So yesterday, I was working off The List. I got the big stuff done: unpacking, 7 loads of laundry and let me tell you what, I have commercial machines, and 7 loads is ALOT to fold. I got it all folded save 1 load. I also bought groceries, and put them away without the usual help from the boys. Go me.

What I did not get done: cleaning, of any sort. The bathrooms still growl when I walk by, the floors still crunch and stick, the sheets need changing and the stairs are unaccountably furry.

In a pathetic attempt to avoid the cleaning, I went through my closet and pulled out all the shirts that need ironing. This should tell you just how badly I wish to avoid cleaning, because I DESPISE ironing, but I can do it standing in one spot whilst watching a Jane Austen movie. I could have the entire house swept, mopped, and linens changed in the amount of time it will take me to iron the shirts. I would have a deep sense of accomplishment and “aren’t I the GoodWife” if I cleaned the house but…I DON’T WANT TO.

Because, no one would notice. No one would say “the house smells so lemony-fresh!” or “Wow! clean sheets, thanks!”. Instead, it would be “What’s for supper?” or “Are we out of Cheeze-Its again?” Don’t get me wrong, everyone is as appreciative of the work I do as they could be. We don’t all jump up and down every night and tell Sweet Daddio how much we appreciate the hard work he does every day to keep us in a house and clothes and deli-meat. But we do, appreciate him, that is. So, I guess I should do my job(s), and believe that everyone appreciates a gleaming toilet and a well cooked chicken, even if they don’t do a song-and-dance routine to show it.

Ok, that last paragraph was a little bitter. The Husband and The Boys have made me feel wonderfully welcome upon getting home. They say “I LOVE YOU!” as they leave for school. How many 16/18 yr old young men do that? If I ask them to carry something heavy upstairs, they do it without whining. Emptying the dishwasher, feeding the dogs, running to the corner store for a gallon of milk, they do it with good cheer.

Now I’ve talked myself into cleaning. It’s how I’ll show them I love and appreciate them, by providing them a clean and inviting house, a well cooked meal, and a smiling countenance when they get home from work/school.