Housework Hotline

The other day I dropped in on a friend whose house wasn't exactly in "visitor" shape. You know, laundry was left folded on the floor, toys were scattered about, breakfast crumbs on the kitchen table, etc... My friend was horrified, repeatedly apologizing as if it was her and not myself who had committed the friendship TABOO (you're really not supposed to just drop in, you know). I, on the other hand, was thrilled. Did I think she was a slob? No. Did I think she was lazy? Yeah, right. An unfit mother? No way! If anything, it only made me like her that much more. Every other time I'd ever been over, her house was always in tip-top Martha Stewart-worthy shape, and I always left there feeling completely bummed about my own obviously inferior housecleaning skills. But seeing her house that day helped to remind me that things aren't always what they seem, that somethimes even Martha Stewart gets messy.

This incident has spurred a desire to "air my dirty laundry" (or dirty house), so to speak. If I could get that type of relief from seeing someone else's house in "disarray", maybe my own messy home could illicit feelings of goodwill as well. (Sorry, Mom. This is just something I've got to do.)


Okay, so here we have the Master Bedroom -- you know, where all the magic happens. Obviously, we spend A LOT of time in here. I really have tried to create a pretty, peaceful little "love nest", but those damn kids just keep getting back in...

Same room, different picture. You can't really see it, but there is an antique heirloom baby spoon that is very precious to me lying in the middle of the floor. Ryan uses it to feed her Princesses their medicine. Again, so sorry Mom.

So now we've moved down the hall to Ryan's room, where things are actually fairly neat. I'm rather impressed, I must say. This really is a verrrry cute room. Really. It is.

Ahh, yes. Here we have the Formal Dining Room *laughing inside*, otherwise known as the "Playroom, "Big Room", "Sh*t Hole", etc... If you've ever been here before, you know this is what it looks like all the time. This is actually the only flavor this room comes in. There's no such thing as "Company Condition" in the Land of Play. And I'm really quite okay with that!

Now, I've been trying to post the last two pics of the Family Room and Kitchen for about the last 10 minutes or so, but apparently they are so disgraceful, even the computer has rejected them. Probably for the best. Am I proud of the messy condition of my home on this Friday afternoon? No, of course not, Am I tired of feeling guilt every single minute of every freakin' day 'cause my digs don't equal those in every parenting/family/home magazine ever published? uhhh, yeah! And chances are, so are a lot of you.

So do with these pics what you will: use them to help you feel not-so-alone, use them to show your friends how "the other half" lives, I don't care. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a vacuum cleaner.