Monday, August 10, 2009

Not Me! Monday

I am not a napkin. My kids are constantly wiping their faces-hands-feet all over my sleeve-leg-arm. Really, I'm not a napkin. Knock it off.

Matt has the boys so trained that they actually go and wash their faces and hands whether they need to or not at the mere sight of him in a suit. So why, then, do I have to use a mirror to check the back of my shoulders for sludge before leaving the house? Oh yeah, because I'm a human napkin.

I know everyone counsels that one day I will miss the fingerprints on the tables. The windows. The walls. The mirrors. The television. The door jams. The inside of the car windows. The refrigerator. And on and on and on. But today I am disenchanted with my messy universe. The harder I try, the more determined to grime things up they become.

So I did not at one point this week stare down my six (nearly seven and old enough to know better) with such disappointment that it brought him to near tears over his EVERYWHERE fingerprints. Not me! Not when seconds--and I'm not exaggerating even a little bit--seconds after I finished a perfect streak free cleaning of the large sliding door off our kitchen he ran his two sticky mitts full force into the glass.

And I did not let the heat of my disbelief fly his way when just minutes after our firm but controlled discussion of why it was inconsiderate to have messed up the glass while I was cleaning it did he follow me upstairs and blatantly spray a water bottle directly at the mirror in my master bath. REALLY? On your bed while I cool down just a bit if you please. No, not me!

I realize this is small stuff folks, but sometimes the small stuff is all I get done in a day. Capiche? Sometimes having a clean mirror to look at the darkening circles under my eyes or a crystal clear view of the yard work that awaits is as far as I get. So I'm taking it upon myself to focus on the small things to teach my kids the big things--like noticing the hard work of others and realizing that the house feels better when its just a bit cleaner. I try to stay in the big picture and mostly succeed, but this week I have to rationalize that the only life lesson I did not teach my kids was impatience and pettiness. Not me! Sheesh. I'm glad it's next week already.

8 comments:

The Richards Family said...

Mindi, I just have to tell you that I love reading your posts! You are an amazing writer and your posts always make me smile...or cry. Your boys are adorable!!

LaTour said...

I LOVE IT! I just love (and seriously relate to) Not Me Monday posts! They make me smile. You make me smile!

Patti said...

Been there. Done that. I like clean much better than messy too. And yes, you'll probably have to wait until you're an Empty Nester too before you get the results you're looking for.

heidivee said...

Thank you for making me feel a bit more normal. Really... some days the clean mirror is ALL I get done. And it lasts about 5 minutes, if that. I am realizing these days that my house is just gross. Everywhere I look, I see fingerprints, dust, and grime. I know, I know...one day I'll miss it. But for now, that day seems a long time off.

johnsonfamily said...

The little stuff is the stuff that sets me over the edge. I can handle a bag of flour spilled on a clean floor, I almost expect it but the little things, the things that should be no brainers like a clean back door, or Mitch staying in his carseat those are the things that drive me to drink! (or at least make me want a drink or prozac) I don't think kids (or sometimes husbands) get that the little things make for happy moms which make the big picture a whole lot brighter!

Emily said...

So, so funny and so, so true!

Lisa Marie Trent said...

I love how many pictures there are on your blog of McKay asleep in his hiking backpack.

PLEASE do send me an invite to the party. If I got one, I was careless and rude and discarded it. In which case I should be invited. But please do give us another chance!!

Jamie Bailey said...

I laughed out loud reading this. I had almost the exact same discussion with my boys this morning. Mine was - I woke up early and made you a nice breakfast this morning. The least you can do is say "thank you" and clear your place. Oh, and when you brush your teeth, you do not need to flick your toothbrush all over the mirror that I clean every day. Then they look at me like, "what's the big deal?" Yes, it seems to be the small things that drive us insane!