The buzzing of bees
The bee is buzzing. She has figured out how to open containers with scrwed on lids– almost everything. However she has not figured out how to screw back on the lids.
This led to a few accidents around the house., three quartes of a bottle of baby oil was emptied on the carpet, her rubberbands were strewn all over the floor.
She has also figured out how to climb into the bathtub and to flush the toilet. All this makes mommy both nervous and terribly proud.
Bee preens
She definately recognizes herself in the mirror. She loves to doll up, wearing bangles, bindi and nice clothes. Has opinions on what to wear. She loves to apply lotion and asks for lipgloss. She would like to wear my earrings. She smiles shyly on getting complments from amma and appa.
Bee reads
Bee likes books (yaay). She especially loves animal books. She wants mommy or daddy to navigate the book with her. She recognizes animals from her animal books. Since she cannot say complete words yet, she usually pronounces the first syllable. So a cat in Bee Lingo is Kaa and a elephant is ee. Need to figure out what Kai stands for 
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Bee eats
Her range of edibles has grown since most of her teeth have grown. She is still resistant to the hotter spices (pepper anf chillies). She likes pancake like dishes and snacks. She likes to dip crunchy thattais in ammas tea and eat them.
AMO
Move over Wiggles, Elmo is here. Bee loves to watch Elmo, and dismisses wiggles with an emphatic no. There is something about that hairy little orange creature that captures her attention. Mommy finds it strange and has resolved to limit elmo time.
Mine
Everything is “mine” according to the Bee. That goes for all the goods in every store the Bee visits. Mommy is scared to go with Bee into the store for fear of tantrums.
How to clean a room (bedroom/ sitting room) in less than 30 minutes
[1] Pick a room you want to clean.
[2] Clear the space so as to put things back into the space they belong. For example dishes/cups will go into the sink. Clothes strewn aroun will go into the laundary basket/bucket.
[3] Start dusting at the top depending on what all you want to clean.(Dust the fan, Furniture)
At the end of this stage the dust will settle on the floor
[4] Clean the floor. (The tasks for this will vary depending on the type of flooring)
Rounding in on housekeeping tasks
The first step to rounding in on a housekeeping routine is to identify the tasks and the frequency at which they need to be performed
On a piece of paper, write down the following
[1] How would I like my house to look?
[2] What activities would need to be done to achieve that level of organization?
[3] How frequently do the tasks outlined in [2] need to be done?
This will help you identify the tasks and frequency. Post it at a visible place like the refrigerator.`
You can either set aside a chunk of time over the weekend to do the major tasks or spread it over the week.
Principles of housekeeping
It is amazing how life changes with the arrival of a child. Things we took for granted are at a premium. Sleep, enjoying quiet time with the spouse. In all this housekeeping seems to take a backseat. However the house also needs caring
I have rounded in on the following principles of general home maintenance based on my experience as a working mother.
- Every region should have a purpose. Be consistent in assigning a region to similar objects.
- Items should be assigned locations based on frequency of use. Most used items should occupy more accessible storage space.
- Spend a few minutes (10 minutes should be sufficient) putting things back into their regions.
- Use transparent containers for storing whenever possible. It makes it easy to locate things.
- Keep the kitchen counter clean. I have a cloth that I soak into soapy water and wipe on the counter tops and let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe it clean.
- Resist buying small items that will contribute to clutter and maintainence overhead. Maintianining a clutter-free and hygenic environment comes first.
- Always keep maintainability in mind while making a purchase.
