Nesting, pt. 2

Our Lamaze instructor briefly talked about the "nesting" urge this past week, assuring husbands that it's normal for expectant mothers to suddenly get the urge to clean and organize. There were a number of "ahem" looks shared between couples. 

Eric looked at me. 

"I think you've been nesting your whole life."

It's true. I'm a bit OCD. 

I just really like things to be clean. I strongly dislike the act of cleaning, usually. But I find it so hard to relax if things are messy or dirty or out of place. When I was a kid and used to go to friends' houses to play, I used to insist that we spend the first thirty minutes or so cleaning their rooms before we started playing. I've gotten better at that, by the way -- I hardly notice if other people's places aren't organized or clean now. So please don't not invite me over because I'm OCD.

Disclaimer: please understand that this in no way means that our place is always clean and spotless. Sometimes Eric has to remind me. And he's always very loving and gentle, as in: "Wenders, I'm really glad that you're enjoying that book, but we were going to do laundry this weekend and I still don't have anything to wear to work tomorrow. Also, that dust bunny just swallowed my shoe."

So it should be no surprise that earlier this week, when I cleaned our place, I felt slightly elated. Sashaying around, feeling competent and organized and at peace with our apartment and clean. I even decided I would empty the vacuum before getting the floors, since Eric harps on me about that. 

"Wenders, it works best if you can always see the parts spinning in there. If there's too much dust to see the spinning, it needs to be emptied. In fact, it should never get to that point."

I on the other hand, tend to think of the vacuum as magical. You plug it in, it takes the nasties away. Magical things shouldn't need maintenance, right?

"No. Vacuums aren't magic, Wenders. There is actual science behind it."

Oh. Science.

So, being the dutiful, cleaning, scientific wife I am, I removed the part of the vacuum holding all the nasties. Just then, I thought, Gee. I haven't emptied this in forever. (You definitely could not have seen the spinny parts spinning.) I hope I remember which button releases the dust. 

So I tested one. Right then. As in, not over the trash can yet.

I remembered.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go wash out the inside of the drawers where Tiny's clothes and things will go.