The problem:

The Culprit: I love my daughter dearly and I usually handle all the mess she creates pretty well. It’s life with a toddler and the mess is generally the price I pay for trying to clean bathrooms, going downstairs to do laundry, workout,  shower, or make a meal for the family during Lilly’s waking hours. But there are days when I just want ONE lousy space in the house where my hard work of cleaning will not be undone 5 minutes after I walk away from it.

Today a light bulb went off: my kitchen sink! She can’t reach the sink and if I make it sparkling clean, I won’t return to find it ruined. As sad as it is, I clung to this today as my only hope of not flipping out like a ninja the next time I find the newly put away legos all over the floor, AGAIN. (And WHY doesn’t she play with things once they’re on the floor?! Once she’s pulled them out to make a mess she loses all interest in that particular toy…until I clean it up!) When I get aggravated that her bedroom, or the family room, or the playroom are in shambles (again!) I will go look at my pretty sink and remember that at least she can’t make a mess of this one space. Would I be taking it too far to chant “Serenity now” while staring at my clean sink?