The Ahhh of Vacation

My last $20.00 Fun Dollars went to food this week, actually, it was early last week when I spent them. Corey was gone all day last Sunday. He works for a limo company and he had to represent them at a wedding expo in Scottsdale. My parents were due to fly in the next day. So that left me with two children and a messy house on Sunday.



I explained to Carrick that his Nana and Dedah were coming to visit, and I wanted our house to look pretty for them when they came. (Fortunately, I did all the laundry the day before, so laundry was crossed off my to-do list.) We all went to church that morning. I needed a little centering before the big task of cleaning the entire house. I took the kids to Basha's for a roasted chicken and mashed potatoes for lunch. Almost immediately after lunch, Lily took her nap, which was about 2 1/2 hours in length. Carrick snuggled in his bed and watched Rio 2 and How to Train Your Dragon. With both kids occupied, this mama not only cleaned the house, but rearranged some furniture too!

I told Carrick that if he kept the clean parts clean, and helped me pick up toys in the play room, I would treat him to Zainey's Frozen yogurt. He held up his end of the bargain, so before we went grocery shopping, I took the kids to Zainey's. Corey was on his way home at that point. He arrived shortly after we returned from Safeway with a meager grocery haul. I didn't buy too much since my folks would be visiting and eating out would be a regular occurrence. Corey was in the mood for Chinese, so he and I split the cost. We ordered eggplant and garlic green beans, two of our favorites. With food on the table, no dishes were harmed in the making of this meal. We used the last of our paper plates as well.


Phew! The house stayed clean pretty much until the cleaning lady came the other day. Mostly because we have all be out doing things in Sedona with mom and dad. I only did a small bit of picking up here and there throughout the week to maintain the tidiness level. I might sound a little anal-retentive about having a clean house. My mother is not a neat freak, and even though my dad is a tidy person, he would never expect the level of cleanliness that I keep with two kids. They know what it's like to raise a family and have clutter, dishes, laundry and crumbs strewn about the house. I just like keeping it clean because it looks nicer that way.

And, while mom and dad are in town, it's almost like I am on vacation with my immediate family as well. We get to swim at the hotel with mom and dad. We all go out to eat. We all go hiking. We all shop in Uptown and Tlaquepaque. So when I come home, my vacation is still going, and the appearance of my house affects how I feel. After a beautiful day of hiking and swimming, opening the door and seeing a swept living room feels like, "Ahhh...". Who wants to be on vacation and spend it in a messy house? Not this mama.

So, the other day, buying Zainey's as a bribe, essentially, and ordering from Szechuan were ways of me keeping the house that I had spent all day cleaning looking like I had spent all day cleaning it. Kind of a proactive welcome home gift for everyone who would walk through the door to their vacation retreat. Ahhh....

Zainey's Frozen Yogurt- $7.00
Szechuan- $13.00
Balance this pay cycle- $0.00