My mother is a fastidious housekeeper. We always joke with her that if we want to save our books and tea cups for further use, we need to permanently fasten them to our persons because once abandoned, they are whisked away to the sink and bookshelf. Same goes for shoes, bath towels and water glasses.
It's all in good fun, because every kid knows that a clean and organized home is truly a joy and a privilege to live in. And a mom who can accomplish this while mothering 6 children is worth her weight in gold. I know we all feel this gratitude toward our dear Mom, even if we do give her a little grief for it every now and then.
One of my Mom's tried and true secrets is the vacuum. As a teenager, I would grit my teeth and bolt for the nearest door when she dragged that thing out. It was loud, and after an hour or so of the noise, I honestly thought I was going to go stark raving mad.
Unfortunately, I'm finding that my attitude hasn't changed much. Luckily for me, though, my children love to vacuum...
:)
I agree with my Mom that it certainly is efficient. Obviously for the carpets, it's an invaluable tool. How else will all of those popcorn bits disappear? And for tile floors, those runaway crumbs that hide under the kitchen cabinets are easily sucked away with a swish of the hose. Virtually every hiding place is uncovered and in seconds rendered completely clean.
I thought about this as I swept the entire kitchen, dining, and entryway of our home. Why am I sweeping? I thought to myself. The vacuum is right there in the closet. It's fast, and does a much better job of it. See? There goes one of those cerulean blue beads that Little Love has been carting around in her favorite box. If I had been using that vacuum, it wouldn't be rolling across the floor right now.
What's that over there? Little Boo's pony tail holder, right under her chair. Goodness, that girl
can't stand anything in her hair. She's got the cutest curls, and putting her hair up really brings out those ringlets underneath. I wish she wouldn't scatter her hair accessories all over the house... I should really buy stock in
Goody, with all of the money I spend on those things.
Now here are a bunch of pine needles, trying to make their escape from the burn pile by attaching to someone's sock... which is lying over there in the corner. Only in the dead of winter will my children keep their feet covered. The other 9 months of the year they are either shoeless, or sockless, or both.
As I kept sweeping and identifying little bits of our daily life here and there scattered all over the floor, I heard the shrieks of my little peanuts playing their current after-dinner game of "dog and owner" in the home school room together. (
the hysteria of it escapes me... so don't feel bad for not getting it.) Just another phase in the ever-changing list of "favorites" they play together. Last week it was pioneer days outside with Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, but with the time change, the madness and the playing moves indoors after the dinner dishes are cleared.
If I had been vacuuming, I wouldn't have heard or seen a thing. The bead, the pony tail holder, the pine needles from our backyard would have all disappeared with a satisfying swoosh. And while there are times I fire up the vacuum to escape the constant bickering (
am I the only one? admit it now... though I know my own mother is above this escape tactic, she is my role model!) this time I was glad to hear only the faint brushing of the broom bristles on the floor as the laughter of my children reminded me of the reason we Moms work so hard.
For the comfort and contentment of those we serve, for those we love the most. Our family and most especially, these precious children.
:)
