Cleaning = Serenity

Every weekend growing up weekends were filled with our lists of chores you did.  They were expected and somehow rewarding all at the same time.  You would put your name next to the chore and cross it out to feel that satisfaction of a job well done…and then you could relax and go on your merry way.

Well now that I’m married those pre-conceived notions have come along with the package I must say.  It’s now a requirement that we must create a list every weekend …no not really, but I may make a mental one…

1.Laundry

2.Dishes

3.Bathrooms

4. Vacuum (3 animals people)

5.Groceries

Don’t all efficient adults do this?  Well they should if not.  But this is where the whole unspoken expectations come into play in marriage.  It’s typical for a person to see the mom do certain chores and expect to carry that out once she’s married and to expect the husband to do certain chores cause your dad did.

Anyways, what I’ve figured out is that weekend ritual my family so kindly created has psychologically connected the necessity for a clean house in order for me to enjoy my weekend.  Cleaning = serenity…after having this epiphony the other week I shared it with the other sisters and they agreed.  This is why the boys get such a hard time every weekend when they don’t follow suit!    Since then I’ve tried to make it a little easier for my husband. 

Now that I’m aware that all I need to be happy is for him to clean the whole house…I just have to make it known now, right?

Birth Order At A Glance

The theory goes like this:

Oldest Child – Productive, organized, perfectionist, stable.

Middle Child – Overlooked, competitive, observant, enjoys appreciation

Youngest Child – Social being/life of the party, free-willed, spirited, spoiled

So of course this is a shortened version, and I’m sure I’ll expand on such – But I wanted to give you all a quick lesson.  Typically this is how it goes and throwing marriage, gender, and split families mixes up the equation.  

So when a middle child, such as myself marries an oldest child (my husband) it is a paradox.  Every day one likes to be assured that they are loved and appreciated.  Is it really a bad thing to want to feel loved every day?

The joke of my wedding when my husband and I had to give our top 10 reasons for loving eachother  (cute dj idea)…he’s #1 was him saying…Because every time I tell her I love her she responds with…Why?

What can I say the Marcia Brady syndrome is in my being…and I know some of you would call it the Jan brady syndrome, but she was so overlooked it doesn’t even get classified with her name.  For those of you not aware of the Brady Bunch classics, it goes like this…Marcia was the prettier, smarter, more wonderful person so Jan was always overlooked.  Some may roll their eyes at the exaggerated process but the core of it is true.  I am a self doubter, thriving on positive feedback, kind words, and love. 

That reminds me, one day at Target you can imagine my surprise by seeing the wine label here directing something to the forgotten middle kids out there…it was a beautiful thing.  Note the cool hair do, sunglasses, shoes, and dress that the middle sister is wearing.  Someone out there was very clever.  It was like a theraputic hug from all those years the middle child was overlooked!  It’s definitely something that those of you not stuck in the middle will never understand…so for the time being, offer some kind words to a middle dweller, cause it’s nice for it to be all about them sometimes!