Random Thoughts on Cleanliness

While madly trying to vacuum the living room before the husband got home from work this evening (and why I don't know, because its not like he noticed) I had a few moments to ponder cleaning in general.

My therapist a few months back made a comment something like, "You're a very busy person. I don't know how you get everything done." To which I replied, "I don't clean my house." She had quite a good chuckle, evidently thinking that I was joking.

And then there's this gem:

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing
is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.
- Phyllis Diller

And having waded through both snow and my living room, I heartily say AMEN.

When I Just Can't Explain It

I highly recommend this blog post from my friend Amy. She took the words right out of my mouth.

When I Just Can't Explain It

The Russian System

Bear with me. I'll try to stop posting about this, but I think some of this info is just astounding. Here's an excerpt from an article in The New York Times:

[The chairwoman of the parliamentary committee on family and children, Yelena B.] Mizulina noted that for all the complaints about the return of the boy, Artyom Savelyev, by his adoptive mother in Tennessee, Russia itself has plenty of experience with failed placements. She said 30,000 children in the last three years inside Russia were sent back to institutions by their adoptive, foster or guardianship families.

30,000 in just 3 years!?! And the Russians are worked up over one U.S. mother who couldn't take it anymore? Perhaps the U.S. should be the one suspending adoptions while Russia gets its system fixed, so that children don't come home with such overwhelming and PREVENTABLE problems. If you're interested in the entire article, here's the link:
Russian Orphanage Offers Love, but Not Families