Let me start off with a confession: my house is never as clean as when my mother is coming to visit. There, I said it. It’s like being at Def Con 5 – “Grandma’s coming. Clean the house. Shove everything in the closet and wipe down all surfaces. Move. MOVE!” Everyone pitches-in. Hubby is on vacuum duty and the kids have fun cleaning the toilets and mirrors. You read that right. Who doesn’t love Scrubbing Bubbles?

Now, I’m not saying that my house is a mess; far from it. What I am saying is that I may let things go a little longer between major cleanings. The kind of cleanings that involve mopping, dusting the tops of doorframes, and window cleaning. Just the other day my friend and I were discussing the idea of a cleaning schedule where we would clean one part of the house everyday; thereby alleviating the need for such major cleanings. It was a nice idea and we shared a good laugh over it.

My mother (and father) did and still do keep a clean and lovely home. Everything has a place. There’s never anything left lying on the floor or crumbs on the countertops. Things are “just so” but in a warm and cozy way rather than a “don’t sit there or my mother will have a heart attack” way. So you can imagine the horror my mother feels when she sees cookie crumbs under tables, princess dresses strewn over couches and unmade beds. Pillow shams askew? Oh the humanity!!!

But really, it’s me, not mother who puts this kind of pressure on me. As a work-at-home mom of two little girls, it’s not always easy to find time to do everything. And my mom knows this; that’s why she always helps me out whenever visits. Sometimes, I even leave little projects I know she’ll like — such as cleaning the fridge or organizing my pantry. (What can I say, I'm a giver.)

This week, I found myself in an unusual predicament — my mother (and father) may or may not be coming to visit and possibly staying over on Sunday. (Just for reference they live about two hours away but were visiting my aunt who lives 10 minutes away.) What do I do? Do I clean instead of work? Do I clean instead of playing with my kids? Should I put time and effort into something that they not even be appreciated? In the end, I cleaned a little, organized a lot and spent time with my family. As for my parents, they came for a quick one-hour visit and were on their way. Barely enough time to notice the tiny fingerprints on the sliding glass door.