Now all I need is a mint

After years and years of saying that the first thing I would do when Ryan got his big-lawyer job was get a maid... I finally did it.

Months ago I got a reference from a friend for a couple who cleans houses. It sat on my desk for a long time and I kept looking at it. I was conflicted by my inability to keep my own house clean. I am able bodied, I am a relatively neat person, I enjoy a clean house, why wasn't I able to keep on top of it? I even subscribed to "fly Lady" for the past few months and read the "Today's mission, the entry hall: Clean off the tables and throw away any junk mail." It all sounded so do-able. But then the inevitable black-hole that is working full time and then rushing home to feed, bathe, read books and get kids to bed and then collapse on the couch ate all the energy I stored up in anticipation of cleaning off the hall table.

Then we took the kids to get tested for allergies. They are both affected by house dust mites, which live on house dust. "Cleaning the house can only help this situation", the allergist explained. So, that afternoon I called the number on my desk.

Last week they came and looked at the house and I am sure they were being nice when they didn't laugh at it's state. They gave me a very reasonable quote for weekly cleanings and then they said it would be more than twice that for the first visit. Then they started asking me what products I use for things like cleaning the wooden floors etc. I laughed but was equally embarrased to say that I hadn't, actually, cleaned the floors, but thank god you're here!

They worked from 8 until 2:30 yesterday and cleaned everything. Now it feels like someone else's house. They got the crumbs under the glass counter top, cleaned the toaster oven, and even got the grunge out of the master bath-tub (I scrubbed on that! Honest!). Ryan came home and looked a little bewildered too. P was confused when he walked in "It smells different... clean?"

So I guess now we have to get used to having a clean house once a week and I can worry about other things. Like all those projects which are half done and begging to be completed while I am looking for a new job.