Questions I'm Tired of Answering

Confession.

I'm not the best house-cleaner. I don't have a schedule for attacking the cleanliness of my house (although I have made attempts to create a system for this.) The bathroom (we only have one) IS scrubbed regularly. As is the kitchen. But the floors, baseboards, and walls? Nah.

Under the furniture?

I don't even wanna know.

But for what I lack in scrubbing, I make up for in organization. 

Everthing has its place in our home. And if if doesn't, I'll create a space for it.

And that is precisely why I'm at my wits end as we enter the second-half of the summer.

If I hear these statements, questions, and responses even one more time, I think my primal scream is gonna make an appearance.

"Mom, I can't find my shoes!"

"My iPod, where is my iPod?"

"Where are my goggles?"

The shoes? Not my problem, we have an entire shoe museum immedately as you walk in our home. A basket and a shelf stand ready to welcome them.

The iPod? Even less of my problem.

The goggles? They should be in the swim-bag, WHERE THEY BELONG!

Makes me wonder if I should create a "lost and found" box for the house . . . just plop any misplaced items in the box, when I stumble upon them, rather than putting them away myself. (I'm stubborn like that.)

There is one more continual thread that is irking me to the core. It's the "umph!" or the "awwww!" when I REMIND my children of their chores for the day:

"Unload the dishwasher, please."

"Umph!"

"Put your clean clothes away, please."

"Awwwww!"

Sometimes, admittedly, Moms just wanna yell, "Would you just shut-up!"

It's true.

Even for me.

Since I am tired of hearing the sound of my own voice, we spent some time at a craft store picking up supplies to make "First Things First" boards. The kids decorated and listed the items that Mom most often repeats DAILY. They posted the boards in their rooms. 

Will it fix the issue?

Most likely not.

Did it provide a few hours of respite from the conversations mentioned above, and provide a glimmer of hope that I will no longer have to hear those phrases utter from my mouth?

Sure.

Now, if they can only find where they put their boards after creating them . . . 

 

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Joline Pinto Atkins is an actress who also uses the web as her world-wide stage and can also be found writing at The Cuppa Jo, and is the founder and a contributor at Daily Fast Fuel. Joline is wife to one (phew - that's good to know) and mother of two amazing children, aged 11 and 7, who are both named after authors. Addicted to fitness, she is an Independent Team Beachbody Coachand sweats out any daily angst by exercising and P90X'ing, and longs for good books, vats of coffee, and an endless supply of buffalo wings - which she will not share with you. So, please, do not ask.