Inhale, Exhale

My eyes are murky from inhaling too many cleaning fumes today, and my body is screaming for me to take a good, long rest already! I have been cleaning pretty much all day today. Tomorrow we are having a fellowship at our house, and this is the first time since New Years that we have invited the congregation out to fellowship. Isn't that terrible? But with a new baby, and everything else that was going on - plus not really having been very moved in when we did have Benjamin - we hadn't had the opportunity. Well, as of Halloween, we have been here an entire year - in Fort Valley, that is. We have not lived in this house that long. We moved in here the day after Black Friday last year. Can you imagine driving a UHaul truck through the Mall of Georgia area on Black Friday - me, 8 months pregnant, and already a stressful passenger?! Whew!

Anyway, we wanted the house to look presentable for everyone ... isn't it sad that it has taken so much out of us just to have it presentable? And I don't even mean spic-and-span - that will probably never happen. No, I know it will never happen, and you will see why in a few minutes.

I was thinking about what I could possibly write about today in my blog (since I missed yesterday - oops - sorry!), and while I was mopping my kitchen, I realized exactly what I would write about.

This is why my house will never, ever be spic-n-span - and no, it isn't the baby (or the husband):



No, this is not a photograph that I have taken, nor is it one that is taken with things I own or in my house. However, this is how I feel when I am mopping. I feel like I am mopping with the most ancient mop and bucket, and that I am mopping an impossibly dirty floor.

I don't know what the deal is. Seriously, I can sit there and scrub away all day long and it still looks like an entire football team has hustled through my kitchen with dirty shoes, and then a herd of cattle (Cattle? Why not.). There have been times when I would go through with a Swiffer mop, then the regular mop, and have resorted to getting down on my hands and knees with a clorox wipe. Okay, maybe I am a little obsessive compulsive when it comes to cleaning. I may not enjoy cleaning, but when I do get down to it, I never want to do it half way. Go big or go home (That's for you, Stephanie!).

After all that ... why, oh WHY can I not get it clean?! There is a stretch of linoleum that just remains black, beneath the cabinets. I am afraid there could be something nasty down there but I really don't know if I want to find out. All I know is: it can't be scrubbed up from the top... could it be the bottom?

Let's not think about that. It might spark my obsessive compulsive side.

Then again ... I am renting ... would that be something the landlady would have to take care of? Hmmm...

Anyway ... that's what's been grinding my gears tonight! Oh, did I mention that I am not finished cleaning yet? One room remains to be cleaned before tomorrow (our guest room is not it - that is littered with stuff from the yard sale and has yet to be sorted through). The family room. It shouldn't take too long. Tomorrow Hubby and Benjamin will be going to a Veteran's Breakfast over at the American Legion, so that might give me some time to situate things over here, and then decorate outside some.

So, here's my question for you wonderful* housewives: How do I get my kitchen to really sparkle, what mop do you suggest, and what could it be that is making my kitchen floor remain that dark color beneath the cabinets?

*Wonderful as in ... you are wonderful. You don't have to be the best housewife in the world to answer. I know for a fact that I am not the best!

Oh, and before I leave you to it, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to my husband for helping out so much today with cleaning. He got his office all straightened up - which was a HUGE task in and of itself! Way to go! I love you!

... One more thing ...



Benjamin learned how to comb his hair today. Smart boy!

Hope you all have wonderful weekends!