Martinez Family: June 2013

Most of my friends and family know that once a week I do not leave my house for an entire day. I don't shower, or run errands, and I do not cook (lets be honest, that is more than once a week). Once a week I have a cleaning day. I turn into a bit of a psycho. I usually choose a day that Trevor will be gone the longest because we usually end up fighting on cleaning day. This pregnancy, like my last, has taken a toll on my cleaning abilities. This pregnancy I was pretty much glued to my couch for about 2 months. Trevor was a huge help but he was also going to school and working so the house got a little out of control. This was a problem because what made me vomit more than anything else was smells and my house smelled like garbage for 2 months straight. I did have lots of help. Trevor's amazing aunt Melece came and cleaned my kitchen from top to bottom and made us dinner, my friend Carley helped me out with pick up on a regular basis. It was wonderful but within a few days it was always back to smelling like garbage. Also we were potty training so there were pee spots in the carpet that got left for days. One day when I was starting to feel a little better my friend Carley came over to help me do one of my all day deep cleans. I'm sure I scared her a little. She kept asking if I was going to take a break to eat. She suggested that I maybe break up my cleaning schedule and just do a little bit each day. I told her I could not do that because then one room would stay messy and the mess would make its way into my clean room and it would just always be messy. (I understand this reasoning does not make sense) But after a few more weeks of not feeling good and realizing that after my second kid a cleaning day might not be an option, I decided to consider doing things different.
One of the reasons I love having a cleaning day is that I don't have to do house chores for the rest of the week. That also means that my house is only clean one day a week. But at least it keeps things under control. It was really really really hard for me to convert to a new system. I decided to check out pinterest and I combined like 5 different ideas I found to create my new system. First thing I decided was that I would do my cleaning in the mornings because that is when I have the most energy. Next I decided that I would only give myself an hour and a half to clean each day. Then I assigned a chore for each day and also made a list of things that HAVE to be done on a daily basis. For example Monday I do my bathrooms, but I also make beds and pick up little messes and keep the kitchen looking decent throughout the day. Usually I do a quick pick up before bed at night that takes 5 to 10 minutes. I also realize that some days I just don't have time for my chores so I just push everything back a day and maybe add an extra thirty minutes the next day and that has worked out great. Also I added this pinterest idea of rotating toys because we don't have a play room. I put about half of Kirra's toys up in her closet and rotate them once a week. It keeps the mess down and Kirra has something to look forward to. I am am amazed at the difference this system has made. My house is clean every day! Trevor and I don't fight on cleaning days anymore because I am not tired and annoyed when I am done. Laundry is not piled up everywhere. I am happier and function much better on a day to day basis. I remember things, I can actually make plans every day of the week, and Kirra gets more attention, AND she has started helping me. I usually have a few free days because I finish everything early in the week and I can catch up on projects. The best part is I feel so organized and if I want to take a nap in the afternoon, I can, and I don't feel like I have to use that time to catch up on my disgusting house. The other best part is my house smells amazing. The garbage smell is gone. I am hoping when the new baby comes my system will still work out. But for now I am proud of myself for actually trying something different (I am a creature of habit and do not adjust well to change or even suggestions of change) I am starting to wonder if I have looked over other suggestions that might make my life easier. So if you have any suggestions for me on how to make life easier with kids I am willing to try them.

This is my living room floor in the middle of the day on a day I chose to do nothing and all my family is home! This is huge people!

My kitchen has looked this good for almost a month straight...It's a miracle!

My kitchen table doesn't have food crusted on it. I should have shown the before my change pictures.

Best of all I get to see these happy faces every day now!!

Most of the time I like to share all the good parts of our life on this blog. Birthday's are usually a good part. I want my kids to feel special on their Birthday and I am willing to do what it takes to make sure they do. Today I had a very special day planned for Kirra. She was going to wake up to a room full of balloons, pancakes for breakfast, a trip to the splash pad with friends, then a fun evening with dad. I would say where it went wrong started the night before. Kirra usually goes to bed at 8:00pm every night. This particular night she was a little overly tired and very whiny and would not sleep! She was up until almost 12. Every time she would finally fall asleep I would try to sneak away and she would wake up instantly. Because she was up so late, I had to stay up even later to blow up all the balloons that were going to fill her room. By the 8th balloon my lips were burning and had bumps all over them. I don't think latex is my friend. I finished blowing up about 30 balloons though and then went to bed. The next problem started at 6:00am. That is what time Kirra decided to wake up and come wake me up to show me all the balloons in her room. I got up and celebrated her birthday morning but then decided if I was going to make it through the day I would need a little more sleep. So I put her in front of the magic babysitter and went back to bed. By the time I finally woke up I just felt worse and I was running behind on my schedule. The pancake idea went out the door and I just got started right away on her cupcakes. After I stuck a batch in the oven I decided to clean up the kitchen a little bit. Unfortunately one of the smells from the trash sent me running to the bathroom (I guess we have not officially announced we are pregnant but only about 5 people read my blog so I guess I am safe to say it on here) I was in there for the next half an hour throwing up nothing but stomach acid. It was a record for me. When I finally finished the cupcakes Kirra wanted one so I thought, "what the heck" and I let her have one, and then she snuck another one while I was in the shower. I got a ton of soap in my eyes while showering because I refuse to close my eyes in the shower now knowing that a cockroach could join me at any minute. So the rest of the day I had very impaired vision. I finally got myself ready to go and we headed out the door for the splash pad. My first time down the stairs I realized I had forgotten the directions. So back up three flights of stairs we went to grab them. Then we get downstairs and I realize I forgot my wallet. So back up three flights again. Then we go downstairs again and I realize I left the car keys upstairs. I was completely out of breath and Kirra was crying because she did not want to go up again. I have decided that choosing to live on the third floor to save a few bucks was not one of the smartest decisions we have made. Finally we get in the car and after a few errands make it to my friend Carley's house about an hour late. Kirra had fallen asleep but I wanted her to wake up and have fun so she would nap longer later. That was a big mistake. She was soooo whiny. She is usually thrilled to spend the day with her friends Tate and Skyla but today if they even looked at her the wrong way she would burst into tears. I decided the quicker we got things done the quicker I could get her down for a nap. So Carley and I hopped on bikes and stuck all three kids in a bike trailer and headed for the splash pad. She was in a much better mood once we were there and playing in the water. She had fun running around with her friends and I was glad to see her happy. We stayed for about an hour and then hopped back on our bikes and took the kids to Dairy Queen for lunch. Kirra was happy to get some ice cream and I was happy to be in the air conditioning. We headed home and let the kids play for a little while. Then I went back home to meet up with Trevor. Kirra fell asleep on the way home and then I had to carry her up the three flights of stairs. I thought my heart might burst. When we got inside I layed her down and saw that Trevor was taking a nap, (the heat makes you very sleepy) so I decided to take a nap too. Kirra woke up about an hour later screaming. She cried uncontrollably for about 15 min and then fell back asleep. Trevor got a call around that time from work telling him he was scheduled to come in which he did not realize so he had to go into work. He had not seen Kirra all day and would not be home until after she was asleep. Luckily she slept for about 3 hours. She woke up kind of grumpy and I was kind of grumpy from dealing with her all day so we skipped blowing out candles. She did not want any pictures. We skyped with both sets of grandparents but she did not want to talk and if I asked her too she would burst into tears. I was all too happy to put her to bed at 8:00 that night. I don't know if she had a good birthday but I know it was not one I would like to remember. I am glad it was over when it was. The next day we spent a relaxing day at the pool with no major break downs. I decided that going ANYWHERE with a two year old is over rated. We will probably spend the next year at home. Much less work and drama. I do love my little Kirra girl and despite a few bad days, she really has brightened up our life. She loves to dance. Any music she hears including church music she loves to shake and twirl and wave her arms around. She likes to stand on top of her toys while she dances and I am amazed at what can be a stage for her. She loves to read books. She will bring me a book and repeats each word that I read. She talks all day long about who knows what! She is very polite and always says please and thank you. Also she says "I sorry" about 20 times a day. I have no clue what for. She loves all her babies and stuffed animals and knows if any of them are missing at bed time. She is learning to sing lots of her favorite songs and I love listening to her practice. I wish I could hold on to the few times that she will cuddle with me and put her arms around my neck and kiss me. She is growing way too fast. I will never be okay with that. I love You Kirra baby!! Happy Birthday!