After 35 years I have finally found the cure for my OCD...

I don't really joke about being OCD, because I truly am. I have been fighting the annoying illness for most of my life, but thanks to cognitive therapy I have had it pretty much under control for about 15 years now. Originally, my OCD rituals extended WAY beyond things like being neat and tidy and obsessive cleaning.  I didn't step on cracks, or much to my mothers annoyance, in Publix I could only step on the color square I started on- white or green- through the WHOLE store.  I also ironed my underwear, and could not sleep in a bed unless it was made, hospital corners and all! Basically, I had more issues than Time magazine.

Slowly but surely from the age of 12, with the help of therapy, I worked hard to recognize that my world would not explode if I stepped on a crack, or worse, things moved an inch from their assigned place on my dresser. Some of my issues I decided were OK, and carried them with me into my adult life; like making my bed everyday, even if it was right before I got in it, and keeping an obnoxiously organized sock drawer. Basically, I kept my neat freak tendencies as long at they did not completely rule my day, and let go of the unnecessary rituals; like checking for my keys 20 times before locking the door, and making sure the hangers in my closet were perfectly spaced before going to sleep.

So then, you must be wondering how I have managed to almost completely overcome an illness that I have been battling for most of my life?  One word... 

TODDLER.

Having a toddler has worn me down to the point where my house is anything but neat and organized AND I can still sleep at night. I am so cured of my OCD that I can go to sleep in a half-assed made bed with dishes in the sink.  I vacuum and mop once every two weeks (which is HUGE), and the furniture has not been polished in... hell I have no idea!  Some days I don't even brush my hair, and my sock drawer is a hot ass mess!

Nothing has a place anymore, mostly because I am not even sure what I have.  Oliver has emptied out every drawer he can reach into, and that coupled with the packing away dangerous/precious/small/important items while baby proofing, I don't even know where half of my stuff is!  I know I should be training him to leave my stuff alone, but choosing my battles is where I am at with my parenting style right now.


I go-go-go all day, so by the end of the day the only thing I want to do is put up my feet and listen to the quiet hum of my appliances, not scrub the floors and dust!  SCREW THAT! Still, the house needs to be cleaned, so normally either Saturday or Sunday FTD takes Ollie out so I can clean (read: actually get something done without Oliver undoing it two seconds later).  At first I would go balls out, scrubbing every surface, dusting, moping... I mean proper old school OCD insanity.  Then it never failed that right as I sat down on the couch, they would walk in and within 30 minutes wreck the joint.

Eventually, I learned that I should clean the basics and then sit down for an hour before they got home. That pretty much meant no more washing the base boards or dusting the tops of the picture frames every week.  I was slowly learning to live in a not so perfectly pristine environment.

Today, pristine is SO FAR from my house it's actually laughable!  Make no mistake that when I say laughable I mean in a crazy lady ha ha sort of way.  This weekend when FTD and Ollie left me to clean, I started walking around assessing the situation and was shocked to see what disarray I was able to live in!

Check these photos out...

My Dresser

A FORTUNE COOKIE???
How in the hell that got there I have no idea, nor do I know how long it has been there.
This is clear proof that I have lost touch with everything being in it's place...

 My bedside bookshelf

This is a vicious cycle from hell!
Every morning Ollie runs in and pulls the books out,
then puts them back... well most of them.
Every night before bed I clean it up.
I used to organize them according to height,
now I just shove what he leaves out back in.
More proof I am healed of my organization tendencies!

 The space above the microwave.

There was a time when NOTHING was allowed on top of the Microwave. 

Now note the top of a gift box, a ceramic bear figurine and 

the cat's treats under the popcorn bags.

At least I do know how they got there...

When I am in the kitchen making Ollie's breakfast or lunch he uses this time to play with all of things he knows he shouldn't.

The funny thing is that once he gets the forbidden item in his hot little hand,

 he brings it to me to show it off!

I tell him he should not have it, take it away, 

then put it as high up as possible, (the top of the microwave)

then clearly forget to put the items back where they belong.

See, I have been cured! 

I can live in an unorganized shit hole and survive!  The sun will come up, I will keep breathing and the final effect will simply be that the crap will just continue to pile up. I kind of hate that I cannot manage my toddler and house at the same time, but luckily, I don't have the time to beat myself up over it- I have a toddler to chase!  

Please, Please, Pretty Freaking Please, 

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