. Even with everything I've delt with, and all the clutter I've always had around me, I resolve to keep my world within the walls of my house clean and relatively clutter free. I resolve to keep the boys home and homelife as chaos free as possible, and I resolve to not feel guilty if it takes me a few tries to get everything right. I can try to be supermom, but I am only me, and I need to remember that.

May your holidays be relatively chaos free, comfortable, and full of love.