I love nights like this!

Last night, the baby woke up at 4:00 to eat, then went right back to sleep; I did not. I laid there for about 15 minutes trying to doze, but kept thinking about all of the things I could get done if only I got out of bed. Gleefully I tiptoed down the stairs in the blissful quiet and began one of those hard-core cleaning sessions I can only manage when the mood strikes me. Unfortunately it only strikes me about four times a year, so I know to take advantage of it when it’s here.

I love the silence of the middle of the night. It’s a rare thing for a homeschooling mom of five to get to revel in the peaceful quiet of a house in which everyone is home, all are healthy, all are happy, no one is fighting or yelling, and I can be alone with my own thoughts and the manic energy of a cleaning spree. Why do these things never hit me the day before we have company?

I cleaned, mopped, and waxed the kitchen floor; cleaned out the refrigerator and polished the appliances. Then, I moved on to the downstairs bath. I have little boys, so the bath can be pretty nasty. I cleaned it with ease. They are still sleeping, so it’s still sparkling now! Next it was off to the laundry room. With a song in my heart, I cleaned this nastiest of rooms, where things seem to go when nobody wants them, but can’t throw them out. I am the one who throws things out in a family of pack rats. It’s clean and organized now! Hooray! For one moment in time this one small part of the house is clean and clutter free.

I still want to clean the children’s bath upstairs before they awaken, and there’s one more load of laundry to do… I love nights like this. Is it too much to ask for the mood to strike again tonight?