A Pro & A Con

In regards to owning a flat top cooking stove...

Pro: The flat top is perfect for creating additional counter space when needed, especially after, say, a party...or something.

Con: Well, hypothetically speaking, one extremely tired individual could accidentally turn on the wrong burner when trying to make a cup of tea and accidentally catch an entire box of jumbo matches on fire since the flat top stove is serving as extra counter space for items that did not immediately get put away after a little boy's birthday party.

Then, hypothetically speaking, the fire alarm would go off for at least five minutes, and a little family of three would need to huddle under blankets while, in the middle of January, all their windows are open to air out the thick smoke that now fills the lower level of the house. And hours later, when someone comes down stairs for a drink of water after going to bed, the kitchen may still smell like a soggy camp fire, giving one serious concern about how long the smell may actually take to evaporate.

I'm just saying.

That could be a possible con or disadvantage.

Hypothetically speaking, of course.

And on one last hypothetical note...the blaze was actually quite small when discovered. The thick smoke resulted mainly from sulfur in the matches. Absolutely no other items were in danger of also being caught on fire.

Under My Couch

I reached under the sofa this afternoon to retrieve a sorting block that I noticed while vacuuming. Here is what else I found:

-3 sorting blocks
-3 balls
-2 cat toys
-1 Cheerio
-1 Fisher Price pilot
-1 wooden, kid-sized golf club
-1 padded, toddler-sized Cubs bat

Following that, I was afraid to look under the love seat.

What's under your couch?

Cleaning

I hate cleaning.

Actually I don't mind doing the actual chores. Sometimes the activity of cleaning and the end result is actually therapeutic. What I mind is how quickly those chores become undone. Here's an example:

This morning, after Little Boy showered my kitchen floor (and the cats) with two large handfuls of soggy Cheerios, I decided that sweeping and mopping the floor needed bumped to the top of my priority list for the day. Along with emptying the litter box I hadn't cleaned in over a week and vacuuming the living room floor which had started to rival the garden for how much dirt, leaves, and mulch had accumulated on the carpet.

By mid-afternoon my cleaning list seemed complete! The kitchen floor had been swept and mopped, the litter box emptied, the living room cleaned and vacuumed, PLUS two loads of laundry had been washed and chicken for dinner could be found marinating in the fridge. Yes, friends, I felt good about my day!

And then Little Boy came home from an errand with Hubby.

Within ten minutes, toys carpeted the living room floor, Little Boy spit out a chewed up animal cracker on to my sparkling kitchen floor, and the cats tracked pawfuls of litter throughout the house, probably to spite me for waiting so long to clean their box out in the first place.

After dinner, with dishes piled high on the table and counter, Hubby and I looked around the house, and honestly, you would have never guessed that at 4pm, the house shined as though ready for company.

And that is why I hate cleaning.

But, friends, I do love my Hubby who cleaned the kitchen and put away all the baby toys, so that the house looks moderately clean again! Thanks, Hubby!