cleanliness next to godliness??????

Looking around my house the phrase 'clean enough to be healthy, dirty enough to be happy' comes to mind.

It doesn't matter how much i tidy or clean there is always someone following me with a trail of toys, clothes, food and general mess!!!  Because apparently I love to clean and tidy and therefore they are helping me fulfill my lifetime ambition of becoming a full time 'scrubber' (no comments please!!!!).

I honestly believe that there could be a few naughty elves and pixies that live under the floorboards and when we are all in bed they come out and fling the toys everywhere, leave a fine film of dust on the furniture and rub dirt and grime around the sinks and toilets!!!

And now that we have the puppy, i spend the majority of the day smelling of bleach and can be found toting a pack of multisurface wipes as i clean up after him!!

But is my obsession (and i use the term loosely!!) affecting the children?  They have a bath every evening and a flannel wash - hands, face, bits and pits - every morning (in case those pixies got them with their dirty dust!!!) They wash their hands before every meal, after the toilet, and if they have been outside.  They have a serviette to wipe their faces during dinner and tissues in their pockets to blow their noses.  Normal behavior i think, but i have noticed No1 son slinking off into the bathroom and then hearing the taps running, when asked what he is up to he informs me their was a speck of dirt on his finger, or that he was washing his toys as they were dirty! he changes his clothes as soon as there is a food stain or other stain on them, wont wear socks with the hint of a hole or wear and tear and wont contemplate eating anything that the darling diva has been near!!!!  The obsession reaches to clothes too. Socks have to be straightened , clothes have to touch the wrist and ankle - no shorter or longer, no labels in tshirts as they itch, and shoes have to be done up so tight they stop the circulation to the toes!!!    (OCD i hear you all shouting, I know , i know, i am just drifting down that river in Eygpt, !!! Denial!!)

The darling diva however is now entering that phases where anything remotely yucky is soooooo interesting. No1 son's 'wiggy' as she calls it , is a source of entertainment (much to his disgust) she announces to the world when she has been to the toilet and insists we look (Ta Da, look big poo!!!) Mud, worms, toe fluff, bogies and the dustbins are a plethora of interest and who cares about the snot trail on her face - adds to the flavour apparently!!!! 

So when I say my prayers tonight before i go to sleep, not only will i be praying for world peace and an end to famine i will also be slipping in  a hope for one more relaxed son, one house that stays marginally clean and tidy , oh and a daughter that isn't a complete bog rat as washing her hair is such a pain!!!!!!!!