Cleaning Lady

Our cleaning lady (CL) has been with us for over 5 years.  I don't remember exactly when she started but I know it was before I got pregnant, which was in June 2007. 

She started with us in our old house and she watched that house transform as we bought furniture, had kids, and Molly's Mom continuously redecorated.  CL had a key to our old house and we didn't think twice about it.  As she got openings in her schedule, I referred her to my friends.  My friends moved away and they referred her to their friends. 

Needless to say even though we don't see CL very often, communicating mostly through hand written notes, she is like a part of our family.  She did our final move out cleaning of our old house and she also cleaned our AH once or twice (I can't remember because I blocked those 6 weeks out of my mind). 

Shortly before we moved out of AH I got a call from CL's sister (who I have never met).  It turned out that CL was in the hospital with a collapsed lung.  As they were working to repair the lung, they found a spot of lung cancer.  We were devastated.  However, over time they were able to repair the lung and remove the cancer at the same time and she did not require any cancer treatment.  This woman has been through a lot and is extremely strong.  We are so happy that she is recovering because it could have been much much worse.

She said that her recovery was going to be 7-8 weeks.  She never specifically said she was coming back to work, but I assumed she was.  Regardless, I ended up sitting in the brand new (to us) 4500 sq ft house with no cleaning lady.  Oh and did I mention that Cindy left it not so very clean?  Well that too.

So I called one of those "Molly Maids" type services to get a quote on a one time cleaning, just to get us through until CL could come back.  They quoted me $700.  Uh huh.  Yeah right.

So I went to the store and bought cleaning supplies and decided I would do it myself.  Jeez louise.  The problem with cleaning is that once you start,  you can't stop.  You begin seeing dirt in places that you never noticed it before.  Plus, I have no "free time" since I work full time, have 2 kids, and have a Big Brother addition.

All this is to say that I have rediscovered how to clean.  I don't hate cleaning, I just don't have time to do it.  CL is coming back to work and has me on her schedule for 8/29 (PRAISE THE LORD) and all this cleaning drama will be over soon.  That is until Mr. Molly tells me that we can't afford to have CL clean this entire 4500 sq ft house every 2 weeks so I end up doing part of it myself anyway.