Party like a princess...

So times are a changing here in the King household. Almost 2 teens live here, and soon to be a bunch of pre-teens to follow. :) Trying to...

Monday, June 13, 2011

how often do you wash your windows?

yep. you heard me. i am taking a little poll, and would love to know how often you wash your windows?
          a) whenever they are dirty.
          b) twice a year.
          c) never.
          d) when my husband tells me too.
          e) other.
please, please, ,please leave me a comment and let me know. so i guess i might be turning a bit more lavish than i thought. matt is hoping to hire someone to "help" me clean. ;) love that. "help" me. :) cause i am ~not~ keeping up. i asked him, what would be the priorities and he said floors and windows for now. so than i asked him how often he would like me to clean the windows and he said whenever they are dirty. what? yep. i counted 39 windows in my house, and i think just about everyone of them has bird crap on a section of it as i speak, and if not bird crap, then tiny hand prints.

i wash my windows twice a year. spring and fall. maybe an exception here and there, but i thought i was doing good.

i went out on a limb and let my words tumble out of my mouth, and went ahead and said that none of our friends wash their windows whenever they are dirty. somehow that makes me feel better...if our friends don't always have clean windows, then maybe it's okay if mine aren't clean either? i know. it's twisted thinking...

so, now i am wondering. i have mom after mom, of high school grads, lately, come up to me and tell me to spend time with my kids. life is too short, they will be gone before i know it.  i have grasped this. I know it. i know i am not promised tomorrow with anyone in my life. so...we have been to the pool twice so far. when i left my house with finger printed windows and not folded laundry, perhaps the sink was even loaded with dishes...i don't remember.

so what do you do, when your husband doesn't have that same perspective?


hire a cleaning lady?


or do i stop taking the time out of my day to do some fun stuff with the kids, and in reality fun stuff for me, and please my man? i really do think it is my calling as a wife to please him. i do. and i think i try really hard sometimes.

but the other reality is that summer ~especially~ is my favorite time of year. being tan in the summer is a must for me, ~especially~ when i happen to be pregnant with my 5th child, so leaving the house on a whim to go catch some sun, or grabbing a glass of homemade mint tea and soaking my feet in the kiddie pool while the kids splash around me, and i put my nose in a book, seems like it's going to happen, regardless of whether my "chores" are done.

this is nothing new that i am torn with. i know my husband really well. and i know that i can never have my house clean enough. it just "pops" into our discussion every now and again, and i can't help but feel defeated, like i am not doing "my job" up to par, to get someone to help me with my cleaning. hence that is why i drop the ball about calling someone to help me. i feel guilty about that.

feel free to drop me your thoughts. would love to hear how you manage your own households.

p.s. to be fair, you should also know that i am leaving for the beach with a friend early wed. morning, and returning late thur. night. lavish. ummm. maybe? :) however, i also have childcare arranged, meal schedule printed, and notes to all the babysitters already written. the list today includes washing my 39 windows.

have a great, great week!
~mk~

10 comments:

jodi said...

:)Missy you seriously crack me up! We got new windows last year that are VERY easy to clean. That being said, I have only cleaned the kitchen, living room, and sunroom windows so far...and only because I see them so often and there were fingerprints all over them. I say buy blinds for the windows and go sit by the pool...or come to OUR pool!

Anonymous said...

Twice a year, and maybe one here or there if it is extremely dirty and I can't stand looking out of it any more. However if I had 5 kids I know someone else would be washing my windows!! Just saying... :)
Love you,
Glenda

Heather Buckwalter said...

You want to know the honest truth we live in an old farmhouse that the windows are hard to even open and shut let alone clean so i washed maybe 5 windows once downstairs in the last two years. that should make you feel a little better. i love that you want to do fun stuff with your kids and make memories. so dip your toes in the kiddie pool, soak in the sun and let the laundry pile up. i love your heart and pray you can come to some sort of an agreement! you are doing an awesome job!
love ya,
heather ;)

Sabrina said...

I wish I could say I wash my windows twice a year. I guess some of them I may do that often, but there are some... Anyway, I have found that just washing the inside of the window can help them look really clean and it doesn't take as long. Or getting out the hose and spraying the outside makes them look better and the kids love it. You are right on about spending time with your kids though. I think if Matt is offering, I'd hire someone for now and some day when the kids are grown you'll have the luxury (?) of washing your windows. :) Great question!

Kendra said...

We have lived in our house for 3 years and I have nevere washed all the windows! I do clean the insides of them here and there, but the outsides, nope. and they just flip in. I have a hard enough time keeping up with the laundry, 1basket waiting to be folded and 2 that need to be put away as I am writing this, and cleaning the bathrooms. I say hire some, especially if Matt brought it up! I would love to hire someone even if it is 1 time every few months, but feel guilty, but maybe I just will do that this year! go spend time with the kids, get tan and read. You are having baby #5 and I am sure your house is way cleaner than mine on a dirty day!
K

Sarah said...

Funny! I have a couple of windows with some bird poo on them. It's driving me nuts but I can't reach them easily.

I say go ahead and get the cleaning lady. Let her wash the windows while you make fun memories with your kiddos..even if just for the summer!:)

Andy just said "isn't she very pregnant? She should not be washing windows." -- You can pass that on to Matt;)

Megan said...

Well...you know my vote...spend time with those kids...it is really the most important...mom agrees. Matt can pay for a cleaning lady...maybe a counselor too (for him of course)! Have fun at the beach! Love ya-Meg

Jen said...

Would you pay to be able to spend time with your children? Consider what you spend on the cleaning lady to be the price you pay to get to spend time making memories with the kids. No guilt that way! :-)

Kim said...

I do not wash my windows or house-clean twice a year, like yourself. I do not know when I washed my windows last....I usually only give my house & windows a good cleaning right before I have my babies....I guess that would put me at 3 years ago. I agree with everyone and go hire a cleaning lady....I know I would if my husband let me. :) Plus, I agree with Andy 100%....pregnant women should not be washing windows! :)

Angela Stoltzfus said...

soooo-did you get them washed? 39 would take me a week to get done.
about cleaning: you already know what i think! ;) i would have ZERO problems w/hiring someone if my husband was ok with it. actually i have hired someone a time or 5. (but not on a reg. basis) YET!=)
you could have an amish girl (very affordable) come once a week (HELLO YOU HAVE 5 KIDS!!) & she could do whatever you'd need...maybe not get everything cleaned....but at least some of it..??? that's what i think!
as for my windows: i have 28 :) & they might get done about once a year...except for my downstairs ones they get done when the look crazy dirty.
i hope you are getting SO TAN & HAVING SUCH A RELAXING TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!