Spring (Cleaning) Break

I'm not sure my kids have ever noticed that I always refer to it as "Spring Cleaning Break" 

Maybe they are just being polite, and not letting me know that they think I'm a dufus for not knowing the correct name of the event.   In any case, for years, I have referred to it this way, and had the policy that if we are going to take a break from school in the spring, it will be to clean the house.  Because the house will get no attention otherwise.



This week my DH is away on business and I decided we would take our annual spring cleaning break, except that I didn't think it would be wise to take yet another week off school.  So I planned a boot camp type week - Spring Cleaning and School Intensive Week.  That is kind of long.  Cleaning/School Intensive.  That's better.  Wait - CSI!!!! It's a week-long CSI Marathon!  I'm sure the kids would have been more impressed if they'd known that CSI is in fact a television show with a huge cult-like following.  I think I have watched a grand total of 3/8 of an episode myself. 





At any rate, the plan I have in mind involves spending all morning doing school, concentrating on getting every subject caught up; and then spending the afternoon or a chunk of it, doing housecleaning.  Doing some of the housecleaning chores that are above and beyond the daily upkeep.   Everyone agreed in principle to this idea. 



Today we really did make some progress in the kitchen! I have a room or a couple rooms picked out for each day of this week, to help us focus our efforts.  We cleaned out the fridge, cleaned up all the dishes and most of the countertops (the counter is MY catch-all, so my section is left for me to do), cleaned the oven and microwave, washed down all the cabinets (outside - reorganizing inside is a whole day job on its own), swept, and decluttered the phone table.  We are not finished - there's that counter section I mentioned, plus the stovetop needs to be scrubbed, and I need to vacuum behind the fridge, etc - but enough progress was made that I am feeling rather encouraged that the CSI Marathon may be successful!



I love it when a plan comes together.



Oh, that's a different show.  The A-Team.  I watched a LOT more of those episodes.





Now that I think about it... Crime Scene Investigation is a pretty apt description of a typical day here.