Either/Or

I really enjoy being a homemaker. Two of things that really float my boat are cooking and cleaning. Before my life was taken over by the tiny dictat-- I mean, before I gave birth to my beautiful son, I used to prepare fresh dinners almost every night that Vince and me enjoyed in the comfort of neat and tidy surroundings. I also used to comb my hair daily, but that's another story.
.Nowadays, cooking and cleaning are more of an "either/or" thing. On any given day, I either clean or I cook. But once in a while, the stars will align and I will get the chance to both cook AND clean in the same day. I know what you're thinking: "Gosh, Lily, that sounds AWESOME!! WHAT FUN!" Before you get jealous of my exciting existence, let me assure you that this happens only once in a blue moon.

One day last week, the blue moon was out. Benjamin was busy scribbling with crayons, so I tidied up around the house. I swept the floors, I took out the trash, I put away the toys, I cleaned the bathroom, and I even lined up our shoes. When I was done, Benjamin was still sitting quietly by himself with his crayons and paper, so I decided to take the opportunity to cook dinner before Vince got home. While I was in the kitchen, I even got the chance to wash all the pots in the sink and clear off the counters. "Wow," I thought to myself. "A clean house AND dinner! I ROCK!" Just as I was about to rest on my hausfrau laurels, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye:
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Behind the gate, a blur. A chubby, mohawked blur that told me somebody was hard at work running back and forth. But why? Oh, this could not be good. With a sinking feeling, I ventured outside the confines of my nice, neat kitchen to assess the damage.

Ok, so a few things were out of place. A few little cars had been taken out, Oliver's chew toys were scattered about, and somehow our volleyball had escaped from its rightful place in the closet. But not to worry, because this would take but a few minutes to clean up.

And then I turned the corner.

Oh, good Lord. In the span of twenty minutes, Benjamin had managed to undo an hour of my housewife ministrations. I don't know how he did it, but it looked as though his playroom had somehow vomited on itself. With a sigh, I realized that one of out two ain't bad; at least we'd get to enjoy a nice, freshly-prepared dinner tonight. The clean house would have to wait for another day.

And Benjamin... Let me just say that you're very, very lucky you're so cute.