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.
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