Today will be busy. I am hosting a neighborhood potluck, and because I’ve been enjoying the gluttony of daytime playdates with my friends and evening snuggle-fests with my sons, the prep-work will involve a fire hose and a bulldozer. (I seriously do not understand how my house consistently goes from clean to messy so damned quickly!)
I need to sit down and write out a massive to-do list in order to present a less than filthy party home, so today’s blog post will be on the short side, and I so present to you . . . why my house is so messy:
- My son and I got sucked into watching TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras. That show is a fantastic crash scene from which it is impossible to look away. Did anyone else notice how the 8-year-old contestant’s 15-ish-year-old sister was pregnant? (In my defense, I had never watched this show before.)
- Portland Public Schools had a two-hour late start yesterday, which meant I couldn’t get my groove on until past 11:00 A.M.
- I spent almost all of my kid-are-at-school time yesterday hanging out with my friend Chelsea. She keeps saying that she’s going to start a blog called “Hanging Out With Katy,” where we go do stuff that earns money, yet she has yet to start it up. Her procrastination disappointments me.
- I mailed my holiday package out to my sister in New York City. This package included gifts for both Christmas and two birthdays, and the completion of this task filled me with such a sense of accomplishment that I felt no need do the dinner dishes or tidy anything up. And laundry? Fuggedaboutit.
And that, dear readers, is why my home looks like it houses a herd of insane and rabid chimps. When really, the chimps are actually neither insane nor rabid.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
At least you have reasons! I can never come up with justification for my ours is such a train wreck. Even if we start the week all calm, cool, and collected Sunday evening, by Tuesday morning lunch prepping, total disaster. How? I ask you, How?
I have no answers.
Katy
I just have to say that I’m sorry you got sucked into Toddlers and Tiaras. I agree with you on how you can’t look away, but somehow my finger always hits the change channel button after seeing what this show is about and the people in it.
Thank you for reminding me that I’m not alone!
Mine is messy because: 1. my crazy knee isn’t cooperating about healing so I can get up and buzz around like I want to; 2. we have eight grandchildren to give even moderate Christmas gifts to; 3. Christmas exploded in my house this year (see reason #2); 4. I dislike shopping, wrapping, etc. and I procrastinate — every year.
Sigh.
My house is messy because my husband is messy. End of story. 🙂
Mine too.
Mine too….. 🙂
Katy, I love your site and agree with nearly all of your posts. I just felt compelled to comment, however, on the comment about noticing the 15-year-old-ish pregnant girl. Young women who become pregnant face significant hurdles, not the least of which is the proclivity older women often have of looking down at them. As a high school teacher, I have seen many pregnant teens struggle with stereotypes that others have against them. You don’t know on sight whether a teen is pregnant because of a lack of using birth control, failed birth control, or rape. I’m sure you didn’t mean your comment to be degrading, but pregnant teens need hope and support, not snide comments. Those are just my thoughts. I’m sure many will disagree, but I felt I had to speak up.
I apologize if my comment came across as snide. I am a labor and delivery nurse and am fully aware of the issues related to teen pregnancy. I just thought it was odd that Toddlers and Tiaras never showed this girl except in super-brief shots.
Katy
When I saw your comment about the pregnant sister, I just thought you were making a valid comment on how creepy things like toddler beauty contests lead to other unfavorable things like too-early pregnancies. Like, it’s all part of the spectrum of negative things for kids.
What Karen said.
I too read Katy’s comment as how the creepy, exploitative-ish toddler beauty thing is part and parcel of the over-sexualization of kids, and how that’s related to unplanned early pregnancies, (for any variety of reasons). And pointing out the ironic example in the background of how one is related to the other (literally).
I have a technique called “preventive dishwashing” where I just reuse dirty dishes. It helps keep the kitchen under control in my dishwasherless kitchen. I read somewhere that that’s what people used to do before they got so stuck on everything being extra clean, so I thought I might as well. It’s my version of playing Little House on the Prairie.
Too funny!
Katy
My great grandmother was a private duty nurse in Indianapolis in the late 1800s/early 1900s. One evening when she sat down to dinner with a family for the first time, the dishes were in a tidy stack at the head of the table with the man of the house, who was to serve the food. The wife said, “The clean plate on top is for Miss Paris, dear.”
And how long was life expectancy in the late 1800’s? 😉
Katy
At least I’m in good company! My house is horrid, I even had a morning without kids today and barely made a dent in it. The call of Bailey’s and Christmas cookies is too strong, I just want to veg.
I have no reason for a dirty house. It was very clean after the weekend, but I spend hours decluttering and cleaning this morning. I think there are gremlins afoot.
I have no chimps, so I will have to blame the condition of my house on three dogs, five cats, and the fact that a fabric store apparently exploded in my living room as I was working on a quilting project.
Congrats! You have a life!! You are not a slave to your house–that is the way it should be. I promise you that the house fairy has never showed up to clean for me. Sometimes the dust bunnies have had to jump at my feet to get my attention. It needs to be clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to live in! Sounds like you got it all figured out! Yay!
My house is messy because cleaning it is on the bottom of my priority list. It domes after quilting and sewing. After knitting. After watcing Prime Suspect in the evening. After baking cookings (which it should come immediately, lol).After walking the dog. After going to the thrift store and used bookstor. After reading the latest John Sanford. Even after doing the laundry (I can have dirty dishes but not dirty clothing)
Seriously, I lived in germany for seven years and had a polish houskeeper for forty bucks for an eight our day twice a week. I was a poor housekeeper before I went (hubby was the move the furniture when you vacuum kind of guy, not me), and since I came back, its like I for got. The dishes get washed, the house gets vaccumed a couple times a week (only because we have dogs) and the same with the bathroom. Everything else is negotiable………..lol
Hi Katy I love your blog! I have been following you for bout six months now and I really enjoy your humor and the way you view the world! I smile every time I read your blog and today I soooooo know how you feel! I am a momma to six rabid chimps ages 18,17,13,10,8 & 2 and my house seems to be in an eternal state of mess no matter how hard I try. I often fantasize about buying the house next door so I can live in peace and order again and leave the rabid chimps (sloppy spouse included) here to live in their filth and chaos and just visit them during the day lol. I’m just kidding, mostly anyway! I look forward to more blog posts and laughs from you! Btw I love Laura Ingalls Wilder as well and thanks for blogging about the book or I may not have heard about it! I live in Missouri and have visited Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield a couple times and it was a really cool experience!
House with 3 boys. Enough said.
My mom grew up with a maid, so never learned housework. My dad grew up (only child) with a doting mother, so never learned housework. I grew up in chaos and have spent my life trying to learn better. Bill grew up in a tidy house and while a bit messy also has loads of tidy habits. Our compromise is to keep the public areas picked up and to pig out in our private spaces. That said, I start picking up with our bedroom, as I sleep better when it doesn’t feel as though the world is about to fall in on me. I admit to being the world’s biggest, laziest slob…which is why my house is messy.
The cats make my house dirty. . . You wouldn’t believe how often I clean because they just mess it right up again
My house is messy, too. It is covered in landmines of children’s toys, dog toys, and other assorted odds and ends. I used to be crazy about it and now I just don’t care. I’d rather have a messy, comfortable house than a clean museum. Family and friends, and bad reality TV, trump cleaning any day!
In December I just let my house get messy- with all the wrappings and various cookie boxes,gift bags and baking and cooking pots pans utensils,etc.. , there is absolutely no hope of seeing my counters or finding a clear space to lay anything down. And I HAVE to have honor those hot chocolate and wine dates with my girlfriends this time of year!! Who has time for laundry???? I just put the christmas carols on louder, leave the tree lights on all day and night and call it “festive..”
Kind of amazed that you let your child watch such crappy television. The best way to raise non-consumerist children is to limit their television or just not have a television in the house. And if they are going to watch TV, make it educational or at least not absolute trash like Toddlers and Tiaras. So sad.