Spring Cleaned Good

I have been planning what to do this Sunday afternoon since last Wednesday. The symphony that I thought had been so perfectly orchestrated a few blog entries past has come to a halt for many reasons. Partly because we could possibly be moving, partly because it was much more stressful than I had anticipated and was causing me to become a grouch to my family, and partly because for the past month that I have been watching them, Noah has been sick for all but about 3 days. I never saw the younger boy not sick and Noah always seemed to end up with the same thing later in the week.
Which is what prompted me to plan my afternoon. Last Friday was my last day watching them. As soon as they were picked up, Noah and I headed to Grand Rapids to pick up Tim from the house he was working at and then drove to my parents' for the night. Tim had an interview for his dream job in Ann Arbor Saturday morning (which went very well, so now we're just waiting to hear back.) We drove back yesterday afternoon so it was a very short trip. Tim was dropped back off in Grand Rapids to go to a Griffins hockey game with a friend and then he drove his own vehicle back afterwards. Noah and I (who are both struggling with colds) came back and after having dinner and watching Baby Neptune collapsed into bed.
I kept Noah occupied this morning while Tim was at church. I especially kept him out of his bedroom and away from all his toys. Tim got home and I put my plan into effect.
I cleaned Noah's room.
I'm not talking just a quick vacuum and tidy up the toys cleaning. I mean an elbow-grease- sanitizing-kick-the-germs-out-spring-cleaning. I opened the window to get some fresh air in and away I went.
We filled up the bathtub with steaming hot water and dish soap and then dumped in every toy that is able to withstand water to soak and clean. Every toy that could not be put in the tub was wiped down with disinfecting wipes.
Tim and Noah were in the kitchen eating lunch when I walked past Noah's room and peered in after putting the last of the toys in the tub. I stopped.
"Let's rearrange Noah's room," I called towards the kitchen.
"What? NO. Why? Huh?" Tim stuttered.
"Why not?" I countered back.
"Because it works the way it is," he argued.
I silently made up my mind to rearrange it myself, figuring the only reason he didn't want to was because of the work.
Before he could stop me, I had grabbed the vaccum and shut myself in Noah's room. I started moving things around, cleaning under dressers and the crib, and in corners that hadn't ever seen the light of the room since we moved in.
An hour later I was done.
I opened the door and Noah came running in. "Wow," he said as he started running around the room in circles. It looks much more spacious and light than it did before. If I'd had the energy I probably would have joined him in running circles.
"Good job," my husband praised. I told him the changes I had made so he could find certain things again.
It feels good to spring clean. To purge things that aren't used or worn anymore. To open windows and let in fresh air (even if it brings pollen and allergens in the process.) It puts me in a great mood and inspires me to make changes in my personal life as well: eating healthier, exercising more, loving the way God created me no matter how I measure up to society's standards. Later, as I was reading the new issue of RealSimple, I read a section on how a good way to declutter is to throw out 50 things that hold you back.
"Hey, Tim, I'm feeling a cleaning mood coming on me," I told him as he sat at the computer.
"You just cleaned," he said without looking at me.
"No. I mean going room to room and throwing things out and really cleaning."
"Oh, great," he muttered.
I'm sure he'll be singing a different tune by the end of the week when the apartment looks stunning.