Attention to Details

In case you didn't know, the potential lies within me to be an obsessive compulsive cleaner. I like things organized, put in their places, and cleaned really well. I know my roommates in college couldn't stand it. I probably just about drove them crazy with how irritated I would get over dishes in the sink, shoes on the floor, and any little mess I saw. A husband and two children have really done a good job on the obsesssive compulsive part (there are dishes in the sink as I'm typing this...don't worry, I'll get you as soon as I'm done typing), but I still like things to be "Mother Clean" as my mom used to refer to it (see I get it honest). If I had to define the term "Mother Clean" it would mean that something is cleaned better than anyone else in the house would care to clean it. It also means that it has probably been cleaned with a toothbush and some sort of harsh chemical requiring cleaning gloves and probably a mask although I'm sure a mask was never worn (you just have to hold your breath as long as you can and then make it to fresh air for a deep breath). It also implies that the mother got tired at looking at a job half done/half clean and went into a hormonal cleaning fit and probably cleaned things like the closets, baseboards, and cabinets while she was at it. Well, this happened to me today. I typically say that if you aren't using a toothbrush while you are cleaning then you aren't really cleaning (I hope this doesn't offend any of you non-toothbrush cleaning readers out there). However, since having baby number 2, I have put my cleaning tootbrushes aside and decided that if other people don't clean with toothbrushes then I'm not either. This mainly applied to the bathroom (all other areas still need toothbrushes, I just thought I could get away with it in the bathroom). I bought some Scrubbing Bubbles because it says, "cleans so you don't have to" and well, that's what I wanted - a quick and easy cleaning job. I have actually been very pleased with the Scrubbing Bubbles, so pleased that I didn't restock on Comet when I ran out. The dirt and grime definitely just fall away, but what I started to notice was the little pink line around the drain of the tub and sink and the base of our stand up shower caddy. I still didn't pull out my toothbrushes, but I would scrub a little harder with my sponge. The pink would disappear, but it seemed to come back almost instantly. As I was bathing my two precious children last night it was no longer pink...it was RED!! This brings me to today. Today I donned my hot pink cleaning gloves (every serious cleaner needs a pair. It makes you feel decidedly feminine), sprayed a serious layer of Scrubbing Bubbles and went to town - toothbrush in hand. I didn't just stop with the tub though. The toothbrush got a workout on all major appliances in the bathroom...the nastiest being our toilet. HOLY COW have you ever used a toothbrush to scrub the hinges on the seat and lid. Our oldest was in there with me (he's 2 1/2). Every time I would say, "That's disgusting" he would say, "Ugggg." It was gross!! So, my bathroom is spotless and now I firmly restate my opinion, "If you aren't cleaning with a toothbrush then you aren't really cleaning!"

As a side note, I also cleaned the outside door to our laundry room and the outside window seal on our deck...sticking with the definition of "Mother Clean." Now I will tackle those dishes.

(I haven't quite figured out this picture placement yet)

What's in a Title?

So here I am, finally on the blog scene. I actually started to try to make a blogspot two years ago, but something went wrong and I never came back to it. While I've been working on this new blog (all of 10 minutes), I've had to come up with a couple of titles. Titles are usually difficult for me. It's like I always want to come up with something really catchy that grabs people's attention and makes me seem witty, but typically I end up floundering around with words that just sound silly together. When it comes to titleing (I'm pretty sure that's not spelled correctly but titling didn't look right either) something, I usually wait for someone else to come up with something which is so different from every other aspect of my life (usually I'm the first to come up with an idea even if it isn't good). For me, I have to work through a project, a paper, or in this case a blog before I can come up with something even remotely worthy of announcing the content of my project (paper, blog, etc.). So while I was contemplating what to title my very first blog, the beginning of my online thoughts, this popped into my mind...in the journey of life, I often don't really understand all that God is doing in that moment...I can't give it a title. It isn't until I've worked through situations, experienced people, LIVED life that I can look back and see God's hand in it all. It's at that point that the lightbulb comes on and I can "title" a season of my life. My husband and I have a yearly anniversary tradition that started on our honeymoon (this is a whole 'nother story in itself and not at all applicable to titles - but very funny). Each year we drink a bottle of wine and then save that bottle. Somewhere on the bottle I write a "title" and then a few bullet points to describe that year. Just the other day I looked at our wine bottles. Some of the titles were; Learning to Love, Trial by Fire, New Additions. Those titles were written after the year was lived. I think so many times we try to title our lives based on what we want them to be and what we think is coming or even what we want to come. It doesn't work that way. We can have goals and dreams, but God is the one who orchestrates and orders our lives. When I'm unsure of what's going on in my life I need to stop trying to force a "title" to bring understanding and instead just relax in my trust of God and know that the "title" will come later.