Okay, most people who know me know that I like to get things done. One of my simple pleasures is crossing items off of my to-do list. One of my biggest frustrations is starting a project and only getting half-way through. However, since having Jacob, I have learned to be a little bit more flexible in my expectations for completing a project. One of the best examples of this change comes from cleaning my house. My personal preference is to get it all done in the same morning, but Jacob does not seem to enjoy that very much. So, my new strategy is "One area at a time". That way I feel like I can at least cross that area off of my list, and he avoids feeling neglected for an entire day.
I used to be able to get him started with some toys or books or something, and then I would have a good 15 or 20 minutes to work on the "area" for that day. However, recently he has decided that doing what Mom is doing is much more fun than playing on his own. Having gleaned some wisdom from my Mother, I try to look at this time together as play time with a little bit of work. Sometimes that perspective works, sometimes it does not:) Like the other day when I decided the bathroom was going to be our 'area'. I put Jacob in the bath-tub (fully clothed) with a cloth, and I told him that he got to 'clean' the bathtub while I worked on everything else. All I needed was a solid 8 or 10 minutes, and I could get it all done. Instead, this is my best recollection of how it went:
9:00- Jacob in tub, fully clothed, no water, and a cloth. Me putting on my cleaning gloves and turning on the sink.
9:01-Jacob noticing the water running, and asking for the bath water to be turned on. Me turning the bath water on at a trickle, putting cleaner in the toilet, and removing a few items from the counter top.
9:02-Jacob realizing that he could easily get more water to come out by turning the knob a little more. Jacob in tub, fully clothed, pants soaked, wet cloth, and crying because the water was cold. Me taking off my gloves, taking off his pants, getting a wash bin, putting it in the tub, filling it up with a little bit of warm water, and giving him a bath toy to play with in the warm water.
9:03-Jacob wearing only a diaper and a shirt, sitting in the tub, playing with his toys. Me putting my gloves back on, quickly cleaning the sink and counter top, thinking to myself, "Phew two uninterrupted minutes, this is going pretty well! Then thinking, why is he being so quiet?"
9:05-Me looking at Jacob. Jacob squished inside the wash bin full of water, legs squeezed into the tiny space, diaper expanding right before our eyes, and asking for all of his bath toys to be close enough that he can still reach them.
9:06-Me talking off my gloves, scooting Jacob his toys, and putting my gloves back on to get to the toilet. Jacob realizing his diaper has now expanded to such a size that he can no longer stand up or lean to get out of the bin, letting me know that he is not happy about this, and shivering from the cold.
9:07-Me on the verge of feeling sorry for myself because I can't even clean 1 bathroom in peace, thinking of what my Mom would say and what a great blog post this could make, taking off my gloves, getting the camera, talking Jacob into smiling for the camera, promising I will help him after we get one good shot, and laughing as I lift him and his at least 3lb diaper out of the tub. Jacob wondering why Mom just left the bathroom instead of helping him, crying in distress, agreeing to smile for one picture, and relieved that I picked him up.
9:08- Jacob and me in his room, getting a new, light-weight diaper, and deciding that playing with some blocks is a much better idea than finishing today's 'area'! So much for 8 to 10 uninterrupted minutes!
p.s. I did eventually get the bathroom done as Jacob napped, and I did have some good laughs with my Mom that same afternoon! Hope you enjoy!
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8 comments:
I can so relate to that! I have opted for the same cleaning technique--cleaning one thing a day--and I, too, have found that I usually have to wait until nap time.
Truly hilarious. Thanks for sharing!
That is hilarious. I can so see Jacob doing that. Too funny. I am glad you snapped a picture.
Lose the gloves, Lady! I experienced the same thing today-- except, I did not turn on the water. Instead, I threw a few balls in the tub with Tyson, and I didn't have gloves to put on and off. OH, KIDS! I was just telling Tyson that I used to be able to clean the entire house while he sat in his crib playing. Those were the Good Old Days!
That is darling. I love the story! As soon as you turned the faucet on to just dripping I thought, "Oh no", I knew where this was going... kind of. :) More inventive than I imagined though. Laughter is such a perfect way to relive the stress of motherhood! The stories we have... Sydney FINGER PAINTED my carpet. It's on the market by the way (the house). Wish us luck! I love your little boy!! SO CUTE!!
Oh, I feel your pain!! I am constantly reminding myself that Milo is more important than my "chores." It's a struggle huh? At least we can laugh about it! Love the blog! em
Wow, Tiff! Thanks for sharing. I think reading other moms' blogs helps me, too! I think that is one of the hardest lessons with a first child though! Nap times are the best times to clean. But only an hour and then you have to do non-mommy stuff like read a good book or blog! :) Sounds like you are doing great, though!
Hey, we had tons of fun hanging out with you guys the last five days. Thanks for letting us crash at your place. We're missing you already and miss seeing Jacob's smile. As I was getting ready this morning I was missing Jacob's little face peeking around the corner trying to watch what I was doing.
I love this post! This is exactly how I feel every day...except I usually nap during nap time, too! I'm so glad that you have a blog--it's fun to see what's going on for you and your cute family. Love you tons, girl!
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