work with me, people...

I have spent my summer dodging real estate agents. We listed our house at the end of May and have shown it 30 times since then. Everyone one says that 30 times in two months is good, but I say I still own it. That said, I've been a good sport, willing to leave my house as pristine as possible on the very shortest of notice. Afterall, the goal is to sell it, right? I need to work with these people. But with two kids--one who is known for her love of projects that usually encompass an entire floor of our little house--our game plan is just not to be in the house if at all possible between the hours of 8 and 6. I've tried staying until we get the call from the listing agency that tells us to get out, but I make both my children and myself crazy with my constant cleaning and barking of imperative statements: "Don't get that out. Pick that up. Just watch some more TV."

Today, we left the house at 9:30 and had a plan involving doctor's appointments, shopping and swimming at the Y that would successfully keep us out of the house until 6 pm. Generally Mondays are not days our house gets shown anyway, but for the girls' sake I thought better safely out and about than home dealing with a neurotic mom. We had almost made it through the day when my cell phone rang. It was 5 and the listing agency was calling to say that our house would be shown between 6 and 7. We were waterlogged and had planned to leave the pool at 5:30. Since that would put us home exactly when we were supposed to still be out, I swung into action with our emergency contingency plan, which is to pick up pizza and crash in on our neighbors until it's safe to return home. They are very gracious people who enjoy a free pizza now and then, so it worked out.

At 7:15 we were home and settling in for the night. The girls were exhausted, and the two year old was in bed and alseep 15 minutes later. I had just got the five year old set up in her evening wind-down routine when the doorbell rang. It was a very perky real estate agent and a lovely young married couple standing in my doorway looking at me like I was rancid turkey on their brunch plate. The agent said, "Didn't you get the call. We made an appointment for 6 to 7. " Um yes, actually, I got that one. Here, let me show you to the front room where we keep our clock.