Losing my mind

I just about lost my mind today.

Jeff has been putting in floor trim.  It looks awesome.  I’m little sad we won’t have it to enjoy for ourselves.  I have been painting window sills, existing door trim and cleaning.  I’ve gone through 4 boxes of Magic Clean Erasers (which by the way are awesome).  I’ve cleaned all the little tiny closet door slats.  I’ve washed the blinds.  I’ve washed walls.  I’ve washed two of four windows (along with the screen and the tracks).  There’s a lot more to do.  The girls have nearly no toys in their room; yet, it’s a disaster.  We’ve been asking for days that it be picked up.  And let’s be honest, Jeff and I have been busy cleaning and fixing and didn’t offer a lot of follow-through either.  But seriously!  There is a big box of duplo lego’s and another Rubbermaid for the miscellaneous toys (which is only a quarter full). That’s it!  Yet, they managed to have the room so messy I couldn’t even walk in it.  Fine. It’s messy.  But how hard is it to clean when you have two buckets to choose from?  Is it a lego? Great, lego bucket!  Is it NOT a lego?  Great, random box!  That’s it.  And this is how I nearly lost my mind.

There’s always help needed and nagging required over cleaning their room.  But there are TWO boxes!!  TWO!!!  Can you hear me losing my mind?  I think the neighbors may have.  I resorted to sorting the toys into three piles and each child has their own pile to take care of.  It’s our way of limiting squabbles over who is doing more work.  Still, they couldn’t get their piles picked up.  They spent 6 HOURS ….let me rephrase this….I SPENT 6 hours trying to get them to pick up their room.  Can you picture me losing my mind? Did I mention….there are TWO boxes!  Okay, fine, three if you count the laundry bag for all the random pairs of underwear and socks around the room.  October & Scarlett got their piles, finally, picked up.  I left for the store and when I returned Lavender sadly pronounced that daddy told her no one was allowed to help her and…she….NNEEEEDDDDEEEEDDDDD……help.  I hastily told her to just throw the rest away.    She hadn’t thought of this plan and quite happily decided the best way to clean was to indeed throw the toys away.  Fine.  But, not before carrying the soon-to-be tossed toy’s into the living room to show her sisters and proclaim that she was throwing it away!   To which the other two children started losing their minds!  Can you hear me losing mine?  The other two decide to help Lavender since they don’t want ANYTHING thrown away!  Nada. Zip. Discarded clothing tag?  Absolutely it must be kept!  I am losing my mind!  While trying to cook dinner, I hear them goofing around and find all three playing and jumping…..right on top of the remaining toys and garbage that needs to be picked up!  AAHHHH!!!!!!!!!  I announce that my head is going to explode and leave the room.  They decided it’s in their best interest to finish the room.  SIX HOURS LATER!!  To which, it’s been determined.  I have already lost my mind.  I gather my packing tape and head into their room and tape all TWO of their boxes of toys closed.  Yup.  Now they lose their minds!  They recover quickly (much too quickly if you had asked me) and sit at the table to await dinner (and by wait, I mean ask for snacks while I am nearly finished cooking dinner).  Scarlett looks over the Magic Clean Erasers and asks “Is there anything I can help clean?”  Are you kidding me?  Yes, it was your room!  SIX HOURS AGO!  I pour myself a cocktail and look for mind at the bottom of it.