Despite having a cleaning lady, my house is never clean longer than the time it takes Vera to close the front door. The prints on the window and breath clouds alone are enough to call her back for a redo. What can I say, I miss her already.

The problem with cleaning the house is there is simply no time and I always fear I’m one intervention away from being cast on an episode of hoarders. Good luck getting your cameras in here.

I love when family and friends suggest we stop stressing over a messy house and just enjoy our kids while we can. So much easier said than done and much, MUCH easier said by someone reflecting back on how quickly the time passes but imagine if one of their neighbours came carolling one Christmas and saw mountains of toys with them dressed in a princess costume and tiara fourteen sizes too small? So we agree, I look insane.

Someone recently said cleaning your house while your kids are still young is like shovelling snow in the middle of a snowstorm….except at my house, it never stops snowing. Sometimes the toys are wet, other times blowy, sometimes we have to close the walkway and no one can enter or exit due to the toy drifts…..my God the drifts.

Remember that scene in ET (does that date me?) when Drew Barrymore (yep) is hiding amongst the plush toys? That’s my house everyday without the crew standing by to sweep things up.

I thought we built a playroom specifically for toy storage and playing. It would now appear the house is one big playroom and the kids have designated a tiny area for dining and office space.

Hanna asked for the blizzard machine for Christmas. How very appropriate.