Progress Report (Sans Cleaning Help)

Wednesday: I skipped the supermarket today because I wanted to clean out my freezer first. I turned up the music and got to work. It felt invigorating to accomplish this task. Seriously, you know how people get high from doing exercise? I’m sure the same can be said from cleaning.

I ran to the hardware store for some contact paper. I cleaned out three cabinets and got busy lining them. UPS delivered my hand mixer and fleishig pots and pans set (all bought with points.)

I had to cook supper since there were not enough leftovers from the previous day. We ate on plastic plates, as we have been all week to save me the time that would have been otherwise spent dishwashing.

After supper, when the kids were in bed, I really schlepped out the work. Took a break here, some online shopping, took a break there, read a magazine article, checked my email, made some phone calls… It was close to midnight by the time I was done, but the next morning, there were three empty cupboards all washed and lined for Pesach.

Thursday: I hit the supermarket. I bought a new broom and some Pesach food for the kids to eat during ‘limbo’ week after Shabbos HaGadol when we have no chometz left in the house but it’s not yet Pesach so we can’t eat matzo yet. I also bought meat and chicken and lots of Pesach necessities. I bought two pounds of matzo on sale for $20. (I figured it was a good price because other brands were going for that much for only one pound. When I had my husband on the line to discuss which matzo to buy, he was like, “What do they put in them, gold?”)

I had my purchase delivered but had to carry the matzo and the broom home. I was not planning on this. I thought I’d be able to do another errand on the way home, but not with my hands so full. Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

I started cleaning out the fridge before my order arrived. It took hours to finish. One part is actually still not completed, but I’ll do it tonight when the kids are in bed.

I saw a ‘cleaning lady wanted’ ad for $10/hour. Wow. I used to work in an office for that amount, when I was a girl. I don’t think I’d make a good ‘cleaning lady’ for $10/hour…or any amount. I work too slowly (with all my breaks) pacing my energy. That doesn’t stop me from telling the kids not to disturb the ‘cleaning lady’ when I’m trying to get something cleaned at home!

I’d shared my kitchen progress with my sister-in-law on the phone, two days ago. Despite my little accomplishments, she admitted to having done even less than me. I felt so good, like I was ‘ahead of the game’. Then, when I spoke to her yesterday, inquiring where she was holding, she said she was almost finished her kitchen! I was amazed. How was it possible? To go almost from zero to a hundred in one day?!? Then, I figured it out. “You must have had a cleaning lady,” I declared.

“Yes, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without one.”

Whenever I broach the subject of Pesach cleaning, my husband has been suggesting I get a cleaning lady. I always decline. I don’t have regular cleaning help. I always considered a cleaning woman a luxury. I have always been very independent when it comes to housework. Without having a history with anyone that I could trust them, I prefer not to hire some stranger to go through my house. (I hear too many stories of people being robbed by the cleaning help.) I also know too many women who are beside themselves because their cleaning woman fails to show up, or because she quit, or is not going a good job and they need to find someone new. I don’t want to be at the mercy of some cleaning help like the stranded victims so many women turn into. I never took ‘Acquiring and Maintaining Cleaning Help 101’ and would be clueless about bossing around some Spanish speaking immigrant.

So, yes, I am a freak. An oddity. Either, I’m incredibly brave to undertake Pesach-cleaning my home on my own, or I’m incredibly naïve. In any event, it takes me much longer to Pesach-clean than people who rely on cleaning help. Which makes a lot of sense.

I recently met someone who was just like me; she cleaned her house herself. She claimed she hated cleaning women. She used to have one, but found that she did a better job herself.

Even that woman who goes about her daily life without cleaning help admits she needs to get some for Pesach-cleaning. Then again, she works a daily job. I don’t. I have all the time in the world to clean, at my own pace, without wearing myself ragged.

I prefer to splurge on buying myself gifts on occasion rather than splurge on cleaning help that the kids will nullify the very same day. A jewel encrusted fashion accessory or new pair of shoes will last longer!

I have four cabinets and two drawers left in the kitchen. The rest of the list from my previous post, also remains. I forgot to add the garbage cans to the list.

Today FedEx delivered my electric burners. Now my husband is talking about returning them and kashering the stovetop instead – now that he figured out how to do it. I said, “If you want to do it, go ahead!”

The Pesach Countdown Is On

Like so many other Jewish women out there, I am working every day on Pesach cleaning. I feel like I’m not getting anywhere, but I know it all adds up. Yes, the house looks like a mess when there’s work-in-progress, but it’s the final product that counts. Besides, a masterpiece is in the details. It bothers me when people are tough on others who are tough on themselves with Pesach preparations. Everyone has their standards and what they adhere to. For some people, it’s good enough to just cover over and lock up anything chometz-related. For others, they first go through everything with a toothpick and a magnifying glass. (Maybe I’m exaggerating about the latter, but I wouldn’t be surprised…) I would say I’m somewhere in the middle. I’m not as strict and overboard as some, I’m not as lax as others. I wish everyone would respect the fact that everyone does their best and not judge others by your own (as opposed to their own) standards.

Here’s the Pesach diary since I last posted:

Wednesday: I did more Pesach shopping. I bought some rolls of shelf liners and Pesachdik snacks for the kids so they’ll have what to eat in case their cheder makes a ‘no chometz’ rule a week before school is out for the holiday. Even if they don’t, the kids will need something to eat in the house once my kitchen is turned over before yom tov starts. I also stocked up on more sale items at the KRM. (Plastic utensils were $1.99 for 500!) I did a sliver of shopping on Thirteenth Ave before heading home.

Thursday: I got to work in the living room. I cleaned the couch and recliner. (I found three socks in the recliner.) I started doing some toy bins and the toy kitchen until I thought, ‘This is taking up so much time, am I crazy? The kids should do this!’ Later, I gave some bins to the kids to wash when they were bathed and they had a veritable blast. I also washed stuffed animals in the washing machine. I ordered some pots and pans and Pesach necessities online (using points). Wondering, why isn’t my horrible cold getting better?

Friday: No Pesach cleaning today! Stopped in by the doctor. It’s a sinus infection. Picked up antibiotics and arrived home in time to cook half of what I had to cook for Shabbos. Ran out to pick up the kids from playgroup/bus stop. Fed kids lunch. Made a kugel and whatever else wasn’t done. Cleaned up kitchen mess. Mopped floor.

Motzai Shabbos: After cleaning up from Shabbos, I washed out the bottom half of the china closet. (The top half I did before Chanukah. I only plan to take out the actual chometz from the top before Pesach – no ‘spring cleaning’ (Riva, that’s for you) unless I have the time.)

This week, I started with the kitchen. I plan on going back to the rest of the house once the kitchen is done and all the chometz is out. It seems futile to do anything else while the kids still keep spreading chometz around.

Sunday: Very busy with laundry but managed to get two kitchen cabinets emptied out. Kids spilled out an almost brand-new bottle of Soft Scrub. Supper was leftovers from Shabbos.

Monday: Finished lining the second kitchen cabinet. Opened a new roll of shelving paper. Started with drawers. Did two in the morning. UPS delivery! Toaster oven and milchig pots/pans set arrived. After school, kids got their hands on the new roll of shelf paper and unrolled it across the house. They marched on it like they were walking down a red carpet. At least I still had a spare roll. Had to police the kids not to take food out of the kitchen. After kids’ bedtime, I did two more kitchen drawers. This included the terrible forsaken ‘junk drawer’ that had not been touched (in the cleaning sense) in years. (Don’t call it spring cleaning, there were countless crumbs at the bottom of it!) Still busy with laundry. At least I didn’t have to cook, supper was leftovers from the freezer.

Tuesday: Washed Kitchenaid mixer and the cabinet that contained the baking utensils. Washed the contents of the pareve drawer that was emptied the night before. Made delicious supper of potato/mushroom knishes from package of dough I found in the freezer and chicken cutlets. (Hope to have enough leftovers for tomorrow.) Found half a chicken cutlet on the toy kitchen. After kids were in bed, I washed out two more cabinets.

My kitchen tally:

There are 8 cabinets on one side; 3 are done.

Of the 4 cabinets on the other side; 2 are done.

Of the 6 drawers in total; 4 are done.

That means 9/18 is done! Making progress.

What remains to do in the kitchen: toaster, toaster oven, fridge, freezer, microwave, stove, oven, table, chairs, counters and sink.

I would love to have the kitchen changed over by Sunday.

Life Goes On

Now is when the real Pesach-cleaning frenzy begins. The time has come to get serious. No more excuses. No more procrastinating. No more ‘too busy’ doing anything but cleaning.

I am seriously not a role model.

Last week, with my brother’s wedding, I did not dream of doing anything Pesach related. The closest I came was buying some Pesach specials at the supermarket. They are now stored in sealed boxes in my apartment.

This week was only slightly better. I will get to my little accomplishments later.

So how was the wedding? Thankfully, it was beautiful. Most everything went off without a hitch, although we did not arrive in time for the photographer to take our family pictures before thekabbalos panim. (Fortunately, he took some later.) Some deadlines are okay to miss. Other deadlines, like Pesach, are non-negotiable.

We stayed overnight at the Hampton Inn in Nanuet. (Who wants to drive home to Brooklyn at 2 AM?) My kids and husband enjoyed the pool the next morning, which we had entirely to ourselves – a major treat. (I sat on the sidelines and fleetingly wished I owned a bathing suit.) After checkout, we picked up lunch and then hung out at my sister’s place. The kids had a ball running around her large backyard. We stayed for sheva brachos and arrived back home very late at night.

The kids missed their bus the next morning and although my husband drove them to school, I felt like my day was pretty much shot. By the time I returned from dropping off my daughter, the morning was half over. I was faced with mountains and mountains of laundry to attend to. (That’s what happens after a wedding when a mother does not wash any loads for two entire days.)

I was grateful to skip sheva brachos Thursday night. My husband had to work late and I was on my own with all the childcare. I gave supper and bathed the kids. My husband walked in just as the younger two were getting into their beds. It was past their bedtime and no one was asleep. Naturally, I was pooped. I would have gladly exchanged places with them! The little kids complained that they were hungry but, mean mother that I am; I refused to allow them to come out for snacks when it was so late. (They need to learn to eat their suppers!) I went to take care of some work on the computer. My husband came and said, “The kids are having a chometz party in their room.” Someone had pilfered a box of crackers from the kitchen cabinet and they were having a field day with it.

Just lovely.

So much for a Pesach-cleaned room…

The truth is, I anyway had to re-vacuum and change the linen in the room before Pesach. So I wasn’t very bothered about the mess. I was more bothered by the fact that the kids still don’t get the concept of not bringing chometz into their room!

We found places for my boys to stay over Shabbos and travelled back over the George Washington Bridge with only my daughter for the Shabbos sheva brachos. Friday was for packing and picking up some Pesach cases for my mother (and myself). We were back late Motzai Shabbos after picking up the boys who had a really good time at their respective sleepovers. It was a nice vacation not to have to cook and clean up dishes…

On the Palisades Parkway, during the ride home, I tried figuring out my Pesach cleaning game plan. I wanted to start on the kitchen, to empty out all the drawers and cupboards and forget – I mean worry – about everything else later. (Though forgetting would be more enjoyable.)

I was not at all ready to start with the kitchen.

My husband suggested I get a cleaning lady. I declined.

Sunday found me with more loads of laundry to tackle. I decided to clean out the broom/cleaning supplies closet. Yay, another closet done! I also cleaned a lot of my kitchen, but it was more of an everyday cleaning instead of a Pesach cleaning. Of course you have to start somewhere. I still had junk from mishlaoch manos on the counters…

There was no way I could go to Sunday night’s sheva brachos. I had no possibility of getting there with my husband working late again and you know what, I was glad for the reprieve. I figured that we were done with all the travelling to Monsey for sheva brachos. Not exactly…

You would think that my plan for Monday would be to tackle some major Pesach-cleaning project. No. It was something much worse than that. I had to take care of paperwork. There is a tiny room in my apartment that is used as an office. I was busy at work with file folders and spreadsheets doing my least favorite task – figuring out numbers for the accountant for tax season. I also took the opportunity to file away a mountain of papers. I did what I could, but I’m still not entirely finished with all the paperwork.

I found out that Monday evening’s sheva brachos was not in Monsey. It was in a restaurant in Teaneck! I have never been to Teaneck. I wanted to go check it out. Teaneck is a lot closer to Brooklyn than Monsey. We managed to get a babysitter and off we went. It was almost like going on a date since it was just the two of us in the car!

Today was my first actual day back to regular life. I asked my husband where he thought I should begin. He preferred the little office room. I did, if I may say so myself, a really good job. I enjoyed the cleaning even if I did have some harrowing experiences. (That’s usually the case when you turn up a dead bug.) I had a scare trying to clean the windows. (I never knew they were broken. No wonder we never opened them!) The top window shot down with a slam, I almost had my hand stuck in it. Oh, the joys of Pesach cleaning…

Empty Closets

It has begun. The insanity. The fatigue. The husband working very late hours. The running around and around, almost in circles. The kids who won’t go to bed before nine pm because their father is not home. The house looking like a wreck because of aforementioned kids who won’t go to bed and a mother too tired by the time they finally do.

To further compound the situation, I have been running to appointments all week with my three-year-old daughter who is finally undergoing a speech evaluation because even the barely two-year-olds in her playgroup can speak mountains more than she can. At her speech evaluation, the evaluator agreed that she could definitely use speech therapy. She failed her hearing test because she has fluid in one ear and refused to cooperate in the sound room. So, instead of staying home to clean for Shabbos today, I was at the pediatrician about the fluid. (He does not think it’s anything to be concerned about at this time of the year.) By the time I got home and had a chicken soup cooking on the stove, it was time for lunch.

I forgot to mention, I was just at the pediatrician with my daughter yesterday for a WIC blood test. I just realized the next WIC appointment was scheduled for the morning after my brother’s wedding, at 9:15 AM. (I hurriedly changed the date.) At the doctor’s two days in a row, I feel like I should start moving in…

My brother’s wedding is drawing near. I have been running to the dressmaker and the fabric store and the costume stores. (Purim is a few days before the wedding!) I made appointments at the sheitel macher and the makeup artist. I ordered new yarmulkes and suits for the boys. I hope everything will be ready in time. I am praying that the dressmaker will not ruin my gown. (For the small fortune she’s charging for minor alterations, it better come out perfect!) I have to pick up the little girl gowns from the gemach this Sunday. The expenses are really piling up – and I haven’t bought a thing yet for Pesach… (Unless you count the case of plastic plates that was on sale this week at the KRM supermarket!)

My mishalach manos are sitting in a box, waiting to be put together. My birthday is this week. I wonder if DH will remember. (I sent him some hints a month or so ago by email, of gift ideas I’d love for him to buy me.) I found no evidence that he bought any of it. Instead, he bought a really expensive digital camera that he wanted. Men – go figure.

The one Pesach cleaning mountain I managed to tackle this week was my linen closet. I devoted the good part of my Monday morning to it. If there was ever any closet that intimidated me with its sheer multitude of stuff, the linen closet was it. I was worried I would get swept away by the avalanche. I needed to devise a method to the madness.

You will see a picture of my empty linen closet. (I took the image with DH’s new, top-of-the-line camera.) How did I empty out a closet that was so thoroughly packed? The only way possible; one shelf at a time. I put everything on the hallway floor or in the bedroom to organize. I washed the shelves and the floor. I actually found chometz! I never would have believed I’d find some in the linen closet, but apparently, I did. It was a licorice nib, covered in dust at the bottom corner of the closet. I also found a marble from my kids’ marble run game. I found a pair of pink socks that fit my daughter when she was a year old (now how did those get in there!?!)

I rearranged the contents so the linen is now on a lower shelf and the first aid box and related medicine chest/bathroom storage items are now easier to reach. (My linen closet is right outside the bathroom, the latter of which has minimal storage space.) Less often used items are now on the highest shelf. The towels are all nicely rolled and easier to see. I made room for the case of Bounty paper towels that I bought last week on sale. It is such a pleasure to open the closet door and be struck by the sight of an organized closet!

I love an empty closet, the shelves bare and inviting yet full of promise. It is like a new chapter, a notebook waiting to be filled with handwritten prose. It reminds me of days gone by when I was a newlywed, when I had countless empty drawers and closets and everything was a whole new adventure. It was a time when the possibilities were endless. Anything was possible! Almost nine years and three kids later, the days of empty closets are rare.

Thank G-d.