I do not have OCD
And I am 180 degrees opposite a Type A personality.
So why is that whenever my grandchildren just begins to leave any kind of evidence that they were in our house I become Felix Unger of the Odd Couple? This "evidence" comes in many forms - things matted, crumbly, sticky, stained, smeared, smudged, yucky, gross - well you get the picture.
Sure, I like our house to be clean and orderly but perhaps the Dust Buster-in-a-holster look is taking things just a bit too far!
Tell me please - is there a grandpa out there that doesn't feel just a little uncomfortable about the trail being left behind by the little munchkins in your house?
It's a day like any other day. Everything is in order - generally speaking. Then Spiderman and Batman arrive. (That's what my son and daughter-in-law call them.) More accurately, we bring them into our house. On purpose. Don't get me wrong - we love them to death and want to help our son and his wife out who both work full-time. We also look foward to experiencing what the ingenious minds of a 3 year old (almost) and 6 month old have cooked up for us on any given day. Remember my patience thing?
My goal: to make sure that the house appears like they are not there. Reasonable right?
Spiderman and Batman's goal: to make sure it looks like they have lived here without adult supervision for 2 weeks! No problem.
Both objectives are reasonable in my mind but then again I am eligible for Medicare while Curious George is their favorite TV show.
Let the games begin.
Sometimes (ok, most of the time) I feel like the guy with the shovel and garbage can following the horse troop in the Rose Parade. Ever ready to make sure things are nice and neat. No cereal, donut crumbs, syrup, cottage cheese or poop on the floor or furniture. And definitely not the entire contents of the playroom strewn about our living quarters. Damn straight - not in my house! Yeah right.
Before my very eyes they are transformed into champions of clutter, commandos of chaos, masters of mayhem, sages of smudge and wizards of wreckage. Proof of their presence is ubiquitous. I am reminded of the little, long-nosed character named Kilroy who made his way around the world (long before the internet), becoming a legend among the millions of military men and women who served in World War II
This doodle, with the saying "Kilroy was here" popped up in unexpected places across all theaters of war visited by American troops. Like Kilroy, signs of Spiderman and Batman's presence are found everywhere, including the most unexpected places.
Why do I feel so compelled that they be neat? After all, keeping Papa and Nana's house organized is NOT the #1 thing on Spiderman and Batman's mind. Intellectually, I get that but still...
I am more than just a little envious of their grandmother's ability to let things roll off her back. She does not let the "trail that they leave behind" get to her. Ever. She looks at me like an alien when she sees me go into my Mr. Tidy alter ego.
Their parents are also so very good at taking these things in stride. Nothing seems to bother them. They focus on the joy of each new day as Spiderman and Batman surprise them every day. Their DNA includes a very strong patience gene.
But for now, sadly, the "Grandpa was here" legend lives on - micromanaging his way through a day with the grandkids.
I gotta learn to relax and enjoy the syrup running down Spiderman's shirt, pants, chair and floor.
I NEED A SPONGE NOW!!!!!
