Domestic Diva... ish.

Since Manthing has come home, our house has been SO much cleaner. I like to think it's because I finally have time to putter about and tidy, but the truth is, Manthing has been the driving force behind the transformation. We had some heated debates the last few times he'd been home because living alone in camps had made him a less-than-optimal housekeeper, and I'm no traditionalist - household chores are both pink AND blue. Particularly the ones I hate, like laundry.

Anyhow, when he first came home, I saw that it was going to be the same shenanigans with regards to pick up, maintenance and cleaning in the house. And while I am not proud to say it, I lost my temper, and reminded him that a home is managed by everyone in it when we all have jobs. I was quite content to have the bulk of the housekeeping left to me when I was staying at home, but in the years I've been back in the workforce, I've found it increasingly disrespectful that a lot of people still seem to think that housekeeping is exclusively under the 'ladychore' department. I work just as hard, for just as long, in just as stressful situations, and I deserve to not have to come home and immediately set to working on chores. This was the gist of my tantrum, and I guess the words finally hit home. Manthing has become completely obsessed with the kitchen. He's been powering through clearing the dross from the fridge (you know the stuff I'm talking about - the expired salad dressings, condiments etc that we all have hiding and taking up precious fridge space), and yesterday he inventoried the pantry cupboard. And then built an excel spreadsheet.

This has freed me up for more important tasks, like <strike>playing computer games and taking naps</strike> cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming, which are both tasks that I'm assuming Manthing hates, as he has always sighed and rolled his eyes about vacuuming and suddenly becomes deaf if I ask him to do anything to clean the bathroom. Cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming are a pretty good trade off for an organized kitchen.

One thing I find quite amusing though is that for all his obsessive tidying and organizing in the kitchen, he never seems to notice if the stovetop is grotesque, and the same goes with the sink. So I pick up those tasks as well - small thing when he's taken on the task of keeping the kitchen otherwise clean.

He also is much better than I am at laundry. I hate doing laundry. With a burny burny passion. Both Manthing and Girlchild are horrible offenders in the 'it wasn't actually dirty but I put it in the laundry anyhow' department, and coupled with a generalized distaste for laundry to begin with, and I suddenly get why my mom and dad lost their bits when they found paired socks in the laundry that was fresh out of the dryer.

Our house is still miles from acceptable, but it's getting better, and every time the manthing grumps about doing chores, I feel obligated to also grump about doing chores, and I think we're getting there. Once we're organized, it will be much easier to be clean and tidy.

So I'm not a diva. Who really is anymore? But I am part of a domestic superteam. And lately I've just been the sidekick. Which is nice for a change.