House cleaning
Rachel Ann
First, I want to declare, right here and now, that I am not, nor ever have been a neatnik. Look at my picture from some ceremony or other, which took place in our shul and you'll find five or so six year olds, all standing, ramrod straight, whilest Rachel Ann is bent over trying to pull up an errant sock.
I was the child with a messy desk, room, and the annoying roommate whose side of the room always looked as if were hit by a hurricane.
With 5-7 members in the household the house is not what anyone would call neat. I've tried fly-lady, am willing to try her again, but I want to here from unschooolers. How do you get the mess, the books the toys ordered, and not infringe upon the rights of the kids at the same time. If this is a dorky question, understand, when confronted with a mess I'd rather read or write something. Generally it doesn't bother me that much. I would at this point, just like a floor to cross without injuring myself.
Yes things like the 27 boogies where I throw out 27 items (and give away 27 more) twice a week will eventually end up leaving me with my toothbrush, since most of the stuff on the floor isn't mine, and most of what is mine, I want. True the books have a life of their own (as do the dust bunnies) but my belief re: books is, you need more bookcases, you don't need to get rid of the books.
In other words HELP....
this is rachel, the terminally sloppy, ann, signing off...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I was the child with a messy desk, room, and the annoying roommate whose side of the room always looked as if were hit by a hurricane.
With 5-7 members in the household the house is not what anyone would call neat. I've tried fly-lady, am willing to try her again, but I want to here from unschooolers. How do you get the mess, the books the toys ordered, and not infringe upon the rights of the kids at the same time. If this is a dorky question, understand, when confronted with a mess I'd rather read or write something. Generally it doesn't bother me that much. I would at this point, just like a floor to cross without injuring myself.
Yes things like the 27 boogies where I throw out 27 items (and give away 27 more) twice a week will eventually end up leaving me with my toothbrush, since most of the stuff on the floor isn't mine, and most of what is mine, I want. True the books have a life of their own (as do the dust bunnies) but my belief re: books is, you need more bookcases, you don't need to get rid of the books.
In other words HELP....
this is rachel, the terminally sloppy, ann, signing off...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
I have to say, this is an excellent topic for me to learn from. Because I
need help.
I don't handle cleaning well. We are fortunate enough to be able to afford
to hire someone to come in and clean every other week, so the floors get
washed and the toilets too. Used to have her clean only once a month, but
that meant nothing happened in between.
Monthly (go figure) I go on a rampage and pick up toys and rant about what a
mess the house is. Not a good plan. Not even a plan, just something I have
to stop myself from doing. Other times - like this week when I'm painting
the kitchen and my three year old not only finds the glitter but discovers
how to open it and dumps it all out while I am on a ladder - those times I'm
very laid back. So, inconsistency has been my model and that has to change.
My four year old is good at picking up the toys. He's in a pretending to be
a garbage collector phase right now, so we have tubs of toys that get moved
from one spot, dumped out, gathered up and moved to another spot.
Any suggestions would be great. I try not to complain about housework
because I think that's why I dislike it so much, my mom dislikes it. I have
friends whose houses look like they are expecting company all the time! I'd
like a happy medium.
Elizabeth
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
need help.
I don't handle cleaning well. We are fortunate enough to be able to afford
to hire someone to come in and clean every other week, so the floors get
washed and the toilets too. Used to have her clean only once a month, but
that meant nothing happened in between.
Monthly (go figure) I go on a rampage and pick up toys and rant about what a
mess the house is. Not a good plan. Not even a plan, just something I have
to stop myself from doing. Other times - like this week when I'm painting
the kitchen and my three year old not only finds the glitter but discovers
how to open it and dumps it all out while I am on a ladder - those times I'm
very laid back. So, inconsistency has been my model and that has to change.
My four year old is good at picking up the toys. He's in a pretending to be
a garbage collector phase right now, so we have tubs of toys that get moved
from one spot, dumped out, gathered up and moved to another spot.
Any suggestions would be great. I try not to complain about housework
because I think that's why I dislike it so much, my mom dislikes it. I have
friends whose houses look like they are expecting company all the time! I'd
like a happy medium.
Elizabeth
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Myranda
OMG, do you ever sound like I used to be!!! When I got pregnant this last time, I knew we had to get better or the poor thing would choke to death the first day on the floor! Between lego's, marbles, books, toys, clothes, craft supplies, game pieces, and so on, more things were on the floor than anywhere else. Didn't help that I had a hubby who could scatter enough trash around the house each day that would fill a trash bag, not to mention he didn't know what a dirty clothes hamper was for. I'd spend an entire weekend each month doing nothing but cleaning.
I, too, did the FlyLady for about a month - got rid of all our old clothes no one was gonna wear again, card games with half the cards missing or torn, markers and pens that didn't write, all the extra pots and pans I hadn't used in years, and a bunch of stuffed animals that had been bagged up for years. I had the boys go thru their toys, and DH go thru his tools and other junk and we had a yardsale. I went thru all the little lamps and knick-knacks I'd been collecting, too. Threw out most of the stuff in the kitchen junk-drawer. I think I hauled off two car-loads of junk.
Then..... I put up shelves!!!! Everywhere! Each of the boys got a big bookshelf, the living room got a bookshelf, and my room got two bookshelves. I painted and nailed up shelves in the bathrooms, laundry room, and closets. All our videos and computer games went on the bookshelf in the living room, and on a shelf over the TV I put all of my dolls. A shelf in the kitchen held all my spices that always ended up around the stove. The boys divided up the games and books and filled their bookshelves with them. Bath stuff (washrags, extra toilet paper) got put on bathroom shelves, hooks on the end held towels. All the laundry stuff went on the shelf in the laundry room, and paint and tools went on another shelf in there. My books went on one bookshelf in my room, and the other was for knick-nacks. Small shelves in the living room held plants and the boys' art projects. Shelves in the closets held shoes and other junk that just seems to end up in the closet.
I also bought an extra small dresser for each bedroom to keep papers and collectibles in. Don't know where to put it? Put it in the dresser. Each bedroom also got one of those mesh corner stuffed-animal holders for the animals and other light-weight toys that didn't fit in toyboxes. DH built a big box that holds all the lego's. The bathrooms got small mesh net toy-holders with suction cups to hold the bath toys. I got rid of the clutter of the shampoo and bath gel bottles by getting some of those wall-mounted shampoo/soap holder/dispenser thingys. Two dual ones for each bathroom - one for shampoo and conditioner, one for hand soap and bath gel. Another dual one for the kitchen - one for dish soap, one for hand soap. I threw out all my cleaning supplies and bought one big spray bottle to put my Critis Magic cleaner in, plus one scrub brush. Oh, and those stackable baskets are on each bathroom counter and under the counters too. Things like toothpaste, hair stuff, band-aids, etc go in these baskets. They're jumbled, but with small baskets, you don't have to dig much to find anything.
Trash cans in each room, and two in the living room have helped get rid of unwanted junk that anyone may be relunctant to walk to the kitchen to get rid of.
I started vaccuming every morning, and DH cleans the kitchen every Saturday and Wednesday evening, and sweeps it every evening. He takes off whatever trash we have every morning on his way to work. The boys clean their rooms every Saturday, and alternate cleaning their bathroom each day. I go thru the living room every evening, and put things that belong to each person in their own basket, and that person puts the stuff away each night before bed.
Laundry gets done one load every day while I'm cooking lunch - everyone's clothes get put on their bed to fold and put up. Also bought a magazine rack - when it gets full, it gets weeded out. A coat rack by the front door catches coats, sweaters, umbrellas, and hats. Box by the fireplace for newspapers. Box by the front door for library books, shopping lists, whatever may need to go with us when we leave. Shoes are taken off when we walk in and put on the mat underneath the coat rack.
Brett has the job to wipe down the kitchen table after each meal. Tyler has the job of rinsing out and refilling the cat's water each day.
Hmmm I think that's about it. I now spend about one day every-other month cleaning everything, and it only takes about a half-hour per room, less for the smaller rooms. Having places to put things really makes a huge difference!!! Getting into a routine was the hardest part for me, and it took a good three months to do it, but now it's so much easier! I don't even have to think about it anymore, and nothing takes more than 5-10 minutes to do. HTH!
Myranda
First, I want to declare, right here and now, that I am not, nor ever have been a neatnik. Look at my picture from some ceremony or other, which took place in our shul and you'll find five or so six year olds, all standing, ramrod straight, whilest Rachel Ann is bent over trying to pull up an errant sock.
I was the child with a messy desk, room, and the annoying roommate whose side of the room always looked as if were hit by a hurricane.
With 5-7 members in the household the house is not what anyone would call neat. I've tried fly-lady, am willing to try her again, but I want to here from unschooolers. How do you get the mess, the books the toys ordered, and not infringe upon the rights of the kids at the same time. If this is a dorky question, understand, when confronted with a mess I'd rather read or write something. Generally it doesn't bother me that much. I would at this point, just like a floor to cross without injuring myself.
Yes things like the 27 boogies where I throw out 27 items (and give away 27 more) twice a week will eventually end up leaving me with my toothbrush, since most of the stuff on the floor isn't mine, and most of what is mine, I want. True the books have a life of their own (as do the dust bunnies) but my belief re: books is, you need more bookcases, you don't need to get rid of the books.
In other words HELP....
this is rachel, the terminally sloppy, ann, signing off...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I, too, did the FlyLady for about a month - got rid of all our old clothes no one was gonna wear again, card games with half the cards missing or torn, markers and pens that didn't write, all the extra pots and pans I hadn't used in years, and a bunch of stuffed animals that had been bagged up for years. I had the boys go thru their toys, and DH go thru his tools and other junk and we had a yardsale. I went thru all the little lamps and knick-knacks I'd been collecting, too. Threw out most of the stuff in the kitchen junk-drawer. I think I hauled off two car-loads of junk.
Then..... I put up shelves!!!! Everywhere! Each of the boys got a big bookshelf, the living room got a bookshelf, and my room got two bookshelves. I painted and nailed up shelves in the bathrooms, laundry room, and closets. All our videos and computer games went on the bookshelf in the living room, and on a shelf over the TV I put all of my dolls. A shelf in the kitchen held all my spices that always ended up around the stove. The boys divided up the games and books and filled their bookshelves with them. Bath stuff (washrags, extra toilet paper) got put on bathroom shelves, hooks on the end held towels. All the laundry stuff went on the shelf in the laundry room, and paint and tools went on another shelf in there. My books went on one bookshelf in my room, and the other was for knick-nacks. Small shelves in the living room held plants and the boys' art projects. Shelves in the closets held shoes and other junk that just seems to end up in the closet.
I also bought an extra small dresser for each bedroom to keep papers and collectibles in. Don't know where to put it? Put it in the dresser. Each bedroom also got one of those mesh corner stuffed-animal holders for the animals and other light-weight toys that didn't fit in toyboxes. DH built a big box that holds all the lego's. The bathrooms got small mesh net toy-holders with suction cups to hold the bath toys. I got rid of the clutter of the shampoo and bath gel bottles by getting some of those wall-mounted shampoo/soap holder/dispenser thingys. Two dual ones for each bathroom - one for shampoo and conditioner, one for hand soap and bath gel. Another dual one for the kitchen - one for dish soap, one for hand soap. I threw out all my cleaning supplies and bought one big spray bottle to put my Critis Magic cleaner in, plus one scrub brush. Oh, and those stackable baskets are on each bathroom counter and under the counters too. Things like toothpaste, hair stuff, band-aids, etc go in these baskets. They're jumbled, but with small baskets, you don't have to dig much to find anything.
Trash cans in each room, and two in the living room have helped get rid of unwanted junk that anyone may be relunctant to walk to the kitchen to get rid of.
I started vaccuming every morning, and DH cleans the kitchen every Saturday and Wednesday evening, and sweeps it every evening. He takes off whatever trash we have every morning on his way to work. The boys clean their rooms every Saturday, and alternate cleaning their bathroom each day. I go thru the living room every evening, and put things that belong to each person in their own basket, and that person puts the stuff away each night before bed.
Laundry gets done one load every day while I'm cooking lunch - everyone's clothes get put on their bed to fold and put up. Also bought a magazine rack - when it gets full, it gets weeded out. A coat rack by the front door catches coats, sweaters, umbrellas, and hats. Box by the fireplace for newspapers. Box by the front door for library books, shopping lists, whatever may need to go with us when we leave. Shoes are taken off when we walk in and put on the mat underneath the coat rack.
Brett has the job to wipe down the kitchen table after each meal. Tyler has the job of rinsing out and refilling the cat's water each day.
Hmmm I think that's about it. I now spend about one day every-other month cleaning everything, and it only takes about a half-hour per room, less for the smaller rooms. Having places to put things really makes a huge difference!!! Getting into a routine was the hardest part for me, and it took a good three months to do it, but now it's so much easier! I don't even have to think about it anymore, and nothing takes more than 5-10 minutes to do. HTH!
Myranda
First, I want to declare, right here and now, that I am not, nor ever have been a neatnik. Look at my picture from some ceremony or other, which took place in our shul and you'll find five or so six year olds, all standing, ramrod straight, whilest Rachel Ann is bent over trying to pull up an errant sock.
I was the child with a messy desk, room, and the annoying roommate whose side of the room always looked as if were hit by a hurricane.
With 5-7 members in the household the house is not what anyone would call neat. I've tried fly-lady, am willing to try her again, but I want to here from unschooolers. How do you get the mess, the books the toys ordered, and not infringe upon the rights of the kids at the same time. If this is a dorky question, understand, when confronted with a mess I'd rather read or write something. Generally it doesn't bother me that much. I would at this point, just like a floor to cross without injuring myself.
Yes things like the 27 boogies where I throw out 27 items (and give away 27 more) twice a week will eventually end up leaving me with my toothbrush, since most of the stuff on the floor isn't mine, and most of what is mine, I want. True the books have a life of their own (as do the dust bunnies) but my belief re: books is, you need more bookcases, you don't need to get rid of the books.
In other words HELP....
this is rachel, the terminally sloppy, ann, signing off...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
the_clevengers
--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., Rachel Ann <hindar@o...> wrote:
believer in having some sort of system. FlyLady is very good, or
whatever works for you. We have a cleaning chart that has the tasks
for each day. Most of them only take a few moments to complete. Like
on Mondays, we clean all the bathrooms - counters, toilets, etc. The
kids help. Because we do it every week, it's basically a wipe-down.
Nothing ever gets very yucky. Much more pleasant than the "muck-it-
out when company is on its way" approach that I grew up with.
Tuesdays we vacuum, Wednesdays we scrub down the kitchen, etc. Then
daily we do things like laundry, dishes, etc.
At nighttime before the kids go to sleep, we all pick up whatever has
been brought out for the day. Coats get hung up, clothes go into the
laundry bins, books and toys are put away. Again, doing this every
night means that no-one has an enormous mess to clean up. If the kids
are working on some sort of project or have a fort put up that they
want to play with the next day, we don't insist that it gets put up,
of course. Just the general mess. Some nights we don't manage to do
this, and I either clean up after the kids go to bed, or I ignore it
until the next day, but generally the house stays relatively clean
and picked up.
As for toy organization, we have baskets and bins. A table for all
the legos (old train table), a big basket for dressup stuff, small
basket for puppets, small bins for Hot Wheels cars, action figures,
etc.
Mainly, keeping things clean is just getting in the habit of putting
things back in their places. If they don't have a consistent place,
make one or get rid of the item. When you finish with breakfast, the
dishes go in the dishwasher and the counter gets wiped down. When we
read some books, they go back to the bookshelf. Our shoes go into the
shoe rack when we enter the house. That way, the nightly pickup is
just a quick routine. The kids don't feel overly fettered by any of
these routines. In fact, I think it's much easier on them than my own
mom's own method of ignoring the mess, then doing panic cleanups
whenever there was company coming or a special occasion. We all feel
so much more relaxed in a house that's fairly uncluttered and
relatively clean. We wouldn't pass any white glove tests, but overall
I think we've found a good balance. I'll also add that in the summer
time we are much more relaxed as we are almost always out of the
house until bedtime, enjoying the good weather. So we have to get
back in the evening pickup routine when autumn arrives.
So my advice, for whatever it is worth is to:
- Find a routine and stick with it
- Get in the habit of putting away whatever you get out, cleaning up
what gets spilled, etc.
- Find a place for things so that there aren't items that just have
nowhere to go
All that being said, I have to admit that my own desk is rather a
mess. That's the last holdover from the poor cleaning skills I had
over most of my life. I'm working on that one. :-)
Blue Skies,
-Robin-
> How do you get the mess, the books the toys ordered, and notWell, here's how it works around here... First of all, I'm a big
>infringe upon the rights of the kids at the same time. If this is a
>dorky question, understand, when confronted with a mess I'd rather
>read or write something. Generally it doesn't bother me that much.
>I would at this point, just like a floor to cross without injuring
>myself.
believer in having some sort of system. FlyLady is very good, or
whatever works for you. We have a cleaning chart that has the tasks
for each day. Most of them only take a few moments to complete. Like
on Mondays, we clean all the bathrooms - counters, toilets, etc. The
kids help. Because we do it every week, it's basically a wipe-down.
Nothing ever gets very yucky. Much more pleasant than the "muck-it-
out when company is on its way" approach that I grew up with.
Tuesdays we vacuum, Wednesdays we scrub down the kitchen, etc. Then
daily we do things like laundry, dishes, etc.
At nighttime before the kids go to sleep, we all pick up whatever has
been brought out for the day. Coats get hung up, clothes go into the
laundry bins, books and toys are put away. Again, doing this every
night means that no-one has an enormous mess to clean up. If the kids
are working on some sort of project or have a fort put up that they
want to play with the next day, we don't insist that it gets put up,
of course. Just the general mess. Some nights we don't manage to do
this, and I either clean up after the kids go to bed, or I ignore it
until the next day, but generally the house stays relatively clean
and picked up.
As for toy organization, we have baskets and bins. A table for all
the legos (old train table), a big basket for dressup stuff, small
basket for puppets, small bins for Hot Wheels cars, action figures,
etc.
Mainly, keeping things clean is just getting in the habit of putting
things back in their places. If they don't have a consistent place,
make one or get rid of the item. When you finish with breakfast, the
dishes go in the dishwasher and the counter gets wiped down. When we
read some books, they go back to the bookshelf. Our shoes go into the
shoe rack when we enter the house. That way, the nightly pickup is
just a quick routine. The kids don't feel overly fettered by any of
these routines. In fact, I think it's much easier on them than my own
mom's own method of ignoring the mess, then doing panic cleanups
whenever there was company coming or a special occasion. We all feel
so much more relaxed in a house that's fairly uncluttered and
relatively clean. We wouldn't pass any white glove tests, but overall
I think we've found a good balance. I'll also add that in the summer
time we are much more relaxed as we are almost always out of the
house until bedtime, enjoying the good weather. So we have to get
back in the evening pickup routine when autumn arrives.
So my advice, for whatever it is worth is to:
- Find a routine and stick with it
- Get in the habit of putting away whatever you get out, cleaning up
what gets spilled, etc.
- Find a place for things so that there aren't items that just have
nowhere to go
All that being said, I have to admit that my own desk is rather a
mess. That's the last holdover from the poor cleaning skills I had
over most of my life. I'm working on that one. :-)
Blue Skies,
-Robin-
Rachel Ann
Well,
Feeling rather misunderstood here.
I actually know how to organize. I have, in fact, developed a place for almost everything and for almost everything a place. There are a few toys that really seem to be worth keeping but don't have a specific spot, but I would be willing to have an amorphos toy bin for those. And we don't have that much more room for more shelves for books--- that is a problem, there is a flood of books. However... I wouldn't care if there were stacks of books everywhere.
My problem is motivating children and, especially, dh....because we would have more than enough room if he would clear out his stuff from the basement and the attic (where we sleep btw) I also could use a desk, that would be helpful, but there is literally no room for it.
So I was speaking less from an organization stand point and more from a how does one motivate the little ones and dh to pitch in.
He does do the laundry...by that I mean put it in the washer and hang it up. I do some of the rest, though laundry often just waits. But that I would also care less about.
It is the motivation...how do I inspire the kids to go through and get rid of their stuff, and to put away things everyday, without becoming coercive in the process...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Feeling rather misunderstood here.
I actually know how to organize. I have, in fact, developed a place for almost everything and for almost everything a place. There are a few toys that really seem to be worth keeping but don't have a specific spot, but I would be willing to have an amorphos toy bin for those. And we don't have that much more room for more shelves for books--- that is a problem, there is a flood of books. However... I wouldn't care if there were stacks of books everywhere.
My problem is motivating children and, especially, dh....because we would have more than enough room if he would clear out his stuff from the basement and the attic (where we sleep btw) I also could use a desk, that would be helpful, but there is literally no room for it.
So I was speaking less from an organization stand point and more from a how does one motivate the little ones and dh to pitch in.
He does do the laundry...by that I mean put it in the washer and hang it up. I do some of the rest, though laundry often just waits. But that I would also care less about.
It is the motivation...how do I inspire the kids to go through and get rid of their stuff, and to put away things everyday, without becoming coercive in the process...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Myranda
Ah, ok! Well, we just have our routines that we do each and every day. After a few months, it gets natural. I just told the boys that these were their jobs to do, and they happily did them.
Myranda
Well,
Feeling rather misunderstood here.
I actually know how to organize. I have, in fact, developed a place for almost everything and for almost everything a place. There are a few toys that really seem to be worth keeping but don't have a specific spot, but I would be willing to have an amorphos toy bin for those. And we don't have that much more room for more shelves for books--- that is a problem, there is a flood of books. However... I wouldn't care if there were stacks of books everywhere.
My problem is motivating children and, especially, dh....because we would have more than enough room if he would clear out his stuff from the basement and the attic (where we sleep btw) I also could use a desk, that would be helpful, but there is literally no room for it.
So I was speaking less from an organization stand point and more from a how does one motivate the little ones and dh to pitch in.
He does do the laundry...by that I mean put it in the washer and hang it up. I do some of the rest, though laundry often just waits. But that I would also care less about.
It is the motivation...how do I inspire the kids to go through and get rid of their stuff, and to put away things everyday, without becoming coercive in the process...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Visit the Unschooling website: http://www.unschooling.com
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Myranda
Well,
Feeling rather misunderstood here.
I actually know how to organize. I have, in fact, developed a place for almost everything and for almost everything a place. There are a few toys that really seem to be worth keeping but don't have a specific spot, but I would be willing to have an amorphos toy bin for those. And we don't have that much more room for more shelves for books--- that is a problem, there is a flood of books. However... I wouldn't care if there were stacks of books everywhere.
My problem is motivating children and, especially, dh....because we would have more than enough room if he would clear out his stuff from the basement and the attic (where we sleep btw) I also could use a desk, that would be helpful, but there is literally no room for it.
So I was speaking less from an organization stand point and more from a how does one motivate the little ones and dh to pitch in.
He does do the laundry...by that I mean put it in the washer and hang it up. I do some of the rest, though laundry often just waits. But that I would also care less about.
It is the motivation...how do I inspire the kids to go through and get rid of their stuff, and to put away things everyday, without becoming coercive in the process...
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
~~~~ Don't forget! If you change topics, change the subject line! ~~~~
If you have questions, concerns or problems with this list, please email the moderator, Joyce Fetteroll (fetteroll@...), or the list owner, Helen Hegener (HEM-Editor@...).
To unsubscribe from this group, click on the following link or address an email to:
[email protected]
Visit the Unschooling website: http://www.unschooling.com
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
the_clevengers
--- In Unschooling-dotcom@y..., Rachel Ann <hindar@o...> wrote:
Children's shelters, and I put one in the kids room and ask them to
put any toys or books in there that they no longer want. They are
usually more than happy to donate toys to kids that don't have any.
I've always been surprised at how much stuff they're willing to part
with. Usually I put the box in the garage for a few weeks and make
sure that there's nothing in there that they immediately start
wanting to get back. I've only had that happen once, so I dug that
toy out. I've never required them to get rid of anything, it's their
choice.
As for putting the things away everyday, that's just our house rule.
Before we go to bed, we just pick everything up. But then again, it's
never been a parenting goal of mine to be totally non-coercive, so
that may not be helpful to you if total non-coerciveness is your
goal. I always help the kids, and usually we turn it into some sort
of game. The airplanes fly the toys to the right bins or whatever.
It's usually not a problem. Sometimes if it becomes that way, it
means the kids are just too tired and we bag it for the night.
Ditto with keeping things picked up during the day. The kids are
pretty good about doing it, but sometimes they forget and I just
remind them. Natural consequences usually enforce this stuff pretty
well too. Like if we're getting ready to go somewhere, and my son
can't find his shoes, we'll maybe have a discussion about how if we
keep the shoes in the shoe rack, then we can find them when we need
them. Same goes for if I can't find my shoes either :-). There have
been many times that toys can't be found, and so it has become pretty
clear over time that it is useful to keep them in their receptive
bins, so that when you absolutely *must* play with the blue batman,
you know exactly where he is.
Blue Skies,
-Robin-
> It is the motivation...how do I inspire the kids to go through andWe get a box going every now and then for the local Women and
>get rid of their stuff, and to put away things everyday, without
>becoming coercive in the process...
Children's shelters, and I put one in the kids room and ask them to
put any toys or books in there that they no longer want. They are
usually more than happy to donate toys to kids that don't have any.
I've always been surprised at how much stuff they're willing to part
with. Usually I put the box in the garage for a few weeks and make
sure that there's nothing in there that they immediately start
wanting to get back. I've only had that happen once, so I dug that
toy out. I've never required them to get rid of anything, it's their
choice.
As for putting the things away everyday, that's just our house rule.
Before we go to bed, we just pick everything up. But then again, it's
never been a parenting goal of mine to be totally non-coercive, so
that may not be helpful to you if total non-coerciveness is your
goal. I always help the kids, and usually we turn it into some sort
of game. The airplanes fly the toys to the right bins or whatever.
It's usually not a problem. Sometimes if it becomes that way, it
means the kids are just too tired and we bag it for the night.
Ditto with keeping things picked up during the day. The kids are
pretty good about doing it, but sometimes they forget and I just
remind them. Natural consequences usually enforce this stuff pretty
well too. Like if we're getting ready to go somewhere, and my son
can't find his shoes, we'll maybe have a discussion about how if we
keep the shoes in the shoe rack, then we can find them when we need
them. Same goes for if I can't find my shoes either :-). There have
been many times that toys can't be found, and so it has become pretty
clear over time that it is useful to keep them in their receptive
bins, so that when you absolutely *must* play with the blue batman,
you know exactly where he is.
Blue Skies,
-Robin-
Deborah Lewis
Rachel Ann, your post made me smile. You're so calm.
First remember this. Your kids will remember a happy house much more
fondly than they'll remember a clean house.
And when your kids are grown and gone your own sweet memories won't be
that your kitchen sink was always shining.
We have a toy box in each room. I use the Rubber Maid storage bins
because I can wash them off if the little dog pees on them. If someone
is coming over and we need to clear a path the toy box is just right
there and no one has to carry tons of stuff upstairs.
I never made a schedule for cleaning because I knew if Dylan wanted to do
something else I wouldn't say no, I have to mop today.
We have lots of animals, lots of hair and feathers, and wood floors so
if I don't sweep or vacuum great gobs of hair come floating out from
under the furniture looking like rats and it frightens guests. So, I do
try to get to that every day.
I do the other stuff once a week, scrub the shower, the toilets, dust
etc. Not on any real schedule but it usually gets done on Friday's and
that works out well because if we get company it's often on the weekend.
I wipe up what ever needs wiping when I see it. I like the way the
house looks clean, I like to clean, I like it when I know everyone is
comfortable, I don't think toy's = mess.
I don't worry. I do the essential stuff and the rest gets taken care on
along the way when one or the other of us has the time and inclination to
do it.
I did ask my husband to build some book shelves. He made a nice one for
Dylan and I told him two more would be perfect, for the dining room. He
said "we don't need books in every corner!." (He's so funny!) After the
laughter died down I did notice plans for a bookshelf on his workbench.
I find lots of books at garage sales and second hand stores and I usually
pass those on after a while. There is a new web site, game kind of
thing, I think it's called bookcrossings, and you release books into the
wild and they're tracked on the web site to see where they go. It's
silly, but it's probably motivating a few people to clean off their
shelves. The more books you get rid of, you know, the more room you
have to collect polish pottery or wooden ducks or the skulls of animals.
<g>
Deb L, armed with saw and bubble gum, ready for tree pruning.
First remember this. Your kids will remember a happy house much more
fondly than they'll remember a clean house.
And when your kids are grown and gone your own sweet memories won't be
that your kitchen sink was always shining.
We have a toy box in each room. I use the Rubber Maid storage bins
because I can wash them off if the little dog pees on them. If someone
is coming over and we need to clear a path the toy box is just right
there and no one has to carry tons of stuff upstairs.
I never made a schedule for cleaning because I knew if Dylan wanted to do
something else I wouldn't say no, I have to mop today.
We have lots of animals, lots of hair and feathers, and wood floors so
if I don't sweep or vacuum great gobs of hair come floating out from
under the furniture looking like rats and it frightens guests. So, I do
try to get to that every day.
I do the other stuff once a week, scrub the shower, the toilets, dust
etc. Not on any real schedule but it usually gets done on Friday's and
that works out well because if we get company it's often on the weekend.
I wipe up what ever needs wiping when I see it. I like the way the
house looks clean, I like to clean, I like it when I know everyone is
comfortable, I don't think toy's = mess.
I don't worry. I do the essential stuff and the rest gets taken care on
along the way when one or the other of us has the time and inclination to
do it.
I did ask my husband to build some book shelves. He made a nice one for
Dylan and I told him two more would be perfect, for the dining room. He
said "we don't need books in every corner!." (He's so funny!) After the
laughter died down I did notice plans for a bookshelf on his workbench.
I find lots of books at garage sales and second hand stores and I usually
pass those on after a while. There is a new web site, game kind of
thing, I think it's called bookcrossings, and you release books into the
wild and they're tracked on the web site to see where they go. It's
silly, but it's probably motivating a few people to clean off their
shelves. The more books you get rid of, you know, the more room you
have to collect polish pottery or wooden ducks or the skulls of animals.
<g>
Deb L, armed with saw and bubble gum, ready for tree pruning.
Mary Bianco
Housecleaning is one of my forte's! I almost anal about it, although between
my husband and 4 kids, I've learned to loosen up a bit. But at any time, you
can come into my house and see it all neat and clean. My house is pretty big
but I have no system or days that I do certain things. My kids put away
their clothes, toys and keep their rooms neat. I do the cleaning, although
my oldest keeps the kids' bathroom cleaned. I do laundry every day, vacuum
every day and mop the floors every day. The kitchen is also cleaned every
day. The dusting and bathrooms are done every couple days. I do fans about
once a month. Every now and then I go around with my cleaner doing doors and
walls. I clean out all things not used, worn or played with twice a year.
Once in Oct. and once in June. That coincides with our church bazaar where I
donate the stuff. I also clean the carpets in the living room and computer
room every 6-8 weeks. The bedrooms get done at least once a year if not
more. I have a carpet cleaner machine myself.
The cleaning that I do is around the whole house except for my oldest's
room. She cleans it herself. I do all the rest.
Every night the playroom gets cleaned up as far as stuff on the floor. If we
are going out for the day, the playroom gets picked up then too. It was a
necessity when the baby was little and crawling and walking around. Now it's
also necessary because we have 2 dogs and one is still in the puppy chewing
picking up everything in his mouth stage. Although he's not out through the
whole house yet, he's quick!!!
The girls room doesn't get that messy as they mostly play in the playroom or
my sons room. My oldest keeps her room great except for the bed. It's almost
always scrumpled with blankets. I close the door! My son's room is a bit
scattered as he takes after his dad! Saves everything and spreads it all
around. His room was an add on and is in the back of the house on the other
side of the playroom. Even with the door open, you can't see in. I suggest
every few days that he tidy up so he's doesn't get so overwhelmed by it when
he does want to put things back. He's been real good about keeping on top of
it.
The only real problem in the house is my husband!! He's terrible about not
putting anything back where he found it after using it. That's the key to
keeping neat. Use it and put it back. He'll pull out the phone book and I'll
find it wide open on the desk a foot away from the drawer where it belongs.
He's impossible and I'm top of him more than anything. ( pun intended!)
I think it's important to get rid of anything not used and then clean a
little every day. Saving things for certain days just doesn't work when
things come up and waiting for weekends can get overwhelming.
Of course I'm very anal about cleaning but that's just a part of who I am.
Mary B
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my husband and 4 kids, I've learned to loosen up a bit. But at any time, you
can come into my house and see it all neat and clean. My house is pretty big
but I have no system or days that I do certain things. My kids put away
their clothes, toys and keep their rooms neat. I do the cleaning, although
my oldest keeps the kids' bathroom cleaned. I do laundry every day, vacuum
every day and mop the floors every day. The kitchen is also cleaned every
day. The dusting and bathrooms are done every couple days. I do fans about
once a month. Every now and then I go around with my cleaner doing doors and
walls. I clean out all things not used, worn or played with twice a year.
Once in Oct. and once in June. That coincides with our church bazaar where I
donate the stuff. I also clean the carpets in the living room and computer
room every 6-8 weeks. The bedrooms get done at least once a year if not
more. I have a carpet cleaner machine myself.
The cleaning that I do is around the whole house except for my oldest's
room. She cleans it herself. I do all the rest.
Every night the playroom gets cleaned up as far as stuff on the floor. If we
are going out for the day, the playroom gets picked up then too. It was a
necessity when the baby was little and crawling and walking around. Now it's
also necessary because we have 2 dogs and one is still in the puppy chewing
picking up everything in his mouth stage. Although he's not out through the
whole house yet, he's quick!!!
The girls room doesn't get that messy as they mostly play in the playroom or
my sons room. My oldest keeps her room great except for the bed. It's almost
always scrumpled with blankets. I close the door! My son's room is a bit
scattered as he takes after his dad! Saves everything and spreads it all
around. His room was an add on and is in the back of the house on the other
side of the playroom. Even with the door open, you can't see in. I suggest
every few days that he tidy up so he's doesn't get so overwhelmed by it when
he does want to put things back. He's been real good about keeping on top of
it.
The only real problem in the house is my husband!! He's terrible about not
putting anything back where he found it after using it. That's the key to
keeping neat. Use it and put it back. He'll pull out the phone book and I'll
find it wide open on the desk a foot away from the drawer where it belongs.
He's impossible and I'm top of him more than anything. ( pun intended!)
I think it's important to get rid of anything not used and then clean a
little every day. Saving things for certain days just doesn't work when
things come up and waiting for weekends can get overwhelming.
Of course I'm very anal about cleaning but that's just a part of who I am.
Mary B
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[email protected]
On Fri, 18 Oct 2002 16:57:33 +0000 "Mary Bianco" <mummyone24@...>
writes:
- you can come vissit and clean all you want ;-)
I had my house totally clean last Friday, then we had a zillion people
over and now it's back to usual wreck status...
Dar
writes:
> Housecleaning is one of my forte's!Um, let me know if you ever want to take a little vacation in the country
- you can come vissit and clean all you want ;-)
I had my house totally clean last Friday, then we had a zillion people
over and now it's back to usual wreck status...
Dar
marji
Thanks! You always brighten my day with your funny and insightful posts!
Marji, with a smile on her face and funny pictures in her head of Deb L
armed with bubble gum and a saw.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Marji, with a smile on her face and funny pictures in her head of Deb L
armed with bubble gum and a saw.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
marji
House Cleaning? Am I supposed to be cleaning the house?
Oh.
I guess I'll see you later!
marji
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Oh.
I guess I'll see you later!
marji
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Mary Bianco
>From: freeform@...<<Um, let me know if you ever want to take a little vacation in the country
- you can come vissit and clean all you want ;-)
I had my house totally clean last Friday, then we had a zillion people
over and now it's back to usual wreck status...>>
Actually you would have to be put on a list. My friends who really know me
are trying to have me come do their houses!!! It's just something I'm
determined to always do.
A few years ago we stayed at a house my friend in Germany gave us to
vacation at for a week. It was gorgeous house with two huge floors. The only
thing we had to pay was $50.00 to have people come in and clean when we
left. They rented it out as income. Well we lived there just like home. I
cooked and did laundry to save us money. She teased the daylights out of me
when we left saying I shouldn't have even paid what we did as the house was
cleaner when we left then when we got there. She asked if I did that
worrying about what she would say. My husband jumped in and said no, that
was just me.
Mary B
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Mary Bianco
>From: Rachel Ann <hindar@...><<Feeling rather misunderstood here.>>
Oops, sorry about that!!
I started from when my kids were young as far as them cleaning up. From
about 1 year old, the kids were helping out when I was cleaning up their
stuff. Helping with just probably one toy but walking along with me and
putting it where it belonged. If they didn't want to, then I would just do
it all myself. Just doing that, the kids got very use to putting their stuff
away. When they have left it out, they understood what would happen. (the
dog would eat it, their sister would take it and misplace it or they would
misplace it themselves) They learned it was much better and actually easier
to clean up daily. Now it's really no problem. I suggest how about a clean
up time now and they either ask if they can wait until they're done doing
whatever or start doing it. If they have something else they want to do, no
problem, they just clean up later. I'm not nuts about getting it done now or
when I say. Just so it's done before we start another day.
The two middle kids pick up after the baby. I also pick up the babies things
too. At 2 years old, she's not there yet to put everything away. The kids
will help with no problem. Usually when she sees them, she pitches in and
helps too.
When we have our clean times twice a year, I just tell the kids that the
church is having their sale and we should try to donate some stuff. I do
this a couple of weeks ahead of time so if no one feels like it we have time
the next week. The kids are usually up for it as they know we are doing
something good for the church and they actually like to clean out there
stuff. Makes room for new stuff! <BG>
Mu husband is a different story. He's awful and saves everything. Little
bits of paper that came from God knows where. I ask for a couple of weeks
until I can't stand it any longer. Then I start stacking stuff. He's
especially bad with papers and receipts and stuff. At least stacking makes
it easier for me to look at. After a few weeks of stacking, if it's still
there, I bag or box it and put it in the closet. If it's in there long
enough to bother me, I just sy I'm throwing it out. If it's there that long
and he hasn't needed it, chances are it's useless. I do that with his
clothes too. I say I'm cleaning out his closet for the church. He doesn't
want me throwing out a favorite holey shirt so he sort through it on his
own. Same with the papers. If he knows I'm pitching it out, he takes care of
it. We still have one bag and one box in the closet that's out of the way
and I'm okay with it. He tries, or at least say he does, but neatness just
isn't in him!!!!
Mary B
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Deborah Lewis
<Feeling rather misunderstood here.>
I don't know the ages of your kids, but I have good luck just asking when
I need help.
Dylan doesn't have chores so helping isn't a chore.<g>
When I can't manage something I just ask for help. I've never been
disappointed.
Little ones probably won't want to pick up toys because once you have it
in your hand it seems pretty cool and putting it away is just plain
silly. But older ones can understand company's coming or that you need
to run the vacuum, etc.
I never felt like a toy free room was essential. I just asked that
there was enough room on the sofa for people to sit. It works.
A box for toys in every room really does help. If you have no space,
canvas bags that can hang on door nobs are good for little toys. Dylan
always liked to put those on his head though...The string bags don't work
that well for toy's because little pieces go right through and bigger
ones get caught. They work good if you want to wear them on your head
though. Dylan wore one tied in the back like a pony tail for several
weeks when he was smaller. He was Mrs. Quarks while he wore that string
bag, and he had a terrible disease called Kirksigerkus. (not sure about
the spelling) I never figured out if the bag was supposed to be hair,
or a symptom of the disease. So string bags have their own uses, but
canvass bags are better for toys.
If my husband is resistant to the idea of cleaning up the basement (his
things), I kindly offer to do it for him. He usually gets to it by that
weekend. <g>
Deb L
I don't know the ages of your kids, but I have good luck just asking when
I need help.
Dylan doesn't have chores so helping isn't a chore.<g>
When I can't manage something I just ask for help. I've never been
disappointed.
Little ones probably won't want to pick up toys because once you have it
in your hand it seems pretty cool and putting it away is just plain
silly. But older ones can understand company's coming or that you need
to run the vacuum, etc.
I never felt like a toy free room was essential. I just asked that
there was enough room on the sofa for people to sit. It works.
A box for toys in every room really does help. If you have no space,
canvas bags that can hang on door nobs are good for little toys. Dylan
always liked to put those on his head though...The string bags don't work
that well for toy's because little pieces go right through and bigger
ones get caught. They work good if you want to wear them on your head
though. Dylan wore one tied in the back like a pony tail for several
weeks when he was smaller. He was Mrs. Quarks while he wore that string
bag, and he had a terrible disease called Kirksigerkus. (not sure about
the spelling) I never figured out if the bag was supposed to be hair,
or a symptom of the disease. So string bags have their own uses, but
canvass bags are better for toys.
If my husband is resistant to the idea of cleaning up the basement (his
things), I kindly offer to do it for him. He usually gets to it by that
weekend. <g>
Deb L
Deborah Lewis
> Marji, with a smile on her face and funny pictures in her head ...Oh, Marji if you have funny pictures in your head you can sympathize with
my poor neighbors. I was pruning the willow tree yesterday and took off
some slender branches, maybe 12 feet long or so. Dylan said they looked
like arms with monster hands and so naturally I had to chase him around
the house waving these great long sticks. I smacked the satellite
dish, and was up on the ladder in the dark trying to tweak it back into
place so we could watch TV later. My neighbor stopped over this morning
with some cookies and said "thanks for the show" She'd had friends from
her sewing circle over and they all got to see me chasing my shrieking
child.
You can imagine how smart I felt.
But the cookies are good.
Deb L
MO Milligans
At 11:01 AM 10/18/02 -0400, you wrote:
Have you considered taking up painting (i.e. on canvas)? Sounds like you
need a creative outlook. On the other hand, that would mean even more
things to take care of.<g> So, I don't know :) My wife has a higher
clutter-tolerance than I do, and since I'm the one that worries about most,
I'm the one that does most of the "cleaning" (more straightening up though.
But I do most of the laundry). I, a man, even clean the toilet every month
or so whether it needs it or not. LOL ;-)
-------------------------------------
"Despite the high cost of living
it's still extremely popular!"
http://rambleman.tripod.com/index.html
>Other times - like this week when I'm painting the kitchen and my three==
>year old not only finds the glitter but discovers how to open it and dumps
>it all out while I am on a ladder - those times I'm very laid back.
Have you considered taking up painting (i.e. on canvas)? Sounds like you
need a creative outlook. On the other hand, that would mean even more
things to take care of.<g> So, I don't know :) My wife has a higher
clutter-tolerance than I do, and since I'm the one that worries about most,
I'm the one that does most of the "cleaning" (more straightening up though.
But I do most of the laundry). I, a man, even clean the toilet every month
or so whether it needs it or not. LOL ;-)
-------------------------------------
"Despite the high cost of living
it's still extremely popular!"
http://rambleman.tripod.com/index.html
Barda A. Allen
_________
I've been on no email with this group for a long time now. I
did that because I thought it would be simpler to go to the
site toread it. that never happened much, so now I'm on digest
mode. I just have to say that I read this digest interspered
with house cleaning and then the next email in my box was a
survey about cleaning products.
Interesting how the universe works.
Well, I filled out the survey and they are sending me some
sort of cleaner to use for 2 weeks.
Wow, I'll have a clean house!
My house is quite big, three floors, plus a basement. and 4
kids and their friends and a dh, myself, a dog, turtle and a
bird.
On cleaning I'm alot like Deb, hi Deb, on the other list we
are one I keep saying we are alot alike and I think that is
true.
Peace,
Barda
(with libertarian leanings who stuffed envelopes for the
democrats this afternoon)
=====
To be cause in your life, thoughtfully create what you are committed to & take actions consistent with that commitment! See what I'm up to in my life at http://www.greatestnetworker.com/is/barda_a_allen
I'm getting an extracheck in my checking acct every week, curious? visit my websites -http://www.Barda.ExtraCheck.com http://www.vitamark.com/821261
__________________________________________________
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>Hello,
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2002 10:42:12 -0600
> From: Deborah Lewis <ddzimlew@...>
> Subject: Re: House cleaning
>
> I never made a schedule for cleaning because I knew if Dylan
> wanted to do
> something else I wouldn't say no, I have to mop today.
> I don't worry. I do the essential stuff and the rest gets
> taken care on
> along the way when one or the other of us has the time and
> inclination to
> do it.
I've been on no email with this group for a long time now. I
did that because I thought it would be simpler to go to the
site toread it. that never happened much, so now I'm on digest
mode. I just have to say that I read this digest interspered
with house cleaning and then the next email in my box was a
survey about cleaning products.
Interesting how the universe works.
Well, I filled out the survey and they are sending me some
sort of cleaner to use for 2 weeks.
Wow, I'll have a clean house!
My house is quite big, three floors, plus a basement. and 4
kids and their friends and a dh, myself, a dog, turtle and a
bird.
On cleaning I'm alot like Deb, hi Deb, on the other list we
are one I keep saying we are alot alike and I think that is
true.
Peace,
Barda
(with libertarian leanings who stuffed envelopes for the
democrats this afternoon)
=====
To be cause in your life, thoughtfully create what you are committed to & take actions consistent with that commitment! See what I'm up to in my life at http://www.greatestnetworker.com/is/barda_a_allen
I'm getting an extracheck in my checking acct every week, curious? visit my websites -http://www.Barda.ExtraCheck.com http://www.vitamark.com/821261
__________________________________________________
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Jeff & Kate Kerr
I don't have time to clean, so it doesn't happen very often. This week
for example:
Monday was spent putting the car in and getting it out of the shop which
meant a 2 mile walk in each direction (with both kids, ages 5 and 7
1/2). They did it without complaining (we walk 3 miles 2x a week
already), so I was grateful for that. Then lunch with my dad, which is
about a 2 hour affair - after all we need time to visit and then he
plays with the kids (or visa versa). Friends came for dinner, which I
had 1 hour to get ready for.
Tuesday we walked in the morning and then spent the rest of the morning
hanging out at the mission (where we walk) playing in the Tulle huts.
Lunch with my dad and husband. Then to the movies with the kids. Thank
god for the crock pot.
Wednesday was a trip to the zoo - all day event considering we have to
drive an hour to get there, again the crock pot.
Thursday we walked again in the morning, then collapsed at home. Ok I
got a little house work done, like the ironing and folding clothes.
Friday was a trip to the corn maze (got hopelessly lost and had to be
rescued). Then a picnic, then arts at a friends house, then to the
farmer's market and the cafe for a snack. Now we are home and I'm still
not interested in cleaning.
I'll probably do a little cleaning this weekend because as I look around
I realize that people have dropped their clothing wherever they took
them off and there are dishes spread around the house. On the other
hand, there is the beach this weekend and a friend's birthday party,
etc...
Sometimes I envy people who can keep their house clean. Then again, I'm
sure that that's what they do all day! I would rather have a messy
house and a happy family.
for example:
Monday was spent putting the car in and getting it out of the shop which
meant a 2 mile walk in each direction (with both kids, ages 5 and 7
1/2). They did it without complaining (we walk 3 miles 2x a week
already), so I was grateful for that. Then lunch with my dad, which is
about a 2 hour affair - after all we need time to visit and then he
plays with the kids (or visa versa). Friends came for dinner, which I
had 1 hour to get ready for.
Tuesday we walked in the morning and then spent the rest of the morning
hanging out at the mission (where we walk) playing in the Tulle huts.
Lunch with my dad and husband. Then to the movies with the kids. Thank
god for the crock pot.
Wednesday was a trip to the zoo - all day event considering we have to
drive an hour to get there, again the crock pot.
Thursday we walked again in the morning, then collapsed at home. Ok I
got a little house work done, like the ironing and folding clothes.
Friday was a trip to the corn maze (got hopelessly lost and had to be
rescued). Then a picnic, then arts at a friends house, then to the
farmer's market and the cafe for a snack. Now we are home and I'm still
not interested in cleaning.
I'll probably do a little cleaning this weekend because as I look around
I realize that people have dropped their clothing wherever they took
them off and there are dishes spread around the house. On the other
hand, there is the beach this weekend and a friend's birthday party,
etc...
Sometimes I envy people who can keep their house clean. Then again, I'm
sure that that's what they do all day! I would rather have a messy
house and a happy family.
Jeff & Kate Kerr
OOPS, forgot to sign the above post.
Kate
Kate
marji
At 16:42 10/18/02 -0700, Kate Kerr wrote:
Tour this Christmas season, that's for sure! And unless they get a
Stepford Wives thing going here, you can bet our house won't be on the
Garden Tour next summer, either!
Our house is not a neat place at all, but when a kid comes over, there's
lots to do and nobody gets hollered at for having fun. Sometimes I do get
one of those feelings in the pit of my stomach when a neighbor steps inside
and witnesses the bedlam. That's when it pays for me to remember that
great tag line that someone (Tia maybe?) used to have. It was something
like "What you think of me is none of my business." And, as that famous
marine merchant by the name of Popeye once said, "I yam what I
yam." (Hmmm, I wonder if he really did say that.) <g>
Marji, (who is maybe just a little too relaxed!)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>Sometimes I envy people who can keep their house clean. Then again, I'mI know what you mean! My house is certainly not going to be on the Holiday
>sure that that's what they do all day! I would rather have a messy
>house and a happy family.
Tour this Christmas season, that's for sure! And unless they get a
Stepford Wives thing going here, you can bet our house won't be on the
Garden Tour next summer, either!
Our house is not a neat place at all, but when a kid comes over, there's
lots to do and nobody gets hollered at for having fun. Sometimes I do get
one of those feelings in the pit of my stomach when a neighbor steps inside
and witnesses the bedlam. That's when it pays for me to remember that
great tag line that someone (Tia maybe?) used to have. It was something
like "What you think of me is none of my business." And, as that famous
marine merchant by the name of Popeye once said, "I yam what I
yam." (Hmmm, I wonder if he really did say that.) <g>
Marji, (who is maybe just a little too relaxed!)
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Mary Bianco
>From: Jeff & Kate Kerr <windystreet@...><<Sometimes I envy people who can keep their house clean. Then again, I'm
sure that that's what they do all day! I would rather have a messy
house and a happy family.>>
I have a neat house, a clean house and a happy family. I don't clean all
day, but I clean during times through out the day.
Mary B
_________________________________________________________________
Unlimited Internet access -- and 2 months free!� Try MSN.
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Betsy
**Friday was a trip to the corn maze (got hopelessly lost and had to be
rescued). **
Oh, cool. We did the corn maze thing today, in Fremont. It was fun,
and not too exhausting for my (admittedly low) fitness level.
Betsy
P.S. Where is there a mission with Tule huts?
rescued). **
Oh, cool. We did the corn maze thing today, in Fremont. It was fun,
and not too exhausting for my (admittedly low) fitness level.
Betsy
P.S. Where is there a mission with Tule huts?
Jeff & Kate Kerr
***P.S. Where is there a mission with Tule huts?
Betsy***
Hi Betsy,
We live on the coast in California near one of the Calif. missions.
Tulle huts were where the Indians lived. (Ok, not very PC, but a great
place to learn about Ca history and they have over 5000 acres to hike
and explore).
***I have a neat house, a clean house and a happy family. I don't clean
all
day, but I clean during times through out the day.
Mary B***
Mary,
I'm not passing judgement on keeping a house clean. I'm actually
envious of people who can. One of my best friends homeschools and
manages to keep her house clean, and we even do arts at her house every
Friday (it's one of the reasons we do it there, there's more room for
moving around in because it's cleaner) - of course we also help her
clean up afterward to keep it clean. I was trying to A) be funny and B)
just visit about our busy week.
Kate
Betsy***
Hi Betsy,
We live on the coast in California near one of the Calif. missions.
Tulle huts were where the Indians lived. (Ok, not very PC, but a great
place to learn about Ca history and they have over 5000 acres to hike
and explore).
***I have a neat house, a clean house and a happy family. I don't clean
all
day, but I clean during times through out the day.
Mary B***
Mary,
I'm not passing judgement on keeping a house clean. I'm actually
envious of people who can. One of my best friends homeschools and
manages to keep her house clean, and we even do arts at her house every
Friday (it's one of the reasons we do it there, there's more room for
moving around in because it's cleaner) - of course we also help her
clean up afterward to keep it clean. I was trying to A) be funny and B)
just visit about our busy week.
Kate
Deborah Lewis
Hello Barda!
I bought some kind of cleaner from a door to door salesman! No survey,
just a really cute guy with a dazzling smile and I was writing that
check. Man, I need to get out more!
So, I'll have a clean house too!
When do you suppose it will happen? And will I be able to watch?
It's nice to see you here!
Libertarian leanings??? You are CRACKING me UP!!<G>
Deb, (with smart ass leanings who stuffed cookies in her face today).
On Fri, 18 Oct 2002 15:51:40 -0700 (PDT) "Barda A. Allen"
<ringoalibi@...> writes:
I bought some kind of cleaner from a door to door salesman! No survey,
just a really cute guy with a dazzling smile and I was writing that
check. Man, I need to get out more!
So, I'll have a clean house too!
When do you suppose it will happen? And will I be able to watch?
It's nice to see you here!
Libertarian leanings??? You are CRACKING me UP!!<G>
Deb, (with smart ass leanings who stuffed cookies in her face today).
On Fri, 18 Oct 2002 15:51:40 -0700 (PDT) "Barda A. Allen"
<ringoalibi@...> writes:
> Hello,
>
> I've been on no email with this group for a long time now. I
> did that because I thought it would be simpler to go to the
> site toread it. that never happened much, so now I'm on digest
> mode. I just have to say that I read this digest interspered
> with house cleaning and then the next email in my box was a
> survey about cleaning products.
>
> Interesting how the universe works.
>
> Well, I filled out the survey and they are sending me some
> sort of cleaner to use for 2 weeks.
>
> Wow, I'll have a clean house!
>
> My house is quite big, three floors, plus a basement. and 4
> kids and their friends and a dh, myself, a dog, turtle and a
> bird.
>
> On cleaning I'm alot like Deb, hi Deb, on the other list we
> are one I keep saying we are alot alike and I think that is
> true.
>
> Peace,
> Barda
> (with libertarian leanings who stuffed envelopes for the
> democrats this afternoon)
Tia Leschke
That's when it pays for me to remember that
Tia
> great tag line that someone (Tia maybe?) used to have.You got it.
Tia
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/18/02 3:49:23 PM Central Daylight Time,
ddzimlew@... writes:
~Nancy
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
ddzimlew@... writes:
> You can imagine how smart I felt.Hey, at least you got paid for your performance! <g>
>
> But the cookies are good.
>
> Deb L
~Nancy
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]