Clean House or Happy Kids

I read a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt in a recent Real Simple magazine, "the only advantage in not being too good a housekeeper is that your guests are so pleased to feel how very much better they are."

A lot of you out there should feel how very much better you are than me.

I look at the dust on the shelves and the fur gathered in bits under the tables and hiding in corners-enough to cover a small dog. 

I see the spots of milk that didn't get wiped up quickly enough to prevent them from seeping into the wood- leaving polka dots, evidence of the trail of a leaky sippy cup like the bread crumbs in Hansel and Gretel. 

That's a milk polka dot, if you look really closely you can see one of the small rodents worth of dog hair in the upper part of the picture.  It's a popular dog hair migration location.  Funny I should know those spots...?

Then I think of the kids playing catch with Mark.  Brushing Sarina's hair and fixing it in ponytails.  I see the kids having a dance party in the living room (sometimes I join in, sometimes Mark is invited to a "wedding dance" with his first little girl).  Reading Mother Goose to kids who still enjoy the rhymes.

There are trails of soap in the bathroom sinks, bits of toilet paper shredded by a two year old sitting on the potty waiting to be wiped, stacks of laundry that still haven't been put away even though they've been pillaged repeatedly for a new day's wardrobe.

And I know that my kids are happy.  They have a mama and daddy who love them more than anything in this world.

Dirty house, happy kids, dirty house, happy kids, dirty house, happy kids, dirty house, happy kids.

And all you people out there get to feel better than me because you vacuum, dust, scrub toilets and sinks on a regular basis.  Enjoy friends, I admit it.  I can't think of the last time I changed everyones sheets and have no idea the last time a vacuum was used upstairs. 

Oh well. 

Life is short and soon enough it will all be spic and span... 

I think...

This coming from a girl who used to fold and re-fold all her sweaters so they stacked perfectly just like in the Gap.  A girl who SWORE that everything would be spic and span at all times, whatever the cost.  A girl who could have never imagined living in a house as dusty and cluttered as mine is (let alone the chicken poop smeared on a naked little girl's belly- ack!).  But the dust is evidence of life and clutter is part of a full house.  Chicken poop, well- ewwww!!  I embrace it all the messiness of it.

As for HcG, I've lost 3 1/2 lbs so far.  Today I had an Americano in the morning, an orange before I made everyones lunch, a cup of chopped purple cabbage, 100 g chicken sauteed in water with oregano, chili powder, and garlic salt dressed with balsamic vinegar and Franks hot sauce and 1/2 a brown rice cake for lunch.  I sweet talked Mark into making me another Americano mid afternoon.  For dinner I had 100g Talapia (now I'm not sure if it's an ok fish...) baked with garlic salt and fresh ground pepper over 2 cups loosely packed butter lettuce and 1/2 cup blueberries dressed with... you guessed it balsamic vinegar and Franks.  Not bad.  I'm feeling ok.  But I need to buy more garlic salt.:)

My energy is good, today I planted two massive pots my mom gave me.  First filled them 2/3 of the way with bricks then with dirt I hauled around the house in a wheelbarrow.  I didn't feel super sleepy mid day like I usually do. 

So far, so good.

One day at a time.