Is it possible to feel both incredibly productive and incredibly unproductive at the same time?
I feel like this all the time! As I sit here at the kitchen table writing my blog entry, I look around and I am in the middle of a huge mess! Ha. Ha. We weren’t always this “messy,” but it seems like we can never get ahead of the game these days. I also think I’ve basically given up on really cleaning the house. Whenever we clean the house and we can actually see the kitchen floor, when it’s not full of clutter, it’s literally not even five minutes later and I can’t find the floor, again. You might think I’m being factious, but I kid you not. I invite you to my house to check it out with your very own eyes. If you like to clean, you are even welcome to spend the night. And if you ask nicely, I might even let you stay a week!
My mom referred to it the other day as having to “navigate” around the kitchen. Ha! Yes, it’s that bad. True story. And you only have the privilege to read this because you took the time to click the link to my blog, and because it is that embarrassing. We had a play date the other week and I didn’t want to have any dishes on the counter, but didn’t have time to wash them that morning, so I put them in the oven to hide them. And abracadabra, the kitchen was clean! Later that day I was wondering where a lid went for this container that I was using; didn’t think anything of it and just grabbed a different container.
The next night, I was making dinner and turned on the oven and totally forgot I had put the dishes in there! I was patiently waiting for the oven to reach 475 degrees. Right around 300 degrees, I smelled something a little funny. I opened the oven door…and rest assured…there was that lid to that container I couldn’t find, as well as some other dishes of the boys’ with the plastic melting and oozing down from rack to rack and making a huge mess. To be honest, one of the oven racks is still sitting in the kitchen with plastic hardened onto the grates. The plastic is so thick we haven’t been able to remove it yet. See. So, yes, I kid you not. It’s that bad.
(Picture side note explanation: Here is the oven rack with the plastic hardened onto it. In the background, you will see a toolbox; we use this toolbox quite often because we are always having to build or modify something so the boys can’t access or climb onto something. To the left of the toolbox, you will see a large bucket of toys. Those are toys that have been removed from the living room because they act as climbing aids to gain access to standing on top of the entertainment center.)
I have every intention of cleaning every morning, but somehow it never happens. Or I start to do something and then one of the boys needs a diaper change, and then a 
domino effect of other things takes place: Feeding the boys, changing diapers, playing with them, cleaning up toys, taking numerous photos and videos of them, doing laundry, and washing dishes fills up most of my morning. The boys will then go down for a nap for about one and a half hours. You’re probably thinking that’s my time to clean, right? Well, sometimes I do. But, usually, I feel like this is the time to take advantage of having some time to myself. I usually catch up on television shows that I have recorded, edit photos, play pointless Facebook games, send emails, or research something on the Internet. I feel like my day goes by so fast and I barely have time to do much, but it’s all related to the boys, so that’s where I feel productive.
But, then I look around at the clutter and I feel so unproductive. At the end of day, while I’d like to have a spotless kitchen with sparkles coming from my stainless steel appliances, I’m okay without that. My boys are so happy (95% of the time) and I’d rather be playing with them at the park than worried about clutter in my kitchen. I found a few quotes that pertain to my life:
“Good moms have sticky floors, messy kitchens, laundry piles, and happy kids.”
“Apology: My house doesn’t always look like this. Some days it’s even worse.”
“My house isn’t messy. Those are just obstacles I’ve put in place for any burglars that try to break in.”
“Please excuse our messy house, our kids are making memories.”
Molly lives in Portland, Oregon, and is a stay-at-home mom with twin 16-month-old boys. She grew up in Southern California and moved to Oregon five years ago with her husband.
Deborah says
May 3, 2013 at 1:53 pmI love reading your updates and adventures Molly. Always makes me smile.
I know the melted plastic in the oven would have freaked me out.
Pattypie says
May 3, 2013 at 9:48 pmOh the dirty dishes in the oven trick. I don’t know anything about that (Patty looks around innocently!)
Love your column Molly! 😉
Molly says
May 3, 2013 at 11:27 pmThanks!
I’m so embarrassed to even admit I put them in the oven! Haha. I have managed to clean a few things in the kitchen, but the plastic still remains on the oven rack. Maybe next week? 🙂
Ria C says
May 4, 2013 at 2:59 amI can relate to you. Although my daughter is in her teens now, I don’t have a helper in the house so I do the pressing of clothes while my hubby does the cooking and laundry. He does help all the time but with my work, family and blogging commitments, I feel I can only complete a particular task in a pasticular aspect of my life but never all.
Heather says
May 4, 2013 at 6:43 amI can totally relate to the line “Good moms have sticky floors, messy kitchens, laundry piles, and happy kids.” That is definitely my house any given day of the week!
Sage says
May 4, 2013 at 9:06 amI love your post & honesty! Three kids later and I am coming to terms with the fact that we will always have a home that definitely looks lived in 🙂
Tricia W. says
May 4, 2013 at 1:09 pmLife IS messy …so glad to you can find ways to enjoy it !! 🙂
Holly @ Woman Tribune says
May 4, 2013 at 1:54 pmProductive and unproductive at the same time–yep, I’ve been there. In fact, I live there most days, usually swapping between writing a blog post in the midst of a mess, like you said, or the house being cleaned up and super clean only to realize my blog hasn’t been updated in days. Whoops.
Wendy @ ABCs and Garden Peas says
May 4, 2013 at 4:45 pmWow. I thought it was just me. Some days it’s so overwhelming…but it’s ok. It has to be. One of these days I’m going to get over feeling like I’m failing and just enjoy the ride.
Paula -Growing Up Bilingual says
May 4, 2013 at 5:21 pmAs I look around at the tables in my house all filled with papers (where do they all come from?) and the kid’s rooms covered in toys I don’t feel alone tonight! LOL! 😉
Jennifer Clay says
May 4, 2013 at 5:35 pmI have never done this BUT I have had plastic melt on the top of my stove. For some reason, I saw it laying there when I turned it on but my brain had a major fart and didn’t even think twice… until it was all melted!
Ann@IW says
May 4, 2013 at 5:47 pmOh, just you wait, Molly!
Last weekend one teen came home from college. Tonight, my 20 year old son came home. Two rooms- family and living rooms- are completely filled with extra mattresses, rugs, pots/dishes, a small kitchen table, Uggs no one wants, and clothes, clothes, clothes. Winter clothes, summer clothes, dirty clothes, clean clothes, clothes to keep, clothes to donate. It’s a disaster! And EVERYONE is too busy/tired/distracted to do anything with it.
Don’t suggest storage in the garage. We are lucky to fit the cars in there!
Chavonne H says
May 4, 2013 at 6:28 pmWhen things are messy, it means everyone probably had a great time!
marty says
May 4, 2013 at 8:05 pmI totally get what your talking about I dont have kids but for the past year I have been taking care of my mentally challenged sister and most days it feels like one step forward and two steps back.I like how you expressed it so simply I wish I could do that
snickers says
May 4, 2013 at 8:26 pmMolly, you have a beautiful family. I have been known to throw dirty dishes in on top of clean dishes in the dishwashers. HA!!
Ann,
All that stuff, but your house will be clean when they all leave again. 🙂
Chardonnay says
May 4, 2013 at 11:17 pmA clean house isn’t everything, Molly!!! It sounds like you have your priorities in order. There will be plenty of time to clean when they grow up and move out. I really enjoy reading your posts!
Jenifer Balatico says
May 5, 2013 at 2:26 amUpon reading your post I remember my mom old time stories regarding her kitchen experience, just made me smile and reminisce and thinking how will the story goes if it was me haha!
Jen says
May 5, 2013 at 10:33 amI love you, Molly! My house looks lived in. We are a family. That’s how it should be. You rock for sharing your mess with us! 🙂
Allyson Becker says
May 5, 2013 at 4:13 pmI can so relate. There is too much to do, and never time to clean.
Molly says
May 6, 2013 at 12:01 pmSo glad to know I’m not the only “messy” one here. 🙂
ANN*H says
May 6, 2013 at 5:34 pmA funny story about the oven LOL I never have dont that. It is so hard keeping things clean with kids . I know when my grandson is here I used to try to keep up with the cleaning but it never worked out , so what I do now is just let things go till he goes home than I can finally put stuff where it belongs and it will stay there – till he come the next time LOL. God love them all : )
Lily@IW says
May 8, 2013 at 7:25 am“My house isn’t messy. Those are just obstacles I’ve put in place for any burglars that try to break in.”
Lol, I love that.
Throw in a pet or two and you’ve got it made Molly!! Lol, it’s so hard to keep up with the little ones running around. And you are right, it’s great to be playing with them in the park regardless of the state of your kitchen. These years go by in a flash.
Lily@IW says
May 8, 2013 at 7:30 amMy goodness, they are so cute chatting away to each other.
Brandy says
May 9, 2013 at 11:58 amI’ve had my mom put things in the oven and me not know it and then turn on the oven, or the same thing happen with burners on the stove. It is hard to keep things picked up on top of all of the other things that have to get done. People don’t realize that its a full time job to run a household, and for generations, either servants, the mom, or someone in the extended family was doing it. Yes now there are washing machines and other conveniences, but there are also added tasks in their place like shuttling kids to activities, that take their place. My problem is that if the mess gets what I see as out of hand, I get crabby. I also think we are often too hard on ourselves with our expectations, we feel unproductive even though in actuality we’ve done a lot.
Molly says
May 14, 2013 at 10:44 pmSomehow within this past week, the kitchen has gotten more messy! Oy! Haha.