Thursday, June 10, 2010

Party Time, Clean Closets

The cleaning people are coming today! At 9! Calm down, calm down, it's only to do an estimate on how much a cleaning will cost. However, if it's in the range of what we are thinking, I am gonna book 'em and they will be coming back soon to do the actually cleaning. I can't wait.

I am going to straighten some things around the house, empty some garbage cans, and light a scented candle, but other than that, I am going to force myself not to really clean. There is nothing terribly embarassing in our house right now, with the exception of our master closet, and I am just gonna close the door. Nothing to see here . . .

This weekend is a big "party weekend" for our family. My birthday is Friday, we have a family graduation to go to on Saturday, and then M's birthday on Sunday. I am seriously considering just sending M and Will to the graduation and staying here to get a major project ticked off my list: Organizing Will's Closet (imagine scary music playing here).

There are a few things you need to understand about Will's closet.

1) I am a packrat. I learned this from my mom. I am not organized and opening a closet in my home can be hazardous to your health. Flylady has helped me significantly, but closets remain difficult for me. The old "out of sight, out of mind" philosophy.

2) We had SO. MUCH. stuff for Will when he was born. A ridiculous amount of stuff given to us by generous family and friends. My lovely friends had installed a wonderful closet organizer in his nursery and my plan was to organize everything the next day. Will's plan was to be born that day instead. He won.

3) So, my MOM was the one who "organized" the closet for me. Which means that it was never organized. She had everything and every size hanging in all sorts of places. . . seriously, there were 4T sizes hanging next to newborn sizes, pants next to onesies, jammies next to winter jackets. Now, I am grateful that she did all of that work for me (getting them out of the storage totes they had been in and hanging them at all), but it set the stage for a serious organizational FAIL.

4) It is difficult to undertake a project as big as cleaning out and reorganizing his closet, because I need a chunk of time to do it in. And those chunks of time usually take place during a nap, but I obviously can't be in his room when he is napping. The one time I tried to tackle it while he was awake ended up in more of a mess than what I had started with.

So. There are not enough words to describe the horror that is that closet. It is seriously a MESS. I know that if it doesn't get done before Emma arrives, it probably never will, so that is why it has made The List.

I think this weekend is a great opportunity to get it done. If my master closet doesn't get done before Emma arrives, then so be it. I can find chunks of time to do that in later (I hope and pray). Also, people will be here helping with Will post-surgery, and it would be oh so helpful if they could find the things they needed without me having to put on my pith helmet and go find it for them (I wish I was exaggerating, sadly, I am not).

Wow, what a way to ring in my 31st year. . . and yet I don't mind a single bit.

8 comments:

Rebecca said...

31...what a year!

I avoid cleaning closets like the plague...Husband hates me for it...I'm fine with that.

Anonymous said...

I feel for you! I'm a packrat too, but fortunately I don't have closets. :)

Anonymous said...

Katie-
This is why you got the housekeeper so she could do the regular cleaning and you could have time do projects like this. At least you don't have to closet organize and then worry about cleaning bathrooms & dusting.

HereWeGoAJen said...

Okay, closet organizing tips! Take everything out. Throw lots of stuff away. Get lots of plastic bins. Make piles of stuff that belongs together. Then put those piles back into the closet in some kind of logical manner. :)

Oh, and then periodically, go back in there for ten minutes at a time and put things back where they go. Otherwise you'll have to do it all again.

Mazzy said...

Children's closets are the worst. I am (obviously) a total neat freak, so I keep all other closets perfect, but I STRUGGLE with L's. Keeping up with the clothes is exhausting. Good luck getting it done!

Awesome about the housekeeper! I think that is such a wonderful gift, especially for where you are in pregnancy... so thoughtful!


I'll be praying for Will's surgery, btw. My best friend's son had to have this exact same surgery done earlier this year and he did great! And is so much healthier now!

Stacey said...

I hope you do let yourself have the gift of cleaning! Having help would be pretty great at this point. Good luck with the closets!

Hope you have a wonderful birthday weekend!

Jen said...

As a coincidence, the cleaning people came to my house at 9am this morning too! I got a gift certificate from co-workers for cleaning and they scrubbed my bathrooms and kitchens. It was awesome. If only I could afford it all the time.

Elise Ford said...

Happy Birthday!!!! :)