The Cleaning Lady

I have always been a huge proponent of having someone else clean my house. I am not a very domestic person...or at least I wasn't before now. I'm not talented in the kitchen (except I can load a mean dishwasher), I seem to have a very high threshold for clutter, and The Cleaver does the laundry. Well, since I've been home juggling two kiddos (contrasted with my first leave where I was just trying to get sleep and possibly a shower from time to time), I seem to have found my domestic groove. I've been on top of the laundry, the kitchen is almost always clean and dinners, these days, have been pretty awesome, if I don't say so myself.

So all of that brings me to my point: Am I ready to discontinue my cleaning service?? I have been known to get enthusiastic and very confident that I will keep up with the cleaning and make our house look fantastic or at least taken care of and attended to, but I seem to fall short of the mark each time. So I'm worried that I'm wearing rose-colored glasses regarding the issue. But there is a part of me that feels that this time is different. I really want to do a great job of maintaining our home, but with a career, two kiddos and a husband to care for, I'm wondering what's going to have to fall off of the table - it might very well be my ability to clean our house.

Someone wise once told me to never hire a babysitter to watch your child so you can clean your house. I know that seems elementary, but I've always kept it tucked in my memory bank. So, with my return looming, I'll let that transition take its course and then figure out if I'm really going to be able to commit to the domestic side of things or if I'll continue paying for the enjoyment of a clean house without the effort.