Cleaning the kitchen

The day has become legandary and eagerly anticipated in our household.  "Wet and Messy Day" is what I have called it.  The day does not occur very often and is usually somewhat spontaneous but is always met with a chorus of cheers when I announce "Today kids is WET AND MESSY DAY".

It all started January 2012.  We had a series of illnesses sweep through our home so not only were we homebound A LOT but I also had this desire to deep clean and rid the house of all the ickiness.  On top of that, we had our third child who was still only 3 months old and I was just NOT on top of the house work at ALL.  I usually like it clean and tidy but I just could NOT keep up when we added a third child to the mix.  So one January day I had reached a breaking point.  I wanted the house clean but was feeling overwhelmed with illness, three kids, baby, etc so "Wet and Messy Day" was my way of trying to get some cheap labor to help me deep clean the house...while having a little fun in the process. 

How Wet and Messy Day usually begins: Usually it is a day in the middle of winter when it has been too cold or we have been too sick to leave the house often.  The house is trashed because we have been here so much and I have just reached my breaking point.  I usually decide when I wake up in the morning and I KNOW the house needs some cleaning and we need an activity to keep us entertained.  For me, I am a morning person and since this activity takes a little extra patience on my part, I have found that it is best done in the morning around here.

Usually we begin with the messy.  I basically let the kids destroy the kitchen (or area that needs cleaning)  We paint, do homemade playdoh, oobleck, and the kids personal (and messiest) favorite :  Moon dough and Moon sand.  So the kitchen is destroyed while the kids play for an hour or so.  I take this time to play a little, clean the counters, sip some coffee, etc etc.  My kiddos will usually stay entertained for over an hour or so with the messy part (which is why we do this in the dead of winter and we are starting to get low on indoor activities and playtime that keeps them busy).  I think they like it so much because it is kind of taboo.  They can basically play, get dirty and the only rules are: they can't leave the designated area and they can't throw the stuff around. 

Then comes the wet.  So my kitchen area is destroyed....messy as it can be.....but sparkling clean is on the horizon.  I fill a bucket of soapy water.  Throw in some towels/sponges, etc.  Have the kids strip down to their underwear (I don't know why being almost naked is more fun but they think it is!) and then they just go to town.  I play the director role - you missed a spot here, why don't you wipe down the cabinets there, oh - the fridge could use some cleaning, etc.  They love it.  Be warned:  any water that is given will be completely dumped onto the floor.  Usually a fun game of "slide" will take place at this point.  I honestly just let them get super soaked and then throw some towels in the mix and ask them to start drying the floor (they like to sit on the towels and scoot all around the kitchen).

Here are some pictures of the "wet" (I missed the messy today because I had to keep a careful eye on Caleb with the moonsand) I also had them put shirts on to keep it PG online :)

Afterwards, all goes into the washing machine, new clothes come on, a snack and some juice and we have a brand new kitchen/dining room/hallways AND roughly 2 hours of entertainment.  Not bad!!