So tired. Our open house is this weekend -- actually both days, Saturday and Sunday. David has been steamrolling through with the cleaning and I was trying to help while at the same time watching Jack.
When David moved the cat litter box into the garage, I wanted to put the cats out there at the same time. But I couldn't get all three of them and still make sure Jack didn't draw on the walls with black markers or drink Windex. He was a little high maintenance this morning because WE were stressed out and also because most of his toys were put away before the open house.
So it was hours before we could move the kitties to be with their litter box.
(If you've never had cats you may be thinking "How hard could it be to move them into the garage?" The answer is "really fucking hard." It involves simultaneously sweet-talking them and cornering and grabbing them. Cats do not like to be caught. And they do not do what they are told. Jack, who witnessed this, thought we must be hurting the kitties and started crying and screaming. It was a tough morning.)
So about a half hour before the house was supposed to open -- and moments before we were supposed to vacate it -- I noticed that one of the kitties had taken a crap in Jack's room.
David swung into action again to clean this up. We are pros at doing this now and have a spot carpet shampooer, special enzyme cleaners, etc.
But still the smell was not one you wanted as you were preparing to present your home to potential buyers. I was so annoyed at David for not moving the cats at the same time, or else WAITING to move the box until we could also move the cats. But I kept my mouth shut.
He's given me a lot of shit recently about how I have not been moving fast enough to get the house ready. But I have been moving as fast as I can. I have a new job, I have a toddler, and I'm pregnant. My speed is not top speed. Yet he thinks this is because I am dawdling, and has not been kind about his displeasure with it. It has been a hard time, but we have gotten through.
Still, I kept my mouth shut today when he made this ultimate home-cleaning-for-an-open-house blunder. I never regret taking the high road.
We were already so so stressed out. And we were exhausted by the time we left our house. No need to add more unpleasantness to that. Instead, we enjoyed the rest of the day, in spite of how beat we were/are.
There were nine people who came through during the open house, and our realtor reports that one couple with a little boy seemed particularly interested and she thought they might try to contact potential lenders over the weekend. They especially liked Jack's room, which we had painted in a bright green color and decorated with a jungle theme. (I will try to post pics before we go.)
Meanwhile, there is one more day of this weekend's open house. It will be tougher to get the kitties into the garage tomorrow because they are wise to our intentions. But at least we will have more experience.
As strangers look at our house tomorrow, we will be taking Jack to the coast to see the Pacific ocean. He hasn't experienced it yet.