mamapjama Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I had a very rough night. My 2 year old is making life pretty much miserable for me at the moment. I know it will pass, but at the present I'm tired, irritable and just trying to cope. Dh has been working tons as usual and is not home this morning either. So this morning I'm trying to get things caught up. I've been making soup and bread this morning, so as well as breakfast dishes I've got the dishes used for making these items all over the counter. The baby has also decided that after 2 months of being completely diaper free he doesn't want to go on the potty. So he is running around in underwear and nothing else. He yells out mama gotta pee and I grab him and start heading to the potty in the kitchen. On my way someone knocks at the door - the neighbor and his 5 year old collection for a charity. My foolish little dog starts going crazy, my near naked baby who needs to pee is tucked in my arm and my hyper 6 year old gets going because of the commotion. The dog jumps on the two of them and runs outside which she isn't allowed to do. It was just crazy of course. And after they leave I look in the mirror and notice that I had food stuck in my teeth because I hadn't had a chance to brush them yet this morning :o I feel like such a nut :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 You're braver than I would be. I wouldn't have opened the door! I hope things calm down for you and that you get no more unexpected knocks on the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I had a very rough night. My 2 year old is making life pretty much miserable for me at the moment. I know it will pass, but at the present I'm tired, irritable and just trying to cope. Dh has been working tons as usual and is not home this morning either. So this morning I'm trying to get things caught up. I've been making soup and bread this morning, so as well as breakfast dishes I've got the dishes used for making these items all over the counter. The baby has also decided that after 2 months of being completely diaper free he doesn't want to go on the potty. So he is running around in underwear and nothing else. He yells out mama gotta pee and I grab him and start heading to the potty in the kitchen. On my way someone knocks at the door - the neighbor and his 5 year old collection for a charity. My foolish little dog starts going crazy, my near naked baby who needs to pee is tucked in my arm and my hyper 6 year old gets going because of the commotion. The dog jumps on the two of them and runs outside which she isn't allowed to do. It was just crazy of course. And after they leave I look in the mirror and notice that I had food stuck in my teeth because I hadn't had a chance to brush them yet this morning :o I feel like such a nut :( (HUGS) That might teach her to call before dropping by, or you won't have to worry about them soliciting you again. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 the only person my home is drop by ready for is that british lady from how clean is your house. With 4 whirlwinds in this house and only 1 of my to try to get everything done, I can say no one else is permitted passed the front steps right now. By the end of today that will be different if I can help it (I am down 1 child for the weekend). I still answer the door when someone knoks even with the craziness. My neighbors know my life enough to know the chaos is not going to stop anytime soon so get used to it lol Along with the mess, usually my older 2 are fighting trying to avoid school work, my 5 yr old is a wanna be nudist, and I still bf so I have been known to answer the door with baby on the booK, naked boy in the background and screams coming from the kitchen because I left the room. 9/10 it is my neighbor boy looking to talk about his crappy day at work, so he comes in mess and all to chat while I go about my business. NO one else is allowed in when things are like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I hate when that happens. When we first moved here I was surprised by two ladies bringing a cake. It was the day before Thanksgiving, 2 p.m., and I was still in my pajamas trying to get the cooking and baking under control. I was so horribly embarrassed. Now though we are friends and look back on the incident and laugh. Hopefully you will be able to laugh about it one day in the near future. P.S. If someone came by this morning I'd be in trouble and facing tons of embarrassment again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill- OK Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Don't feel bad; I can personally vouch for the kind of chaos one uncooperative 2yo can cause in a life. :-o We go through seasons, here. I do like to keep it mostly 'company ready', but that isn't always the reality. My husband likes to remind me, whenver I'm hyperventilating about the condition of the house, "It will only take (fill in the blank with whatever the appropriate time span is) to clean this up". Now, sometimes that time span is much longer than others, lol...but it's helpful to have a house that can get company ready, quickly, even if it's almost impossible to have one that's pristine, at any given moment, KWIM? If you're looking for a "Hey, that's how it goes, sometimes", I can definitely give you that. I've been caught with my pants down (figuratively speaking, for the most part, although there was one time...), and felt like a pig for a little while afterward. But if you're really looking for a practical suggestion, I'd say develop a goal of having your house in a state where it's "Company Ready + Fifteen"...in other words, no more mess generated than what can be picked up in fifteen minutes, or a half hour. We had a situation here not too long ago where a news team came knocking on the door and asked if I'd like to comment on a situation that had happened in the area. I said sure...but I need about fifteen minutes, first. When they came in the house, I had put a bra and a decent shirt on, brushed my hair, and the kids had cleared away the Legos, or Playmobil, or whatever it was that was spread all over the living room floor, as well as stacked all of their books on the kitchen table (this is where I thank Rosemary, of Old Board fame, for the suggestion to have kids play with junk like that on a blanket, for easy and quick cleanup). The news lady looked around and said..."Wow". LOL...it was that dramatic of a change, in just a few minutes. That's how I like to have my house; not picture perfect at a moment's notice, but able to be put straight, with everyone's help, in under half an hour. Televised, even. I mean, we've got to live here, and I want it to be a comfortable environment for my kids...but it's got to be workable, too. I like the Motivated Moms Planner, if you're in the market for something like that (I have a link on the sidebar of my blog, if you want to click through, take a look, and give me a kickback if you order); it's simply a list to wade through on a day to day basis. Flylady is good...but I personally don't think that a system tied to the time-eating computer is always the way to go if housework is already falling by the wayside, KWIM? I think the best 'system' is one you come up with, yourself, but Motivated Moms is good for when you're overwhelmed, and just need to get your head above water (i.e., you have a two-year-old, lol). But as I said...this is a season of life for you that, at least in my experience, is going to be messier than others. You can get a little further ahead, if you need to, with some planning...but answering the door with food in your teeth is sometimes just a job hazard, lol. (I can still remember the time I stood and talked to someone at my door with one of my nursing bra flaps down. Lovely.) Chin up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemyboys Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Is your house drop by ready? hahahahahahahaha not. actually it is for anyone who knows that we homeschool and have projects and life going on and ds around constantly and chemistry experiments in the kitchen and but for my own sanity, I try to keep the "front room" looking reasonably decent and the foyer not too overloaded, because it gives me peace to see at least one room that's not a total disaster. so of course the day that there are 13 pairs of shoes and cleats, totebags, a helmet and library books in the hall and books and newspapers all over the room, that's when the doorbell rings. :tongue_smilie: :grouphug: you're not a nut - you're a pjamamama! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 My husband likes to remind me, whenver I'm hyperventilating about the condition of the house, "It will only take (fill in the blank with whatever the appropriate time span is) to clean this up". Somehow I don't think my husband saying, "It will only take a month with no kids in the house to clean it up" will really help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natalieclare Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I try to remember noone likes perfect people; if I can remember this, then my house is always drop by ready. :D If I can be hospitable and warm even if there are dishes in the sink and toys on the floor, then I can handle anything. But...the toilets must be scrubbed or noone enters. ;) Now, having a chaotic moment is a bit of a different thing. It's the feeling of not being in control that's so taxing. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mesa Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I try to keep the rooms that visitors would see when I open the front door clean.... unfortunately for me that means my huge entry, dining room, hall to the boys rooms, kitchen, and living room all clean. I am questioning my initial love for an open floor plan. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamapjama Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share Posted October 18, 2008 The house itself - aside from the dirty dishes wasn't bad. Kitchen table was clean with flowers and tiny pumkins even :001_smile: But it was that feeling of chaos that Natalieclare mentioned. Everything happening at once. It is always like this I'm afraid. Hyper Bichon, six year old who is high energy and any little bit of excitement sends him flying, and the two year old being two - and today needing to go to the potty. Our front door has a window in it looking directly into our open concept home too. The entryway and kitchen are the first line of vision. And yes, you are right, at least I wasn't living up to my screen name this morning and still in my jammies :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5knights3maidens Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Well, it was drop by ready when we first got up this morning. Now it looks like a bomb hit! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkacademy Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I just saw this in someones signature from the homeschoolshare message board Dust if you must, but there's not much time, with rivers to swim and mountains to climb, music to hear and books to read, family and friends to cherish and life to lead.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anissarobert Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I have a sign on my wall that says "Please excuse the noise and mess... the kids are making happy memories." Everytime someone comes to my door, I feel like the OP. We have two noisy dogs and the kids always want to see who is at the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 A friend of mine likes to say, if you've come to see us - you're welcome anytime.... if you've come to see the house - MAKE AN APPOINTMENT :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Yes, my home is drop-by ready at all times if you're willing to stand in the driveway. No, not at the door. That has old spider webs and other stuff blown over there. The house is almost never drop by ready. I don't think I'll ever manage that one. Okay, maybe once... like when I'm expecting some very important person and I've had a month to clean but the UPS guy happens to come by that day. I'll be feeling really proud then. :grouphug: I've had a lot of days like that. Those little ones can really make your head spin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kzdaisy Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 A very good friend once said I didn't come to see your house I came to see you!! She was my bestest friend always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smilesonly Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Even on a *good* day, my home is not drop-by ready!;) This is just not our *season* for a well-cleaned home and well kept yard. Our day will come,and honestly,I will then wish I had these days back. Ack! Life is so complicated!:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I think the worst thing is living in a subdivision. Every day it was someone, and at the time I had two little ones. As the years went on , I got larger parcels, hoping that would work, but no. My final answer was to put up big security gate. Expensive but well worth it, we have been here a yr. and no company and no solicitors. I highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I had a very rough night. My 2 year old is making life pretty much miserable for me at the moment. I know it will pass, but at the present I'm tired, irritable and just trying to cope. Dh has been working tons as usual and is not home this morning either. So this morning I'm trying to get things caught up. I've been making soup and bread this morning, so as well as breakfast dishes I've got the dishes used for making these items all over the counter. The baby has also decided that after 2 months of being completely diaper free he doesn't want to go on the potty. So he is running around in underwear and nothing else. He yells out mama gotta pee and I grab him and start heading to the potty in the kitchen. On my way someone knocks at the door - the neighbor and his 5 year old collection for a charity. My foolish little dog starts going crazy, my near naked baby who needs to pee is tucked in my arm and my hyper 6 year old gets going because of the commotion. The dog jumps on the two of them and runs outside which she isn't allowed to do. It was just crazy of course. And after they leave I look in the mirror and notice that I had food stuck in my teeth because I hadn't had a chance to brush them yet this morning :o I feel like such a nut :( Sadly yes my house is company ready. It just means all the kids are growing up and it stinks....cherish your little people...the house will always be there later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCoppock Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 I cringed yesterday afternoon when FIL dropped by right before I was heading off to work. My house is NOT drop by ready. Actually, right now I have a load of papers spread acros my table that have needed to be graded forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julpost Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Nope. Whenever we have little ones under 3, our house and yard are pretty much a disaster at all times. As soon as they turn 3 1/2, it's like they become somewhat rational little people and I can get so much more accomplished. I have been a huge emotional wreck about it lately but this thread has really brought me some peace. I absolutely can't stand it when someone arrives unexpected at my door. But I know it's only because of the phase of life I'm in right now. One day, I know I'll miss these days. I tend to try to remember that these are probably the best days of my life. I can't imagine anything else my future might hold (beside meeting Christ) that would hold a candle to living life with these little ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crissy Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 It is. I sometimes wonder if I damaged my children's psyche because I never let them leave a mess. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Sure it is! Unless the somebodies are my inlaws ;) I don't anyone else with severe house snobbery. In fact, the inlaws don't come here anymore. We meet them at the front door and head to a cafe then the park. We all play more nicely on neutral ground. Not to mention that cafes always have food in their pantry. It's good to live two hours away from inlaws. It means they will always ring before come by. :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2legomaniacs Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Always! ;) Feel free to drop in, kick off your shoes, and get cat hair on your hiney (just bring a roll of tape and it's all good). My house is open for you to have a drink and knit with me. If you have serious OCD, go for it, if it makes you happy. I'll have plenty to keep you busy. Drop in ready to me means welcoming. Oh, you mean clean? Nope! But welcoming it is (I hope).:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 My *house* is. But sometimes I am not.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelda Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 If you are dropping by with a dust rag, a broom, a mop and a hot cup of Starbucks...then yes, yes it is drop-by ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 That's so funny. No, at our house we suffer from CHAOS--Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. Thankfully, I have an office that is almost like a home away from home. I entertain there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in MO Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 (edited) Lately, it's been impossible. We're in soccer season and my 2 best helpers are away at school all day. We are just in and out too much. Soccer ends in 2 weeks, yeah!! Then I will get caught up. I am a perfectionist at heart, and I can't stand to have people see my mess, especially my over-the-top-everything-in-its-place neighbors. It seems like there is always a mess when they stop by. Some people know to call before they come by or we might be chatting outside, weather permitting. Oh, and I have that 2 yr old problem too. Cindy Edited October 19, 2008 by Cindy in MO added something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom to Aly Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 :lol::lol::lol: HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ummm, that was a joke, right? The op's question? No????? Sorry, I didn't know such a thing existed after children. And pets. And your twenties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 I have a sign on my wall that says "Please excuse the noise and mess... the kids are making happy memories." Everytime someone comes to my door, I feel like the OP. We have two noisy dogs and the kids always want to see who is at the door. Oh, I LOVE that! My house is not what I would call drop-in ready. Let's just leave it at that. Someday I hope it will be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Always! ;) Feel free to drop in, kick off your shoes, and get cat hair on your hiney (just bring a roll of tape and it's all good). My house is open for you to have a drink and knit with me. If you have serious OCD, go for it, if it makes you happy. I'll have plenty to keep you busy. Drop in ready to me means welcoming. Oh, you mean clean? Nope! But welcoming it is (I hope).:D :iagree: I was apologizing about all the mess to someone who was coming over quite regularly this summer on a quasi business visit (they were my guinea pigs for helping me train a foster dog who is afraid of people) & they said the nicest thing: "We never notice the stuff you apologize for later in your emails. What we do notice is that you all laugh a lot, you clearly love each other, and your kids don't say 'like' every second word." I like these folks a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamapjama Posted October 20, 2008 Author Share Posted October 20, 2008 Thanks everyone, you made me feel so much better! I do try to clean up the house before I go to bed. Of course no one is ever here at that time to see my home is actually clean and quiet at least once a day! I'm going to have to make a few of those quotes into signs and hang them by my front door! They were great. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChemMommy Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Yep, my friends in blue! I work part-time and had just gotten home to trade off with dh. My then 3rd and 1st graders were playing superheros with capes and underwear only! I had a very ill 1yo and a nursing baby. It was 11 am and we were supposed to be doing school. Well, I looked at the Capped Crusaders and decided that play time could go a bit longer while I made a phone call. That's when the doorbell rang and the guys in blue were standing there. My heart dropped. I looked around my house, at the lack of evidence for schooling, at my mostly naked elementary age kids, my sick 1yo and ignored baby. I tried to hide the telephone. I answered the door. Two very serious-faced men were on my steps. I'm praying that the underwear had remained on the Defenders of the Universe. "Ma'am", they said, "Is this your trash can?" "Ah, yes, it is," I replied in trepidation, staring hard at my trashcan and trying to remember through a foggy brain if this was indeed trash day or if I'd offended the trash gods by putting mine out early. The guys in blue start laughing! "Well, we're glad we asked. Someone in the neighborhood had their trashcan stolen and reported it at your house. We were just going to take your can to her house. Guess it wouldn't look too good for police to be caught stealing trashcans, would it?" I laughed, too, while gently nudging some laundry behind the front door. "Well, I guess we'll go tell Carolyn that we didn't find her can." So, the boys in blue drive off...just as the Masked Avengers streak through the living room. Yep, in the buff plus capes! Turns out that my friend Carolyn had heard about stolen trashcans and seen an odd can outside my neighbors house early that morning while delivering papers. She couldn't remember my neighbor's house number and told the police that the missing can was at the house east of our house's number. All the police got was our house number. So, the moral of this story is: the boys in blue or the snooty neighbor will only arrive when your kids are naked or screaming or both, your living room is a serious mess, the babies diaper rivals a toxic waste site's odor, and the cat has just hacked up a hairball. No one has ever witnessed us happily schooling, in matching clothes, with a decent lunch simmering in the kitchen. Nope, not a single person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Not really. Unless you count "shove things to the side to create a pathway" ready :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I on the other hand, am usually in my pajamas and never have a bra on. My dh is not home five days a week and I like to be comfy at home. I rarely answer the door. I have a new neighbor who has come over a few times and asked the kids to get me. I know she is just trying to be nice but I really don't like it. I feel like I have to be appropriately dressed all the time now just so I can talk to her when she shows up at the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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