The Tricky Trigger

Something strange is happening to me. I have never been very domestically gifted. My previous attempts at looking like I could actually run a household have all failed miserably - all plants die a slow and painful death, the super duper cleaning products stay in the cupboard barely used, the iron hasn't ventured out for a few years and let's not forget the copy of Shannon Lush's Spotless that still hasn't had it's spine cracked. I'm not a domestic goddess that's for sure. Well that is, until now.

All these stereotypical Mum things have started happening since I had a baby - I'm dubbing it the Tricky Trigger. I cook now and it has nothing to do with the country's current obsession with Masterchef because I never got in to it (although I've seen two episodes of Junior Masterchef and they're soooo cute!) I'm cooking real food and it's not just stuff from packets either, I'm talking about cooking from scratch and using the measuring cups that have sat unused in the drawer for years. Pizza dough, cakes, roast dinners, bread (without a breakmaker shock horror!) and biscuits. And when I'm finished cooking do I go and have a bit of a rest? A well earned lie down? No. Then I go and clean the house (well, after eating what I've just made obviously).

I was never big on cleaning before. Every so often I would blitz the house and make everything look shiny and new, but it wasn't ever a regular thing - if something didn't look dirty then I would consider it clean. But not any more. It started as nesting when I was pregnant - I would decide to clean the kitchen bench and end up cleaning the bench, scrubbing the oven, polishing the sink and emptying each cupboard, cleaning it and restocking it. I would even clean light fittings and dust skirting boards - things I had never done before in my life. Whilst it isn't as hard core now (the skirting boards haven't been cleaned since then) I'm still obsessed with cleaning.

These days I even find myself tidying up as I go. This concept, which for normal people is nothing special, is completely new to me! I will make a cake and while it's baking I'll clean all the bowls and measuring cups so that when the oven bings to herald the arrival of afternoon tea time, the place looks and smells divine. Who would've thought I would ever be like this?

It doesn't make any sense to me. Previously when I had all the time in the world to cook and clean, I didn't do it. Couldn't stand it. Now that I have a million other things to do, I will make the time to do it all. I think I must actually be a real Mum... or a stereotypical 1950's housewife - where's Mother's Little Helper when you need it?

Hubby is loving the cleaning (he used to do all of it) but particularly loving all the yummy food. My taste buds are loving it. Tricky, when he's old enough, will love it (I've already made and frozen some baby food because we had a heap of pumpkin). The only problem with this new found cooking ability is the exponential growth of my rear end. I could go for a walk to burn off some calories, but I have a bathroom to clean.

Did you become a domestic goddess when you had kids? Or were you one already?