My Turn

Now that I've disclosed one of my husband's secret quirks, I'll share one of mine to be fair. I always find it funny/ stressful when we visit my dad's house because it is in immaculate condition. I don't think you could find any trace of dust or dirt on the premises, no matter how hard you tried. Eating meals there with my kids is always a bit stressful because I can see my dad wanting to pick up the crumbs as they fall from my children's mouths. My sister and I used to make vacuum marks on the rug with our hands if ever we ventured into the unused, but always clean dining room. We didn't want traces of our presence there to be detected. Like I said, his house is beyond clean.

The funny thing is that I inherited his quirk for cleanliness. Now I say first off that I am not to the extreme of my dad, whom I love very much, but I can get carried away. Watch out on Wednesdays when I mop my floor. I hate to have my beautifully cleaned floor walked on and begin the process of getting dirty all over again. I usually will spot clean it for a few days after I mop and then just give up and let it look used. I hate cleaning bathrooms, but I love to have them freshly cleaned. My husband and I used to joke that I would forbid him from using the bathrooms after they were cleaned because I am so particular about them staying spotless. How dare he use them! They are only for show! Not that he is messy, but I would rather my bathrooms stay in an eternal state of sparkling. Plus I didn't grow up around guys and all the bodily functions that entails. And I would vacuum the house every day if I could. I hate to see little pieces of lint on the carpet. Don't even get me started about clutter. I hate clutter on my counters or around my house. There have been times when I have told my husband that his mother doesn't live here so he better clean up after himself because I'm not. Yeah, I can be a butt head when it comes to my house, especially if I am in a foul mood, ie. pregnant or pms-ing, or having a bad day. My poor husband puts up with a lot and amazingly plays along at helping me keep things clean. Thank goodness he is laid back. I know I am very lucky. And I too have become wise and appreciate how he cleans in his way, most of the time. (I'm not perfect after all.)

Thank goodness the Lord invented these wonderful people called children. Over the years my tendencies for perfection in my home have calmed down thanks to the little ones who daily work to destroy order in my house. I take more time to enjoy the kids and don't spend every second cleaning up after them. I've become pretty laid back about it. It's something I've had to learn: chill or go insane! I still have my moments and my house always looks clean, but I've gotten better at letting the kids make messes and have fun. I want my children to feel comfortable in their home and I think I have accomplished that.

Now you know one of my "dark secrets". Y'all will probably be afraid to visit us for fear that my husband will wait for you to make a grammatical mistake and then pounce on you or that I will follow you around with a vacuum and broom. I promise, we love company and to have people over. We are not insane, just quirky like everyone else. (And don't tell me you don't have at least one quirk. Lying isn't good for you.)