Cleaning for the cleaners.

It is ridiculous, I know. Cleaning up before the cleaners come is a frantic ritual that puts me in a total sweat. I have to get up early and run around like a chicken without a head trying to pick up the clutter so the women who clean my house once every two weeks can find the floors and rugs to clean.
I do not have a big house and I am not a snob but I do have a bad back and scrubbing floors and vacuuming are out of the question these days. That and the fact that I have six people living here who are less than neat freaks makes it a necessity. I cannot blame it totally on the grandchildren. They do have many toys but the mess is largely from the adults, me included.
So yes, I pay people to come clean and before they come, I clean as if I am having company that day! The reward is worth it although today, my back would disagree. The funny part is, now that the house is so clean, I do not even want to cook so as not to mess it up! The whole thing is insane. Tomorrow, when I wake up and sit to have my coffee I will enjoy the few minutes I have in my clean house. It will not last long however as the toys will be back on the floor and the piles will start to accumulate. Nothing lasts forever and all that jazz.
My husband and I took my granddaughter to lunch this afternoon while the cleaners where there. Yes, we also feel the need to abandon the house so as not to be in the way. (I know, I know) While we were out having our lunch, my granddaughter was so happy to be treated special that she turned to me in an overwhelming burst of happiness and told me, “Mimi you are my best”….I asked my husband to take this photo of us since I nearly burst into tears at her comment. So you see it all worked out. I woke up, sweat bullets, nearly broke my back and then escaped for lunch. All to have a clean house and a very grateful three year old tell me I was the best ‘mimi’ Priceless!