A little more than six months now!

Marriage is just like dating. With the additional bonus you’re staying together. Day in. Day out. Sleeping with his the last face you see. Waking up with his back the first thing you see. It can become a pleasurable routine or it can be a boring repetition of events.

In addition to have your most loved, most cherished with you every single day, you have the house to take care. The bathroom to clean. The hall to vacuum. The kitchen to tidy. Not to mention fresh bedsheet every week (I couldn’t find time to do every three days, so weekly, even then The Hubby thinks I’m crazy). After all the cleaning and tidying up over the weekend, the only thing you want to do is sit back and be lazy for the rest of the day.

But wait, now that you have an extended family attached to the solemnization, you have visits to do and to receive. Which means, the weekly tidying up might not come to be. Which means, double cleaning (?) when you get back.

It’s tiring. My single life, I only had less than 1000sqft (minus my housemates’ rooms) to take care of. Now, it’s about 2000+sqft. Another reason why I miss condo living. ;-) If last time, it was only my clothes, which means, one machine load per week plus some handwashed items, now it’s probably three load. More to fold.

We have maids coming over occasionally, but I engage their help only when I’m truly exhausted and need major wash for the whole place. Because a day after the service, I will be doing the cleaning again. Reason: They don’t clean the way I do. So, to have them clean 75% of the dust and dirt is by all means still cleaning. Reason: They vacuum, but you can still see dust. So, it’s still assistance.

It’s tiring taking care of the house. I am truly amazed how my mother did it for over thirty years without maid’s help. Of course she’s a fulltime housewife, which means, she does a lot more a day than I can do in a week! Read Momster’s post here: CLEAN FREAK; because the way she was trained as domestic goddess is EXACTLY the same like I was. No kidding.

I haven’t begin cleaning the house’s sliding doors, windows and grills yet. That will totally shock The Hubby I’m sure. Not to mention the big garbage can outside the gate. My mom’s garbage can is cleaned each time the garbage collector comes. Seriously. All her pots can be substitutes for mirrors. Her stove is squeaky clean after each meal. You can practically lie down on her kitchen floor and sleep there. No icky, sticky feeling. Home in Gombak, always smell fresh and inviting.

And I want our house to be the same. I thrive in that living condition. I never knew I miss it so much until I come back home to a messy hall and overflowed plastic garbage in the kitchen.

So yes, married life can be a boring routine day in, day out. The question is not “why it’s becoming a routine”. The right question is “how to make this routine enjoyable”. That’s my take. And as to the how, I believe husband and wife needs to work together to make it work. Since both of us are working, it’s only fair that both of us take care of the piece of heaven that we’re living in.

I will not be sorry or apologise for being anal about house cleanliness. It’s just the way I am. And I know The Hubby appreciates it. And I know my parents-in-law appreciate it too. After all, it’s their son I’m taking care of. ;-) HINT! HINT!

Complains? Weeelllll… Don’t lie domestic goddesses! You complain and nag your husbands too, right? It’s inevitable. But husbands should know, when their wives put on that record to play, it’s because they care so much to make your living together more pleasurable. After all, what is married life if it’s exactly the same mess it was when we’re singles, right?

It’s tiring. But do it with honest heart, IKHLAS, it is worthwhile. Alas… we’re only humans. So, go figure. ;-)