Didn't I just clean that?

With the addition of Corrine to our family, I have found it increasingly hard to keep up with housework. For those of you who know me, you know that I like my house to be clean and clutter free. Not perfect by any means, but I am not comfortable in my home if it is messy or cluttered. It seems like I can only keep up with the bare minimums; weekly bathroom cleanings, once a week floor moppings, vaccuming once a week, laundry, dusting once a week. These chores I normally do in about 2 hours; now it takes about 2 days. Of course I clean my kitchen after every meal, but this chore used to be done right away. Sometimes I have to leave it for a while, which bothers me. All of the extra stuff, like dusting for cobwebs, cleaning my cabinets, baseboards, etc. that I used to do once a month are getting done, well, not once a month! I am constantly putting things away, trying to keep clutter down and make my house look clean. But it seems that no matter how much time I spend doing this, it gets undone way too quickly. I can spend what seems like all day putting things where they go and trying to keep up, only to look at my house at the end of the day and wonder where my efforts went. I am having to remind myself often that she won't be little forever, and that eventually I will have my house the way I like it. At that time, I will probably be missing having little ones at home; the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I don't remember having such a hard time when my others were little. I think that is because I have three other kids now and Corrine is a very demanding baby. It seems like there is never enough time in the day, and I feel somewhat guilty when I take a break to read or do a hobby I enjoy. (Like blogging!) But I still do these things, because I know I will burn out if I don't replenish my stores of energy and patience. So I will continue to make my futile efforts at house cleaning ( I can't imagine what my house would look like if I didn't) and take deep, calming breaths. Rearing my children is worth a few years of messy house!