Housework...........Blergh!

Okay so I know most people don't like housework, I know there is those strange few that do and I really wish I was one of them but unfortunately I'm not. I would much rather be playing with kids, doing some craft or spending time with friends, but with 5 children housework is inevitable. Yesterday as I stood looking at all the washing I was wondering if anyone else has the same issues as me or if I'm just a terrible housewife and suck at looking after the house? ( after a bit of thinking I decided it was a bit of both.) You see whenever I go to visit friends, including friends with children (i.e the bulk of my friends) their houses are always clean, tidy, organised. No mount washmore covering the lounge. My place, not the case. There is ALWAYS dishes in the sink, even if I only cleaned the kitchen 2 minutes ago, There is ALWAYS books on the floor, as Miss M insists on reading an endless mountain of books everyday. More often than not there will be school bags, homework, readers, library books, notes, instruments or a soccor ball wherever there was a clean table or bench to put it on as starving children rush in after a long, hard, food deprived day at school. This is all on top of the mountain of washing covering the lounge.

On the upside the washing (yes washing is what annoys me the most, no idea why!) was all clean, the kids are all well feed, well loved and well cared for. They are happy, healthy, beautiful children that for the most part are really good and very helpful. So I figure that as my husband works long hours, ( I do realise that many parents are single parents and manage to do everything by themselves, all the time and my hat goes off to them!) and I'm the one looking after all the kids, the house, the cooking and after school activities as well as trying to still hang on to *me*, that a pile of CLEAN washing, some books, bags and toys lying around the house isn't the end of the world. It's a lived in house! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it anyway.

On another note I just wanted to share how wonderful my 8 year old Miss A is. Yesterday I was having a difficult day, little miss M was being a grump and Mr E hadn't been sleeping or feeding very well since he had his 8 week old injections on Friday, needless to say I wasn't getting anything done. After having mr E awake for 4 hours ( not like him at all) and finally trying to put him back to bed I was attempting to get dinner started. Miss M decided that that was the time to start throwing a tantrum and screaming at the top of her lungs that she needed to cook, I tried letting her do her own *cooking* as I was cutting up Lamb and she couldn't help with that. Nope that wasn't good enough, she had to do the same as me, she let me know this rather loudly. As anyone who knows miss M would know she only has 2 volumes, loud and really really loud! Hence she woke up her brother. After coming out from resettling him I discovered that miss A had taken Miss M off to get her shoes and beanie on and was taking her outside to play "so Mum can get dinner ready without your help." As miss A put it. She than brought in the washing before going back out to finish pushing Miss M around on her scooter. So okay it was only about 20 minutes or so, but I was so proud of her for not only helping me out and playing so beautifully with her little sister but also for doing it without being asked. For showing enough maturity to see what was going on around her and being able to realise that she was able to do something to help. And that makes me smile, to think that my little girl (who is growing up way to fast) is able to take control, she doesn't need to be asked to do things. That she is kind and thoughtful, and likes to help others. She is Awesome and I'm so proud of her - Which I did sit down and tell her last night.



Miss A entertaining Miss M the photo isn't the best as I took it through the glass doors not wanting to disturb the playing!



Miss A and a friend during their sleepover including Miss M in their games.

Don't get me wrong the boys help a lot too particularly with cooking, and I'm really proud of all of them, I just wanted to share how proud I was and how the smallest things can put everything else (including the HUGE) pile of washing into perspective!

Have a great Day!