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If I weren’t so busy cleaning my house…

June 9, 2011

If I weren’t so busy cleaning my house…

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I'd be blogging more.

See, the thing is, my parents are coming to town. Originally, they were supposed to be here today but car trouble put them a day behind schedule.

My parents being behind schedule is about as common as, well, the End of Days.

I'd like to see a show of hands of how many of you out there go into panic cleaning mode just before a parental (or any guest for that matter) visit. Go ahead, keep 'em up. I'm guessing it would take me a while to count them all.

I know, I know. They say, "We aren't coming to see your  house, we're coming to see you!" But I see the furtive glances toward the balled up underwear in the corner and the quick peeks at traces of dust on the tops of the bathroom sink lights.

The funny thing is, once they walk in the door, the whole place goes to hell in a hand bag within a few hours, and then, who cares? They surely don't. Nor do I.

But it's the cleaning anticipation, my friends.

So as much as I'd love to wax poetic on all sorts of tantalizing subjects, for today I'll simply share two photos of my darling children. One is just being adorable, and the other has something to do with combining both Canucks and Mavericks fandom, with just a splash of Mario Brothers added in for good measure.

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Check back tomorrow for a marathon of a giveaway.

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Comments

  1. DanaMK says

    June 9, 2011 at 8:22 am

    Such fun photos! And I’m cheering for both of Cole’s teams too! 🙂 Oh, and both my mom and my MIL know that I’m not a good housekeeper so they’re prepared for the disaster that is my home. lol I keep it clean but tidy escapes me every.single.day!

    Reply
  2. Andrea A says

    June 9, 2011 at 8:49 am

    High School graduation of #2 is next week, and the inlaws are coming. I am in panic cleaning mode as well. Totally get it- even if the house completely falls apart as soon as they get here. 🙂 Good luck getting it all done. I’ll never be so lucky as to have them show up late.

    Reply
  3. MilliD says

    June 9, 2011 at 9:12 am

    Cole has picked the right team to support – GO MAVS!!

    And yes, I totally clean specifically for company. Otherwise, I’m all “Meh. I can do that any old day.”

    Reply
  4. Laura says

    June 9, 2011 at 9:29 am

    Both hands up — waaaaaay up. lol My in-laws are arriving at the end of the month for a visit and my house is decidedly *not* in company shape. Something about all the baskets of clean laundry that our pet fish doesn’t fold for me while I’m at work? Come on, Swimmy, do your chores! 🙂

    Reply
  5. Rachel B. says

    June 9, 2011 at 9:38 am

    My hand is up. I, too, am a last minute cleaner. There is no hiding that lingering scent of Windex and Clorox Clean-up that just screams, “This house was crawling with germs until about 5 minutes ago!” But that’s okay. Since my friends arrived, we have all been shuffling through enough crumbs and sand on the floor in the living room to build a sandcastle and no one is complaining about it or sick…yet.

    Reply
  6. Audrey says

    June 9, 2011 at 9:49 am

    Ha Ha! I clean like a mad woman when ever someone comes to visit. I love a clean house, but I am kinda lazy about doing it. So I always have lots to do when someone comes. My husband always says, “it’s a good thing we have company once in a while so the house gets a good cleaning!” I make my kids help me so they hate it whenever someone comes to visit!

    Reply
  7. Pedroza says

    June 9, 2011 at 10:05 am

    Cathy, I do the same thing. I make myself crazy cleaning before any friends or family come over. I do maintain the house, however my mess has to do with the amount of paper that enters the home. I am constantly trying to conquer the paper piles.

    Reply
  8. Lori says

    June 9, 2011 at 10:09 am

    i’m with ya – my parents are coming next week! AAHH!!

    Reply
  9. Sam F says

    June 9, 2011 at 10:20 am

    Oh, I totally get the “panic cleaning mode”. It’s the one great motivator to get the house clean! :o)

    Reply
  10. Sam F says

    June 9, 2011 at 10:20 am

    Beautiful clematis, by the way!

    Reply
  11. Lynda says

    June 9, 2011 at 10:41 am

    can I put my hand down now?????

    Reply
  12. Sheryl says

    June 9, 2011 at 10:51 am

    GO MAVS!!! I am so envious you are going to visit with your parents. I miss mine and cannot wait to see them soon. Have a great time. And, oh yeah, GO MAVS!!

    Reply
  13. Ellie A. says

    June 9, 2011 at 11:38 am

    LOL Cole is cracking me how he can keep such a serious face and you for being able to take the pic w/out moving it out of laughter.. Both Rock… 🙂 Love it! Oh my Son told me to tell you Go MAVS!

    Reply
  14. gypsy chaos says

    June 9, 2011 at 11:40 am

    Since the only time our house gets a decent cleaning is when company is anticipated, I’ll gladly raise my hand!

    I have to admit that my parents have had to learn to live with their oldest’s lack of cleaning interest since they live only 15 minutes away.

    I do tidy; I do not do clean. sigh. Become employed again – get a cleaning service!

    Reply
  15. Victoria Paige says

    June 9, 2011 at 11:50 am

    You are hilarious. I do the same thing when any guest is coming over. I have a six month old so I’m not as on top of cleaning as I’d like to be. I try to keep things tidy during the week and try to deep clean every Sunday but sometimes life happens and I don’t. If I’m having company though, it doesn’t matter who it is, I become a vacuuming, dusting, steam-cleaning, windowashing fool. During which I am constantly saying to my daughter, “Hold on, mommy’s almost done. I just have to [insert insane cleaning task here].”

    You’re not alone my friend.

    Reply
  16. cathy says

    June 9, 2011 at 11:51 am

    Yes, yes you may.

    Reply
  17. Michelle910 says

    June 9, 2011 at 11:52 am

    I do the same…but there something about having a clean house when they walk in that makes me just a little happier. I just wish I enjoyed cleaning more!

    Reply
  18. scrappysue says

    June 9, 2011 at 12:32 pm

    LOL, I just spent the entire morning cleaning before my daughter had a friend over. I do wish I had the motivation normally, but there’s always so much more interesting things to do!

    Reply
  19. Christy says

    June 9, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    Ah… this Texas Girl is happy to hear y’all are Mavs fans!

    Reply
  20. Karen M. says

    June 9, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    Sorry can’t comment – gotta go dust the bottom of the bathroom lights! 🙂

    Reply
  21. Jennifer O. says

    June 9, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    I absolutely go into panic cleaning mode whenever someone will be visiting/staying with us. So much so that during a recent regular cleaning spell my kids asked, “who’s coming?” Ha. Guess they think I only clean for guests.

    Reply
  22. heidig says

    June 9, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    My hand is up as well. I work best under pressure so I’m always wiping or vacuuming something just before the arrival of the guests.

    Reply
  23. Michaela says

    June 9, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    First of all, awesome pictures. Can you possibly take a terrible picture of either of those two??? Also, I totally suffer from panic-induced house cleaning syndrome. With 3 little kids, it’s not like it will stay clean for more than a few minutes, but I feel the need to go overboard if someone might walk in the door and see the “real” us… dust and hairballs and all. I also need to invite someone over at least once a week, just to make sure I stay on top of the cleaning 🙂

    Reply
  24. Mel says

    June 9, 2011 at 1:53 pm

    We invite people over every now and then just to make sure our house stays in a reasonably clean and tidy state!! My parents-in-law arrive tomorrow for a long weekend, so even the upstairs rooms need to be cleaned…. Have a great time with your parents! xx

    Reply
  25. Andrea says

    June 9, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    Your comment could have been written by me, my husband has said that so often!
    On the (extremely rare) occasion of some random housecleaning, my daughter asks if company is coming!

    Reply
  26. KathleenB says

    June 9, 2011 at 5:31 pm

    Cute photos! But sorry Cole…Boston fan here….GO BRUINS!!!

    Reply
  27. Susan R says

    June 9, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    A recent conversation at our house:
    Me: “Kids, could you help me get the house cleaned up?”
    My 10 y/o DD “Who’s coming over?”

    Actually nobody was expected, but I just wanted to tidy up.

    My mother is coming in on Saturday. Take a guess what I’ll be doing tomorrow after work…

    Reply
  28. Pamela K. says

    June 9, 2011 at 7:48 pm

    I feel your pain. We are expecting company in two weeks and I’m already panicking at everything that I want to get done. Which as you said will not matter with minutes after their arrival.

    Reply
  29. Laura says

    June 9, 2011 at 8:02 pm

    OMG! I have been in cleaning mode all day because my daughter’s friend was coming over and at there house..believe me, everything is nice and neat and orderly! I am exhausted!

    Enjoy your parents’ visit!

    Reply
  30. Melissa says

    June 9, 2011 at 8:19 pm

    Hello, my name is Melissa and I’m a cleaning-anticipation-aholic. BOTH my brothers and their wives and their kids are coming this weekend, arriving Friday night. I started cleaning on TUESDAY! There’s so much to do! I have to plan the menus tonight, do all the grocery shopping first thing in the morning, strip the sheets on the kids’ beds (who are being kicked out of their rooms for the weekend), dust every room on the main floor, clean two bathrooms and vacuum the entire house. ALL of this before 5pm! AAHHHHHH!

    Reply
  31. Shari Rohde says

    June 9, 2011 at 10:13 pm

    OK….I admit I go into total clean-aholic mode when my in-laws come to visit. Their house is always immaculate, and although I am a clean and neat freak, I never feel like I can be good enough for them. Maybe it was because on one Thanksgiving after making a fabulous feast for my DH’s side of the family, by father in law said the blessing over the food and then proceeded to point out the cobweb I missed on the very top of the dining room chandelier.

    UGGGGH! I will never be good enuf for them!

    Reply
  32. Heather says

    June 9, 2011 at 10:52 pm

    I am right there with you on the cleaning. The in-laws are coming tomorrow and I’m trying to figure out how to get it all done before they do….kids are definitely cleaning with e tomorrow.

    Reply
  33. Morti says

    June 10, 2011 at 2:24 am

    Yeah, I go into a cleaning frenzy any time someone comes and stays – my ex used to say that we should have my mother over more often cos the house would be kept clean(er). Not that he helped any. Hence I call him my ex….. LOL

    Reply
  34. Jo says

    June 10, 2011 at 5:12 am

    I get it. I have ‘family clean’ and ‘guest clean’ especially in the bathrooms. Have a good visit!

    Reply
  35. dawn says

    June 10, 2011 at 5:12 am

    I know what you mean about cleaning up the house for guests. Thankfully this only happens once every 3 years when it’s Christmas at my house. We go into speed cleaning the week before Christmas and it drives my kids nuts. Both my mom and MIL live 5mts away from me and always stop by so they see the everyday house we live in,lol but they appreciate it when it’s clean too. How fun that your parents are coming Cathy, have tons of fun and take tons of pictures to share with us.

    Reply
  36. Lori P says

    June 10, 2011 at 8:39 am

    Sometimes I like having company come over, because I do go into panic mode and clean the place up!! I love whant it is all clean and tidy. I am so busy and on the go all the time, so it does not stay clean very long!!

    Reply
  37. Cynthia says

    June 10, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    Your post cracked me up! We clean when my parents come to town, but we also HIDE all the piles of papers, broken toys, stacks of stuff we have no place for, etc. in the basement. We then spend MOST of the visit trying to keep my dad out of the basement. (My dad is a former USAF Colonel, and let’s just say that his standards of cleanliness exceed ours.) Very stressful, I’m going to tell you!

    Reply
  38. michele in la says

    June 10, 2011 at 11:29 pm

    oh yes! I spent DAYS cleaning my house for my dad’s visit… and yes, it was nice to have a clean house for them – but how long will it stay that way now that they’re gone?

    Reply
  39. Mindakms says

    June 11, 2011 at 8:07 am

    I used to go into panic cleaning mode. Then I found out that many of my family and friends held me at arms length because I was such a “neat freak” based on what they saw at my house. Now I just do a five minute pick up. They still see me as a neat freak, and I don’t have to do nearly as much work!

    Reply
  40. kerri says

    June 11, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    Yep, I know all about that cleaning frenzy, blech! Your photos are great the personalities of your kids really shines thru for all to see!

    Reply
  41. Rachel Kokes says

    June 11, 2011 at 12:24 pm

    I can SO relate-just finished the marathon cleaning two weeks ago before my folks came to visit. Was so tired, but on the plus side, my house has never been so clean. At least not since the last time family visited. 🙂

    Reply
  42. carolyn says

    June 11, 2011 at 1:44 pm

    Hand up in the air here…at least you can say that the house hasn’t been this clean since the last time parentals visited. That’s our motto at casa d johnson…

    Reply
  43. Kirsty says

    June 11, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    BEJABBERS!
    I haven’t been to your blog for EVER and then see these pics of your kids. Did they age 3 years without me? Your daughter is the 50/50 spit of you and Dan where as Cole is double Dan indeed.
    Such a wake up call coming here and reminding myself that life is going by so so quick.
    Where did your kids go? Sheesh, im in shock!

    Reply
  44. cathy says

    June 13, 2011 at 7:32 am

    Thats what happens. They AGE! Ack! I want it to stop!

    Reply
  45. Pandora Bracelets says

    June 14, 2011 at 4:33 am

    Your comment could have been written by me, my husband has said that so often!

    Reply
  46. Leora says

    June 16, 2011 at 3:40 pm

    HI Cathy! Not sure if you will even see this message buried here, since I am so late. You see, it was graduation here, my in-laws were coming and I, too was forced into panic cleaning mode. And yes, as soon as they arrived, entropy entered the picture again. It is a good thing that we have out of town guests every now and then. Maybe I should just pretend they were coming and then declare a false alarm. It would be so much easier. So, I have missed a few posted and missed my chance to say that I was cleaning with you in spirit!

    Reply
  47. cathy says

    June 16, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    : )

    Can I just say I wish my house looked as clean as it did last thursday all the time? : )

    Reply
  48. Tiffani says

    June 16, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    Always good to know one is not alone in the “stash and dash”. Fortunately I was already on it since my mother-in-law arrives tomorrow, when my aunt called this afternoon and asked if they could come by to see us this evening! Whew! Close call!

    Reply
  49. Stephanie says

    November 30, 2011 at 7:22 pm

    Yup – I never clean as vigorously as when someone is coming to visit! Cursing myself the whole time, of course, for not keeping a more regular cleaning schedule… but at the same time very happy to have such a potent excuse to finally make time in my schedule to scrub and tidy! Glad I’m not the only one 🙂

    Reply
  50. Maarit Räisänen says

    October 3, 2012 at 3:03 am

    Cleaning is a very good way when you are not busy,in Finland country when spring season is coming most of the people are moving out their cleaning equipment for cleaning purpose and most of their cleaning equipment is an high power vacuum cleaner and dry cleaner things.

    Reply
  51. Paulete Forbes says

    January 24, 2013 at 9:57 am

    How I wish my kids also find this thing, blogging, a fun and awesome activity just when they got nothing to do at home. Anyway, I am a mother myself. On behalf of the mothers in the world, I would like to praise you for the effort of cleaning the house just before your parents arrive.

    Reply
  52. Ricco Seifert says

    May 6, 2013 at 10:27 am

    I really appreciate your initiative.The coming of your mother-in-law makes you more inspired to clean your house. Good luck. Maybe that’s normal to feel that way talking about the presence of our in-laws. The cleanliness and the orderliness of the house are the two basic things we do concern with.

    Reply
  53. Corbeil Malcolm says

    July 10, 2013 at 4:15 am

    I think it is already our attitude to clean our house if somebody visited us especially our parents who are very much meticulous in a house cleaning.

    Reply

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