I'm pretty much in charge around here

This week the photo challenge at I Heart Faces is all about pets. I love me some pets so my photos of them are not in short supply. This one holds a very special place in my heart though. This little kitten had a hard delivery and when I found him he was barely alive and the mother cat had rejected him. I took him in and nursed him back to health. He spent the next week thriving like you would not believe. When he got healthy I let him back out with the rest of the cats. Unfortunately he ended up having more problems than I could take care of and he did not make it much longer. Broke my heart. He was a sweet, strong, brave boy and I will never forget our time together.

Go over to I Heart Faces for some more super sweet pets.

When I was a kid I was messy. I don't have many memories of cleaning my room up. When I was like 9, my mom may have found an Easter basket stashed behind my t.v. It was like the end of June. And it was still full of boiled Easter eggs. Gross.
Sometimes I would come home from school to find my mom had cleaned and organized my whole room. It was wonderful. I would marvel at my shoes lined up perfectly in my closet. I just never have been an organizer. But I sure can appreciate it.
Of course as I got into my teen years things just got worse. But it was the clothes. The CLOTHES! Everywhere. You could not find anything in there without digging it out from under a mountain of clothes. And I'm pretty sure there was probably a week old glass of something in there too.
When I turned 18 I moved out with my friend Sarah. I think the trash went out maybe every other week. Maybe. The dishes never got done. Once I came home to Sarah's friend doing our dishes, they had gotten that bad.
Then I was a young mom. The CLOTHES! were still a problem. This time there was also a mountain of baby clothes. They are oh so tiny but still contribute greatly to the pile. And sometimes they were poopy. The dishes got done more but there was still an occasional sour bottle in the mix . Or a moldy sippy cup from under the couch. I got the trash out on most trash days but would still sometimes find a week old soggy pee diaper under that mountain of baby clothes under the crib.
I have been a mom for 10 years now. The dishes always get done. The trash is always at the curb. When my house is dirty it is so because of toys everywhere. And the CLOTHES! are still in piles and all over the floor. In my own kids rooms too. But I like clean. A lot. I know it has to do with growing up and maturing but really it has been a little extreme the last few years. I'm kindof a germaphobe these days. It feels strange and out of my element but I can't help it. I carry hand sanitizer in my purse and car. And use it every time I go anywhere. I sanitize my hands before I start the car every time we leave somewhere. At home I clean the toilet seats a few times a day. Clean the bathtub before I give my kids a bath. Run small plastic toys through the dishwasher. Don't let my kids share snacks with their friends. And slobber. Ew. I cant stand to see people put stuff in their mouths(babies not included), especially biting nails. That's gross. I then imagine every single thing they touch after that being contaminated. I wish everyone would wash their hands regularly.
Also having a four year old daughter who has to use the bathroom every. single. time. we go somewhere has proven to be a challenge. I think it's getting a little bit easier with time though. Maybe.
I just think it's weird that I am so terrified of germs. I don't know where it came from. And my house is still kind of messy. But its not dirty!