How do I keep the house clean? Really.

I am not a neat freak. Really. But I do like some order to my home. Maybe not to have seven piles of papers on the kitchen counter. Or maybe it would be nice to actually have hand towels hanging in the bathroom, instead of finding them outside in the grass. Or I just get one room cleaned and I go into the next to find shoes and clothing and toys strewn about. My kids are like little whirling dervishes. Is that the term? Well, it sounds good. They can't enter a room without leaving it in significant disarray shortly after. I spent 30 minutes tonight cleaning up after dinner. You wouldn't know it. Then I went downstairs later to do some laundry and the girls had dropped or thrown (who knows with them) the entire contents of a bingo game all over the basement floor.

This has always been a stressor for both Lisa and me. Of course I don't lose sleep over it or anything, but just coming home to a messy house, or feeling like we will never be caught up, does tick up my cortisol level a notch. The funny thing is we actually have a house cleaner twice a month. She does a fabulous job, but it sure doesn't last! My friend and I joke that what we really need is Alice from the Brady Bunch - just to follow the kids around and clean up after them.

I know you're wondering why we allow this behavior. We don't. Or at least we try not to. We have daily conversations about cleaning up, and I have even thrown away or donated large quantities of toys that were lying around. But my kids don't seem to get it. And Lisa and I exhibit the classic signs of insanity - we keep trying the same thing over and over, hoping that it would eventually work. It won't. The girls seem to be particularly immune to any kind of punishment. And they will spend many hours and countless joules of energy NOT cleaning their room when asked. A 15 minute task can drag on for an entire evening. Aaaarrrgggg!

I need to find a way to reign this in. The New Jami is trying to have a less stressful life, and having a somewhat clean house would really help. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. But do keep in mind that a) we parents are severely outnumbered and b) our girls are very good at not doing what we ask of them, and they are far more stubborn than Lisa or me.

Just so you're aware what you're up against.