The 21st of September, Again

Last year, I was inspired by Jill over at Baby Rabies to record "a day in the life" - an hourly journal of our typical day, in pictures.

I had so much fun that first time - which was the 21st of September, 2011 - that I decided to record one day each month for an entire year to see how things would (or would not) change over the course of the year.

As I look back through some of the posts, a few things have definitely changed.  My kids are a year older (and at this stage in their lives, a year is a Really Big Deal).  Claire, while still nursing, is no longer nursing.all.day.long.  Jack, while still throwing me into a complete tizzy every now and then with his meltdowns and general three-year-old behavior, is settling down (I think?).

And then, a few things have *not* changed.  I'm still a stay-at-home-mom, who mostly sucks at her "job."  The kids still don't sleep, and this still drives me batshit crazy (seriously, kids...SLEEP, already).  And our house is still a mess that I just cannot keep up with, no matter how hard I try.

I was hoping to get really creative for this last "21st of..." post.  I thought I'd break out the fancy camera and actually schlepp it around with me all day, maybe...or do a compare and contrast of today's pictures versus the pictures I took on September 21st of last year.

I got off to a good start.

Claire was the perfect subject, and my pictures, if not telling a particular story of my day, were looking awfully cute.

Jack even participated (look at those muscles!).

But before I knew it, the camera battery had died (which is what happens when you leave it on over night, who knew?).  And there I was, thinking about all the pictures I was not going to take that day (because my iPhone is old and slow and full of so many pictures that I always have to delete a bunch before I can take any more).

After a year of diligently recording the 21st of each month, and after a year of staying up late on the 21st of each month to make sure the post would be published that.very.night, I quit.

Yep.  Just like that.

To be honest, I was more than a little burned out on this project...and as I looked around the house and realized that I was just going to document another day of me cleaning, AGAIN, I figured...FUGGIT.  And that was that.

But there are a few pictures I took early on that I am going to share here that will summarize what I did all day.  A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

So basically, I spent the WHOLE DAY CLEANING.  Poor Charles was even cleaning between meetings and on his lunch break.  And then, after a room had been cleaned to perfection, the kids would blow through it like a Category 5 hurricane and I'd clean it again.

Do you see the forks in the picture above?  I didn't even know we had those forks.  And those pictures on top?  Those are of my bathroom...the adult bathroom...littered with stuffed horses, a hoppity ball, a potty and all the contents of my hair/makeup drawer (you're just seeing a teeny corner of what that bathroom floor actually looked like).

It's hard work to keep a home clean with two small (messy) children.  I try to get out of the house, but more often than not...we're home.  I'm trying to train Jack to put his dirty clothes in the hamper, throw his trash away, and put his dirty dishes in the dishwasher.  Claire, on the other hand, I have to keep out of the trash (she is constantly throwing things away - I found my Hunger Games DVD in there the other day - or better yet, taking things out...awesome).

Well, it's safe to say I went to bed that with a super-duper-extra-clean house that night.

And no follow-up pictures to show for it (because that would have required a camera with a charged battery).

I won't lie, I feel a little bit lame about the whole thing...keeping this whole "21st of the month" thing going up until the 11th hour and then petering out uneventfully because of an uncharged camera...but such is life.

So, my friends, I hope your house is clean - and stays that way! - and that you have more follow-through than I do.

Peace to everyone and good evening to all.