the septic tank guy is coming over!

And who in their right mind would think the house would need to be picked up for that? Also, my brother is stopping over in a little while. I am embarrassed. Not so embarrassed that I am willing to forego this little habit of mine, but embarrassed none the less. Because, here is the story...

Once upon a time there was a lady. She did not live in a shoe, but she lived in a house with 16 other people. She had around 20 garbage bags full of clothes to sort and put away. She REALLY wanted to get it done. So, she worked at it. She had a small daughter who thought the clothes were all to try on. She had some older daughters who cheered and clapped their hands when they found something they had missed or forgotten about, and told this lady, "Mom, throw it here!", to which the lady replied, "Okay, dear, but make sure you put it away!" ha. So smaller piles were sprouting, althought the biggest pile was diminishing. The laundry room was slowly but surely getting filled back up with clean clothes. Then, the lady realized that it was approaching the dreaded dinner time! She asked one child to measure some water and some rice, and the short version is that it was unedibly burnt. She asked her 5 years old son to open the biscuits and put them on the pans. Oh, he likes to open pop and fresh biscuits. He thinks they should also be shaped just so....anyway, she took a break for dinner, helped clear the table, and got right back to the clothes sorting. Seven of the kids went out the door to the youth meeting, and the other kids were sort of helping her, sort of playing the new Princess game with Charlotte Claire and Camille. And doing their spelling. Anyway, this lady sorted clothes until the last bag was empty, not including the two smaller bags full of unmatched socks. And strangely enough, she was actually looking slightly forward to matching all these socks. She knew the rich and satisfied feeling that would come when it was finished. So, the lady took a little break to play with her puppy dog, and then took a shower and went to bed. The night was cold and her sleep was interrupted by intermittent whines and cries of the small child. The lady climbed out of bed four different times to cuddle and kiss the small child, only to be so awake she tossed and turned, and found herself waking to the whining of the small child again. It was during one of these times of sleeplessness that the lady realized with horror what the man who delivered the clothes had said to her," This is most of them. The rest will be done by next week".......

So. The lady sits on her computer as if her kitchen sink is not full of dishes, the counters aren't full of dishes, her tables don't have coloring stuff all over them, her entryway isn't covered with jackets that got knocked down as the bus arrived, and shoes that were worn yesterday and not replaced neatly on the shelf. She sits here with those things niggling at her mind, while her Charlotte Claire mauls the puppy, needing clean clothes and breakfast and attention. This lady knows she has to get up and clean up quickly, because what will her brother think of her messy house? And, what will the septic guy think?