When Misophobia Comes to Call

Everyone is working for the weekend, right, even us stay-mostly-at-home Moms? Well the weekend is here, and my house was clean for about 10 minutes between the time I finished cleaning and my weekend house guests arrived.

I am thrilled one of my best friends/college roommate is here, with her awesome husband and darling girls (who dove right into the childcare role, leaving me actually able to visit with my friends and have adult conversation. Wow.).

We've already made it to downtown Chicago today, the train ride always being a destination in itself for my boys.

Tomorrow, my friend and I will run our fastest 15Ks ever, because there is chocolate fondue at the finish line. At the "Hot Chocolate" race's expo this morning, we both bought tech shirts emblazoned with "Will Run for Chocolate."

Later on Saturday there's sightseeing to partake in and a circus to attend. Maybe Chicago pizza delivered or a grown-up dinner out. Haven't decided, and I sure don't know what kind of shape my stuck-in-a-meeting-all-week in San Diego husband will be in. He tends to crave home-cooked meals and movie nights with the boys after these extended trips.

Never mind that; my point is the weekend is here, and it's already great and is only getting better.

Getting to the weekend was a lot of work, though. My housekeeping standards have fallen to an all-time low the past couple of years. My standards remained fairly high after having Luke but lowered a bit after Toby joined our world; and, well, post-Andy, they sort of fell through the Cheerios-caramel dip-dehydrated peas-and-dried-out-spaghetti-crusted floor.

I see myself as more of a Mom and a writer than a housekeeper. Given the choice between cleaning my floors and building the greatest Lego creation ever, I choose Legos.

But my friend, with whom I also worked as a Resident Assistant back on the Mizzou campus decades ago, was known for her misophobia, her fear or dirt or germs. Staff sweatshirts we both still have picture her with a "no dirt" sign. (Of course, this same sweatshirt pictures me with a "no babies' sign, so I know people do change!)

Still, a clean freak is she, even though she swears her standards have also lowered with three girls at home.

But I've been to her house. And it was clean. So I needed to give my house my best college try this week. I think I did ok, if we don't count the boys' bathroom, which I should have just barricaded with 'crime scene' tape.

So now it's time to sit back and enjoy my friends. And the chocolate.

Here's to the weekends! Cheers!