I've found my energy

I'm not the BEST housekeeper. Sure our place is mostly tidy, the STUFF is usually put away, but the deep cleaning is what doesn't get done very often. I also have a thing with loading and unloading the dishes...I don't mind loading, but I just hate unloading, so there are days where the dishwasher is clean and I'll avoid loading just because it would require unloading first. I also really dislike vacuuming, sweeping, mopping...hmmm, well I guess I don't really like any of it. But I do love a clean house. Lucky for me, Ryan is usually very helpful around the house, so I'm not left to do it all alone.

Anyway, I think part of the reason I have such a hard time cleaning is because by the time I get home from either A. a 9.5 hour work day with no lunch break, or B. a 12 hour day of school and work, I just can't muster up the energy to clean. All I want to do is eat dinner, watch a little television with Ryan and go to bed.

Sometimes I feel really guilty about not having the house spotless all the time, other times I justify it.

Well, today I decided to skip my morning class. We had a test last week, so I knew from experience with this teacher that all we would do was go over the test, so why not skip out on that and sleep in on the day before my birthday? I deserve it. I woke up at 7:20 (which is an hour and a half later than I usually get up), it was SO nice to sleep in a little. I ate breakfast and started to catch up on my TIVO shows.

At some point, I looked at the carpet and decided I needed to vacuum it, so I did. Then I thought I should sweep the floor, and once it was swept, I thought I might as well mop it. Then I saw some dust, so I dusted. Then I saw some finger prints on the garbage can (we have one of those metal ones), so I got out the Lysol and wiped the whole thing down. Then I thought about our microwave and how I don't think I've EVER wiped it down, so I scrubbed it, inside and out.

I was on such a roll, I didn't want to stop. I wanted to do the bathroom and the dishes in the kitchen and wipe down the baseboards and clean out my side of the closet....but it was 9:30 and I needed to get ready for school. So I stopped and told myself I'd finish tonight. Except, I know I won't. By the time I get home, I'll be too tired.

So I learned something today while cleaning the house and watching Oprah. It's kind of FUN to be the "housewife". I could get so much more accomplished if I had time at home in the mornings because THAT's when I have the energy to DO the dirty work...and I actually found JOY in doing it. If only life (work and school) didn't get in the way of my most productive hours. It seems like such a waste to spend them staring at a computer or listening to a lecture.