Lately I've been feeling like a one of those night crews that goes into offices and cleans late at night after everyone has gone home. In my case, however, I tiptoe around sleeping children and cringe every time they stir.
The only way that I'm staying on top of things lately is devoting at least an hour (most times more) to the house every night. I lay down with John from 9-10 while he naps before work and then I get up while he gets ready and start working. I ship him off at 10:30 and then finish up my work. I've always been a "night owl" so it doesn't really bother me, though I do miss the rest and relaxation of the nighttime hours.
For now this is the only reasonable solution that I've been able to find. If I become too engrossed in housework during the day I feel bad for the girls. I would rather play another game of Memory with Brooke or let Adrienne fix my hair... again! A little bit of housework is totally doable but when I do most of it at night all I have to do is clean as we go during the day.
As for the laundry, I think the easiest time of day to hang up the girls' clothes is when they're sleeping. I've always done it that way, even since Brooke was a baby. If I hang up clothes during the day I have to haul all the girls upstairs, make sure they're not too crazy while they're up there because John is sleeping, and then pick up all their messes they make while they're waiting for me. Oh yes, and break up about a million fights. If I wait until the late hours of the night then it only takes a few minutes. With a baby that throws up constantly and soaks multiple outfits, blankets and burp cloths a day, I feel like all I do is laundry but this method has me staying on top of things.
I'm just trying so hard to be the noble woman that the Bible speaks about in Proverbs. I love the part that says (and I'm paraphrasing here) that she doesn't worry when the weather gets cold because she's taken care of her family's winter clothes- mending them, cleaning them, whatever. The weight of running a home and caring for her family is on that woman and I strive to be more like her!
2 comments:
Don't you hate it when a veritable stranger comes in and gets all "advice-y"? Yeah, I'm going to.
Please, please, PLEASE be careful about the drive to be the "noble woman" ... the Enemy will be more than happy to twist that desire into something it wasn't intended - be it exhaustion, a sense of *must do it all* or whatever else he can manipulate into a destroyer of faith. Please be careful is all I'm saying.
I definitely appreciate your word of caution! I agree with what you're saying. I do always have to fight against the desire for things to be perfect and am constantly reminded by my husband to relax. On his nights off I do no housework and relax so it's not like it's running my life. And thankfully, I really enjoy housework so it's not bothersome to me at all. It just frees up more time for my kids this way.
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