What is Clean?

I wonder if I can even remember the meaning of the word, Clean.  Growing up in the city and living mostly in town houses or apartments, I got used to small spaces.  I don't mind them very much.  But, I do like them to stay clean so that I am not stepping on things.  I don't mind dust.  But my floors, that is my pet peeve!  I really don't mind having toys on the floor from the kids.  What gets me is the dirt, straw, mud, stuff, that ends up on the floor and spread over the whole house in a matter of an hour of the floors being mopped.  I like to get out of the shower, walk across my floor, and still have clean feet!  We have hardwood floors because carpet and farm just doesn't mix.  Even with rugs at both doors, it seems to spread like wild fire.  You cant keep shoes outside as the winter is 7 months and snow and below 0 temps for most of it.  In the summers we have spiders so badly, again, you cant just leave shows outside.  So, I have a rule, shoes off at the door and there is a shelf to put them on.  For the most part, everyone follows it.  At the front door, very quickly, I get a mound of wet dirt, straw, and everything else you cam imagine from a farm.  Oh yes, and we don't have real dirt.  It is red clay mud!

Now, small children don't seem to care what they step in and where they track it.  So, with them running through out the house, it gets tracked from the door, through the kitchen, into the living room, and it is a mess.  Now, we live on a farm.  Yeah, I know you know that, but do you understand what that means?  That means (especially in winter so they don't freeze) going out four times a day to check for eggs, going out twice a day to milk and then feed calves, to go out and water everyone which requires hauling it by the bucket out of the house to each and every animal, and then going out to feed all the animals. Why don't we try to do all of it at once you ask?  Kids!  With a 3 month old I am nursing, I can only be gone for an hour or so (and that is if DH is home) before I have to come in and take care of what ever I have done and get washed up to feed said infant.  Not to mention cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the other children in the household. So, it is done in spurts.  If DH is at work, so most of the week, it is done in spurts as fast as I can.  Usually during said infants nap time.  So, that is A LOT of in and out.  And that is just by me.  That isn't including DH going in and out, DD1 letting the dog out to go potty, DD2 thinking she has to follow me everywhere, well, you get the point.  So, we have migrating mess on the floor several times a day.  While I am outside DD2 thinks she has to open the door and yell for me every two to three minutes, thus tracking it further and further in the house.

You would think that hardwood floors would allow you to keep it cleaner, I have to say, maybe cleaner, but never looks clean.  No sooner does it get mopped then it gets tracked on.  Is there such a thing as a clean house on a farm?  I say it can be.  Is there such a thing as a clean house with small children?  I say sure.  Is there such a thing as a clean house on a farm with children?  Sure thing is one of the two adults don't have to do chores outside and just has to clean inside.  So, in reality, is there such a thing as a clean house, with small children, and in this day in age where one parent is working and the other is home and thus has to do chores outside as well as inside?  Nope!  At least not in this house.  One day, maybe.  For now, the problem is solved with slippers!