On our own
Our helper went home for Hari Raya last week so we were entirely on our own.
It was a bit of a mad house (literally) managing the household chores and kids on top of work (I couldn't afford to take time off work) but I actually relished the time we had to ourselves as a family.
I also appreciated that the husband made greater effort to be home and help out with the kids more despite his busy schedule. The kids too pitched in in their own little way (clean up toys, dress themselves for school). Every little bit helped!
No doubt it was crazy tiring - once I got home from work, I would bring the kids out to play, then home for a shower, dinner, sit with Sean to play the piano, then shoo the kids to the room, change them to their PJs, read stories and crash into bed. Once the kids dozed off (which usually takes an hour at least), I would drag myself out of bed to clean the house.
I really couldn't stand the mess and sticky floors so not only did I put the toys away and do the laundry, I also vacuumed and mopped the floor. Best workout ever! I only got to bed at midnight every night. But that feeling of a clean house and knowing where everything is really cannot be beat!
Over the long weekend, I actually took the opportunity to cleaning out the entire kitchen and storeroom. I discovered a cockroach infestation (horrors!) and ended up throwing away many things. I also 'Konmari-ed' the kids' wardrobe - I wished I had done it earlier because folding their clothes into little parcels saved so much space (if you haven't read Marie Kondo’s book on decluttering, I highly recommend it)!
I didn't manage to sort through the living room drawers or the huge mess that is our study but oh well that goes on my to-do list for now.
By the end of the week though, I was exhausted to the bone and felt like I was starting to fall sick. So it was a good thing my helper returned and took over the grunt work and leave me to focus on the kids again!
This episode made me realise that as much as I value our privacy and want things done my way, we are still very much dependent on our helper and cannot do without one. For now at least!
It was a bit of a mad house (literally) managing the household chores and kids on top of work (I couldn't afford to take time off work) but I actually relished the time we had to ourselves as a family.
I also appreciated that the husband made greater effort to be home and help out with the kids more despite his busy schedule. The kids too pitched in in their own little way (clean up toys, dress themselves for school). Every little bit helped!
No doubt it was crazy tiring - once I got home from work, I would bring the kids out to play, then home for a shower, dinner, sit with Sean to play the piano, then shoo the kids to the room, change them to their PJs, read stories and crash into bed. Once the kids dozed off (which usually takes an hour at least), I would drag myself out of bed to clean the house.
I really couldn't stand the mess and sticky floors so not only did I put the toys away and do the laundry, I also vacuumed and mopped the floor. Best workout ever! I only got to bed at midnight every night. But that feeling of a clean house and knowing where everything is really cannot be beat!
Over the long weekend, I actually took the opportunity to cleaning out the entire kitchen and storeroom. I discovered a cockroach infestation (horrors!) and ended up throwing away many things. I also 'Konmari-ed' the kids' wardrobe - I wished I had done it earlier because folding their clothes into little parcels saved so much space (if you haven't read Marie Kondo’s book on decluttering, I highly recommend it)!
I didn't manage to sort through the living room drawers or the huge mess that is our study but oh well that goes on my to-do list for now.
By the end of the week though, I was exhausted to the bone and felt like I was starting to fall sick. So it was a good thing my helper returned and took over the grunt work and leave me to focus on the kids again!
This episode made me realise that as much as I value our privacy and want things done my way, we are still very much dependent on our helper and cannot do without one. For now at least!